Guide to Southeast England Walking Books

Time Out Country Walks near London, Volumes 1 and 2

Both books describe country walks in the southeast of England, about an hour by train from central London. All the walks start and end at train stations. Each walk comes complete with detailed walk directions (you don't need a map!), sketch maps, pubs for lunch, tea places, local history and places to visit.

Volume 1 contains 53 walks (1 for each week of the year, and 1 to spare).

Volume 2 contains 30 walks, and is more car friendly. Many of the walks have shorter options, making it suitable for new walkers.

Quotes from reviews of volume 1:

"Having joined a couple of the Club walks, I can confirm how enjoyable they are" (Camping Mag).

"Few guides to country walkers have the first clue. You know; you've gone astray too. The Time Out Book of Country Walks is a magnificent exception. I defy you to get lost." (New Scientist).

"Sets new standards for such guidebooks." (S. E. Rambler).

"The clearest instructions I have yet seen in a walking book. I have walked all over the UK, Germany, Italy, etc, usually solo, and have got lost countless times because of slipshod guidebooks. In contrast, your book is a model of clarity. The best 10 quid I have spent. Congratulations." (Stuart Parrott, Radio Free Europe).

"Our top travel guide. A perfect guide for rural rambles." (Fischer & Holliday American travel column)

Rough Guide to Walks in London and Southeast England

Train station to train station walks in London and the southeast, with instructions and an OS inspired map. Some new walking areas eg Ely, New Forest, Stonehenge), and some inner London and 2 day walks as well.

The credits mentions thanks to walk testers - a very good sign. Not done a walk from it yet (so, on sight alone) - recommended, a worthy competitor to 'our' books.

This is the recently published (Jan-09) second edition.

Time Out London Walks

Shorter, Inner London Walks (together with a description about the area and its history) by London writers - Hyde Park, the East End, the Regents Park canal, Greenwich, Wimbledon Common, Richmond Park, Dockland, Royal London, Soho, etc.

Cicerone Guides to Kent, Sussex, Berkshire and the Thames Valley

Cicerone is a well respected publisher of 'serious walker' guides to the English National Parks, Scotland, the Alps and beyond.

Their southern English books have (car friendly) circular walks with 1:25,000 OS map excerpts. They seem to have been authored by their regular authors who happen to live in the south.

The books I've looked at (Thames Valley, Sussex) are great for car travel, but not so good for public transport. No indication of walk testers or updates (pubs, facilities, paths change a lot more frequently in the Southeast than on moutains!).

But if you live in one of these areas, and have a car, these books are without equal.