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Saturday Walkers' Club

This Week's Walks

These walks are free. Everybody welcome, especially visitors to London.

However, as there is no leader, you should have a copy of the route - either the appropriate book or for SWC walks, a printout.

Last Minute Changes

Sunset will be at 5.12pm this weekend (13 Feb), meaning there is light for walking till 5.30pm or so.

Weekend underground closures.

Nature notes: your weekly nature tip has moved to a new user-friendly Nature Blog (click on link).

This Week's Walks

Book 1

Book 2

SWC (Free) Walks

Sunday, February 14	Posted by Sean 0 comments [view][add] Sunday Book 2 Walk *Book 2 Walk 24a – Lewes Circular via* Rodmell and Northease Manor Length: 15.4km (9.6 miles). Toughness: 4/10 09:47 Ore train from Victoria, calling at Clapham Junction (09:53) and East Croydon (10:07), and arriving Lewes at 10:58. Return trains are hourly at 16 minutes past. For nearly a year we've been unable to post two of the standard Book 2 walks because their only suitable lunch pub, the Abergavenny Arms (01273-472416) in Rodmell, was closed for most of 2009. However, it re-opened a month before Christmas and it seems a good idea to check it out. Their website says that they serve food from noon to 4pm; I don't know if it will be busier than usual on Valentine's Day but do call ahead, as they request. It would also be helpful for future walks if one of you could post some feedback about the place afterwards. Even before its lunch pub had closed, this walk had spawned several new afternoon variations (see the New Walk Options on the Walk 24 page); by all means do one of these if you wish. I've simply chosen the standard Book 2 walk because it hasn't been posted on a Sunday for over three years now, although I've specified the alternative return route because the Northease Manor variation doesn't get explicitly mentioned very often. But when you're up on the downs in the morning, the smart move is to take a look at the fields below you: if there's a lot of water on them, you'll probably be better off with the riverside path. On Sundays the suggested tea place is the White Hart Hotel in the High Street, but there should be some alternative choices if you want to look around the town. Post a Comment Posted by Sean 0 comments [view][add] Sunday Alternative Walk Extra Walk 45 – West Byfleet to Hampton Court Length: 14.5km (9 miles). Toughness: 1/10 10:10 Guildford train from Waterloo, calling at Vauxhall (10:14), Clapham Junction (10:19) and lots of other stations, and arriving West Byfleet at 10:54. See below for ticket options. Trains return from Hampton Court at 05 & 35 minutes past the hour. The Extra Walk 45 page suggests buying a return to West Byfleet, although in theory you'd also need a single from Hampton Court to Surbiton on the way back. Hampton Court is in Zone 6 and various other combinations are possible; a cheaper option might be a return to Hampton Court plus a single from Surbiton to West Byfleet. Many of our club walks (like my other choice today) have only one possible lunchtime pub and I've noticed that several are offering Valentine's Day lunches to tempt love-struck couples. As they might be more crowded than usual, therefore, my alternative choice is this riparian ramble passing a good number of hostelries, which should increase your chances of getting fed and watered en route. You start out along the eastern end of the Basingstoke Canal (whose western end will soon feature in a new walk), then join the Wey Navigation to Weybridge. The second half of the walk is along the Thames Path, where the swans (especially in Hurst Park) will take a dim view of anyone who hasn't brought along some spare bread. Navigation shouldn't be a problem, of course, but you'll find the Walking Instructions helpful for a tricky section at Weybridge. The first possible lunch pub is the Old Crown** at Weybridge, with several more at Walton Bridge and beyond (see the walk document for details). Hampton Court has more pubs and also several tearooms catering for tourists to Hampton Court Palace. If you'd like to extend the walk, my choice would be to go through Bushy Park and return from Hampton Wick Station (about 3km and a change from more riverside walking). Post a Comment
Saturday, February 13	Posted by Marcus 0 comments [view][add] Saturday Book 1 Walk Walk 24 - Cookham (round walk) Length (new version): 12.8 km (8 miles), Toughness: 2/10 Length (original Book version): 15.8 km (9.8 miles), Toughness: 3/10 London Paddington: 10-57 hrs (Oxford train) (Ealing Broadway: 11-05 hrs) Arrive Maidenhead: 11-34 hrs - change to Marlow train Leave Maidenhead: 11-38 hrs Arrive Cookham: 11-45 hrs Return: 21 mins past the hour (again, changing trains at Maidenhead) The shortened version of this most pleasant walk in Berkshire was devised when the original lunchtime pub, The Bull Inn in Bisham, decided to become more of a restaurant than a public house, following which it started to turn away customers attired in walking gear. Never mind - I'm sure we've all been denied access to or thrown out of many a smarter place than the Bull Inn. So, todays revised version of this walk avoids Bisham - and the crossing of the A404 into Marlow - and keeps this side of the busy road. The later than usual start allows you to have an early lunch at the homely, walker-friendly Jolly Farmer pub in Cookham Dean, some 40 mins into the walk. That said, if you really don't like stopping so early on in a walk and would prefer to get a few more miles under your belt first before luncheon, either bring along a picnic or keep to the original TO Book route - and have lunch in Marlow, where you will find a number of pubs open most of the day for food. Refer to the new Directions, downloadable from the website, to avoid a dangerous crossing of the A404 (by walking through a flood tunnel). But for those of you who take the revised (shorter) route: leaving Cookham your walk soon takes you across meadows on the flat as you head for Cookham Dean. After lunch you head uphill into Bisham Wood and enjoy woodland paths - some a bit muddy, but not too bad - as you make for Winter Hill, the highest point on your walk today, with lovely views down over the River Thames. You then walk downhill, cross water meadows and arrive beside the River Thames, to start a relaxing and most enjoyable leg by the river - all the way back into Cookham. This is a nice, short easy walk with good variety - and a late(ish) start for those who struggle to get up in the morn. Next Week (20 February), Week 8 : Walk 14 - Gomshall to Guildford (or Guildford Circular including bits of Gomshall to Guildford). Post a Comment Posted by Trailblazer 0 comments [view][add] Saturday 3rd Walk (Relatively Mud Free) Free Walk 22 Balcombe Circular via Ardingley Reservoir (Winter Walk) Length: 10 miles (16.2km). Toughness: 4/10 Trains: Take the 09:41 from London Bridge arrives Balcombe at 10:21 (calls at East Croydon 09:54). Return trains are 37 minutes past each hour. Tickets from London are about £8.60 with a network card. Usually a good winter walk as it includes quite a few MUD FREE quiet lanes and dry tracks and Ardingly Reservoir is particularly beautiful in low winter sunlight. Initially the route is along a quiet and pretty lane from Balcombe station, then down into the valley and under the Ouse Valley Viaduct before climbing up to Ardingly reservoir and village. Then along the reservoir edge to Balcombe for tea. Lunch: There are two lunch pubs to choose from, both in Ardingly: The Oak Inn 9 (01444 892 244) and the Ardingly Inn (01444 892 214). Tea: The Balcombe Tea Rooms (01444 811 777) is worth a visit. They close at 4.30pm but may stay open if you give them a call. The Half Moon Inn nearby also serves teas and coffees. Download the latest instructions here: Post a Comment Posted by Walker 0 comments [view][add] Saturday (relatively) mud-free walk Walk 26a - Cambridge via Granchester Circular Length: 15km (9.4 miles) Toughness: 1 out of 10 (flat!) 10.15 train from Kings Cross to Cambridge, arriving 11.01. Fast trains back are at 15 and 45 past. This is more of a tourist outing than a walk, but I am told it has never had a Saturday outing (I have a dim memory to the contrary, but never mind): its advantage at this trying time of year is that it is largely-mud free: indeed, the walk instructions say you can turn up in trainers or sensible shoes, though I'll bet they manage to get muddy somewhere.... The walk talks you round the Cambridge colleges, after which you are supposed to have lunch in Cambridge, and then walk out into the countryside to tea at the famous Orchard Tea Rooms in Grantchester; there are also two pubs in Granchester, however, which serve food all day, so you might prefer to lunch there and have tea in Cambridge, especially as the Orchard's famous deckchairs under the apple trees are unlikely to appeal in winter. Either way, from Granchester you go back by the River Cam into Cambridge. The directions are to be found at the end of the revised Shelford to Cambridge directions: scroll down to the bottom of the page. The shade of Nicholas Albery, the SWC's illustrious founder, might urge you to learn the last stanza of Rupert Brooke's famous poem about Granchester by heart to prepare yourself (don't bother with the rest of it, which is very tedious). Post a Comment
Wednesday, February 10	Posted by Chris L 1 comments [view][add] Midweek Day Walk Book 1 Walk 31 – Glynde to Seaford Length: 23km (14.5 miles) Toughness: 8/10 09:47 Littlehampton/Ore train from Victoria (Clapham Junction 09:53; East Croydon 10:03), changing at Lewes (arr 10:51, dep 11:09) arriving Glynde at 11:14. The train divides at Haywards Heath, so make sure you are in the part of the train going to Ore. Return trains from Seaford, changing at Lewes, are at around xx:25 and xx:58. The cheapest fare will be obtained by buying two Advance singles (London to Glynde and Seaford to London). These cost from £5.00 each if purchased online now, but you’ll need to specify which train you’re returning on, and stick to that. If you want to return earlier than the 17:58 from Seaford, the Advance ticket for the return journey will cost £7.50. This extra midweek walk – another ‘Sophie Special’ – has been chosen by an SWC walker who is in training for an ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro later this month. So it’s a longer and tougher walk than would be normal at this time of year. In order to complete the walk before dusk, the pace will be brisk, with only a fairly brief stop or two for a picnic lunch, and possibly a coffee somewhere en route. There will be no lengthy stop for a pub lunch. At least 3 walkers plan to do the walk, and would welcome anyone else who fancies a good work-out. An updated version of the walk directions can be found on the Walk 31 page, but you should be OK even with an older copy of the book. Midweek walks ae normally on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. Posted by PeteB : Monday, February 08, 2010 4:49:00 PM Will be doing this walk. Suggest we have short lunch stop at Alfriston where there is a nice deli if anyone wants to buy stuff there. Post a Comment

Click here if you have problems seeing the 'This Weeks Walks' table (and let me know)

Holidays

Walk around the lakes, coastline and forests of the Skane region of South-West Sweden.
Departing: Friday 28th May; return Sunday 6th June.
Flying SAS from Heathrow Terminal 3 1405 departure to Copenhagen Denmark; returning from same on Sunday at 1615. It is possible to fly direct to Malmo Sweden but we now - at least 3 of us - intend to stay in Copenhagen the first night. This is to accommodate later flights! We cross into Sweden the next morning by the Oresunds bridge/tunnel by train or bus approx 35 mins!
There are several hostels in Copenhagen.I intend to book into Copenhagen Hostel, Amager, 20 mins walk, 4km from Kastrup Airport (4km from the City).
Contact "The Flight Centre" Bromley South and ask for Joanne; tickets £143 return currently but you may get them cheaper online. If you're thinking of coming for a shorter trip that's something I'm trying to factor into the itinerary. eg you join us for first part and arrange your own departure date/airport. We will return to, and depart from Copenhagen having spent the last night there and enjoyed its delights!
Fuller details of walk routes and accommodation to follow. Awaiting Ordnance Survey (or equivalent) maps ordered from Stanfords. I have basic map with routes marked - difficult to assess correct mileage at this stage!
Once in Sweden staying in various accommodation/s depending on location /budget etc
mostly, as the Swedes do, staying in their excellent Youth Hostels. May need to join Hostelling International if you want to avoid paying an extra £3 per night. YHA Members may be exempt.
Hope to finalise trip details by end of February. I'll be drafting an email of info to send to all interested parties & my mobile number. Lots of attractions apart from the landscape in Hiker friendly Scandinavia, land of Bergmann and Wallander! Should you need to email me it's magyardave2002 at yahoo dot co dot uk

Labels: holidays Sweden, Scandinavia, Skaneleden

Social Events

Tues Feb 16 at 6:30pm for the exhibition at British Library (96 Euston Road NW1 2DB): Point of View - Capturing the 19th Century in Photography, admission free. After the exhibition, we will head to the new St. Pancras Station for Food and Drink. __________________________________________________________________________
Friday Feb 19 at 5.40pm: Avatar (an IMAX 3D experience) at IMAX theatre Southbank. Tickets £13.50 for adult, and £9.75 for concessions. Advance booking is essential via the bfi website.

Meet at 5.30pm at the box office or after the movie at All Bar One , 1 Chicheley Street, London, SE1 7PY, Tel: 0207 921 9471 for Food and Drink. A special offer on the All Bar One website, a bottle of wine plus three small dishes for £15, you need to download a voucher. Click here for the voucher.

Non-movie goers are also welcome to the pub for social. Friday Night is Pub Night!
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Friday Mar 19 at 7pm: Satyagraha (Gandhi's search for truth) by P. Glass at The London Coliseum, tickets from £16. Book at www.eno.org. Meet at the Crypt from 5:45pm onwards for food and drinks.

Glass’s masterpiece is a mesmerising and hauntingly beautiful musical meditation upon Mahatma Gandhi’s early years in South Africa, and his spiritual progress towards non-violent protest. Instilled with breathtaking theatrical flair by Improbable’s award-winning director-designer partnership of Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch, the production has been described as ‘a masterwork of theatrical intensity and integrity’ (The Times). Alan Oke repeats his compelling central performance as the young activist. Philip Glass is also famed for his award-winning film scores including The Hours, The Truman Show and Koyaanisqatsi.

Forum & Other Announcements

3 comments [view] [add]

Blogger and the Move to a New Website

Blogger (our content mnagement system) is removing FTP (the method of copying files to the website) in few weeks time, which is very annoying.

Railways, Nature, London Walks and Where to Walk are all now hosted on Blogger (it is planned they will eventually have names like nature.walkingclub.org.uk)

This Weeks Walks, Announcements/The Forum, the Book 1 and 2 updates and feedback pages, and the odd unrelated pages (Last Minute, Holidays, Swimming etc) are harder to move.

1 comments [view] [add]

OS Consultation

Send an email to giconsultation -at- communities.gsi.gov.uk saying you're support free OS 1:25,000 mapping for "not-for-profit" websites See: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/ordnancesurveyconsultation

1 comments [view] [add]

Revising Book 1 - How you can help.

[Nov-09]

Most of the book 1 walks have now been revised. Thanks to all who helped.
There are only 9 (of 53) left to do (see below)
A volunteer is needed to input the text of walks 7 (merge book + update document) and 32 (book only)

We should really organise

a walk check of each one
a proof-read of each walk's web page

The walks can still do with

changes (e.g. the new high speed train line)
pubs (lunch and at the end)
travel by car
a summary : are the changes such that a "red edition" book owner need a printout (or can they make do with the book)

Revised: 43. Updated: 2. Assigned: 8 = 53

01-10: -- -- DA -- --    -- ** -- -- --    -- revised
11-20: -- -- -- -- --    -- -- MP -- --    ** updated (no electronic
21-30: -- DC -- -- DC    -- -- -- -- --       version of the text)
31-40: -- ** -- -- DC    -- -- -- -- --
41-50: AS -- -- DC --    -- -- -- -- DA
51-53: -- -- --

31 comments [view] [add]

Walk numbers - January onwards

How many people came on recent walks? View comments to find out, or post your own walk report.

Posted by

Bill S : Saturday, January 02, 2010 5:22:00 PM

Friday 1 January. Book 2, Walk 5a Tring circular. Ten of us were out on what was a beautiful, if somewhat cold, walking day The sky was blue, the sun shone, and the paths remained frozen for much of the day which saved us from what might otherwise have been a mudfest. We toasted the New Year with Champagne (courtesy of Marcus) at the sumit of Ivinghoe Beacon while admiring the views across the Aylesbury plain before setting of for the short walk down to Aldbury. Unfortunately the sun had brought out the crowds and Greyhound was packed. We went instead to the Valiant Trooper instead, though that was little better. As the prospect of getting hot food there looked slim most of us made do with crisps and peanuts - supplemented by Kit Kats and biscuits from the village shop - washed down with drinks from the bar and the second bottle of Champagne that Marcus had been carrying round with him. A good day out despite the lack of lunch!

Posted by

peaches : Saturday, January 02, 2010 6:06:00 PM

Friday Jan 1 2010
37 on this walk from Mertsham to Tattenham Corner - a record for this year then.
After a short walk we had Champagne for breakfast on Colley Hill and then onto the pub for apromised pheasent breast gourmet lunch. Unfortunately they couldn't handle all of us so some went to the Blue Ball a couple of mile further on for some nice food.
Weather was nice and the sunshine was very good for the skin. After lunch we sort of all met up again but then split into different groups taking different routes only to meet up for a drink at the Beefeater inn near the station and then onto the train for a gentle slow many stop ride homeward.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, January 03, 2010 8:17:00 PM

Saturday 2 January: Henley Round Walk: 15 or so on this walk. There was an ominous bank of dark cloud to the north as we started the walk, which gave this walker a bit of concern, but it blew away rapidly to the east ("Come friendly clouds and drop on Slough")and we had crisp, frosty sun all day.

It was a bit of a squeeze in the Huntsman's Arms (eight of us eventually around a table for four, while tables for six and eight respectively remained pristine and unused, awaiting reseved parties that the pub staff assured us repeatedly were just about to turn up), but I think all who wanted to managed to get fed. Proving reports earlier this year of its demise were exaggerated, the Henley Tea Rooms did us proud with big slabs of cake.

Posted by

stephensoc : Sunday, January 03, 2010 10:17:00 PM

This post has been removed by the author.

Posted by

stephensoc : Sunday, January 03, 2010 10:33:00 PM

Jan 3 Haslemere round walk of a muddy 14km for those that didn't get lost or plan any detours
17 of us started this walk and the weather was very fine with low strong sun and little wind and we all ended up at the Red Lion for lunch in dribs and drabs and enjoyed a satisfactory repast
Leaving the pub was in different dribs and drabs and the group of 8 that I was in made the most of the afternoon to explore challenging new routes, some of them in completely the wrong direction in order to add about 5 km to the walk.
Some others that chose to visit the view off of the normal route, sorry but I can't remember its name, somehow managed to get to the coffee shop with supposedly glorious cakes well before we struggled into town and down into the station far too sore a foot to detour for coffee.
I should empathise that I am not speaking for any of the others that I suppose were sore a foot here.
Five of use enjoyed the slow train back into Waterloo after a great day and gently worn muscles

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, January 10, 2010 11:40:00 AM

Saturday 9 January: Book 1 walk: Warnborough to Godalming: 25 on this walk, several of whom admitted that they set off from home with strong doubts as to whether we would be able to do much of a walk at all, due to the Big Freeze. But in fact, the snow proved no hindrance at all. Even the connecting train from Guildford to Warnborough ran as scheduled, though this line had been closed for the previous three days.

We then had an amazing walk in a true winter wonderland - up to 20cm of snow in places, but normally somewhat less than that. Snow on every branch and twig. For the first hour or so we also had sparkling sunshine, and later it was cloudy but generally bright.

The famous Siberian wind - so touted in advance by the weather forecast - was rarely in evidence. The one exception was at the top of the Hog's Back, where it blew a mist of ice crystals off the trees, that was neverthless very beautiful. There was almost no traffic on the A31 - crossing it had never been so easy...

We got a bit lost on the way to Compton - familiar paths look unfamiliar in the snow! - but even this was great fun, trying to work out the route of a path through the snowy woods. At lunch in the Withies Inn there was a refreshingly wide choice of tables, the usual car-borne traffic having mysteriously failed to turn out.

Then more magical fields and woods into Godalming. The only problems caused by the snow were several fallen trees and bushes blocking the path (presumably they had fallen due to the weight of snow or the weakening effect of the cold weather), and a tricky section of a couple of hundred metres along a narrow path along a hillside, where compacted snow made the surface slippery.

Godalming was quiet and largely traffic free, and the tea room seemed happy to see us. We then got the train back to civilsation without incident.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, January 10, 2010 11:41:00 AM

Saturday 9 January: Staplehurst to Headcorn: I hear that 6 intrepid walkers turned out for this, despite (accurate) forecasts of snow in Kent. Some difficulty with trains on the way home, but they all returned safely.

If anyone actually on this walk wants to make a fuller report, please do.

Posted by

MG : Sunday, January 10, 2010 3:25:00 PM

Saturday 9 January, Staplehurst to Headcorn. I would indeed like to make a fuller report. The forecast snow showers did occur in the morning. But in the afternoon it was wind, driving snow and visibility often reduced to just a couple of bootmarks in front - a very special experience!! 'Some difficulty with trains' is quite an understatement. We waited for 2¼ hours at Headcorn station while train after train was cancelled, interspersed with phone calls to South-Eastern's 'information service' (where in some parallel universe based in India all the trains were running normally) and unsuccessful attempts to find a taxi. Then miraculously an unheralded train suddenly arrived which after various stops, turfing passengers out at Orpington only to readmit them after a few minutes (some of the group having migrated to other platforms by then) finally managed to reach London after 8.00 pm. Yes we returned safely but not before several of us had purchased toothbrush and toothpaste in expectation of being stuck overnight!

Posted by

Chris L : Monday, January 11, 2010 12:45:00 AM

Sunday 10 January, Book 2 Walk 17 (variant), Sole Street Circular: 6 intrepid walkers (4 on the early train, 2 on the later one) defied the threatened blizzards and enjoyed a perfect, trouble-free, winter walk in about 12cm of snow, which was freshened by some light flurries in the afternoon. The Amazon & Tiger provided a good lunch for those eating in the pub, and the trains ran on time. Sorry to disappoint anyone hoping to read another horror story of lost walkers stranded by cancelled trains!

Posted by

Ian T : Monday, January 11, 2010 8:35:00 AM

Re Staplehurst to Headcorn
I'd just like to say that the (recommended)lunch stop, the Bell and Jorrocks, is a good choice. My egg and chips was top notch and the portions of sausage-and-mash-in-a-yorkshire looked ginormous. Couldn't fault the beer either.

Posted by

Bill S : Saturday, January 16, 2010 6:33:00 PM

Saturday 16 January - new walk: Chorleywood to Chesham.

14 set out from Chorleywood station, all (I believe) doing the full 10.4 mile option, with a late starter joining us at the lunchtime stop. The early morning rain did not bode , but apart from a couple of light showers before lunch it remained dry. Most of the snow that had been blanketing this part of the Chilterns for the past week had disappeared, though some persisted on the north facing slopes. The downside of this was that a couple of short sections of the walk were underwater, though not impassable. Otherwise the going, although a little muddy in places, was surprisingly good.

A relatively short morning section a brisk pace meant that the leading group reached the Red Lion at Chenies - which was the favoured of the two options for everyone on the walk - shortly after 12.00. The welcome was friendly and those who ordered food didn't have long to wait. The early arrival probably helped, though service in this pub is usually very good anyway.

The group split again after lunch, with the leading pack arriving in Chesham shortly after 3.00. Most of us chose to stop off at the Naked Cafe, where the service was friendly and quick.

I believe that the laggards in our group were just arriving in Chesham as we were departing, which was probably a good job as the cafe might have been hard pressed to accommodate all of us inside.

The walk itself is a fine addition to the SWC stable. The Chess Valley is a hidden gem which, despite being relatively close to London, is surprising rural and unspoilt. And Peter has to be congratulated for finding a largely rural route into the centre of Chesham that avoids the rather unappealing final section of the Chess Valley Way. It’s a walk that has something to offer all through the year, though being close to London and well known to locals some sections are likely to be relatively well populated on summer weekends when the sun is out.

Posted by

PeteB : Monday, January 18, 2010 12:16:00 PM

Sunday 17 January 2010 Book 2 Walk 3 Saunderton via West Wycombe circular. Sixteen set off on a fine sunny day on a walk which benefited tremendously from Andrew K's re-routing which meant we avoided the usual 1km muddy bridle path slog and instead followed a delightful alternative path which greatly enhanced the morning session. We hope this will be in the up-dates section soon. Still a fair bit of impacted frozen snow on north facing slopes which meant care had to be taken on some stretches. Very friendly welcome at the Le De Spencers Arms and everyone seemed to enjoy their Sunday roasts. After lunch the route retraced some of the new path we used to get to the pub but there are other options to get you to the Dashwood Mausoleum and it would be worth exploring these by bringing a map (or perhaps rewriting this section of the walk too?) An excellent day out ended with teas at the Golden Cross pub close to the station.

Posted by

Trailblazer : Monday, January 18, 2010 5:08:00 PM

Sunday 17 January 2010 Guildford Circular (via Chantries Hill)

About 12 people on this walk. The river Wey has burst it's banks leaving various lakes around Guildford so we detoured to higher ground.

Posted by

Carrie : Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:50:00 PM

Two of us strolled ahead after descending from St Martha's Hill and, deviating from directions, wandered through Colyers Hanger and passed Albury Mill before making our way to the pub for lunch. It was really quite lovely, in spite of partially flooded plains and a couple of vast puddles by stiles adjacent electrical fences which led to some paddling.
The quantity and quality of meat in the Sunday roast at the pub we two went to (and I've forgotten its name and recycled my notes..) was exceedingly generous and very good. We confused ourselves and went to the pub we hadn't booked a table at (we succeeded in confusing the tolerant staff too as they searched for our booking)so missed meeting up with the whole group again but our bellies benefitted from the might feast.

Posted by

Sean : Wednesday, January 20, 2010 10:52:00 PM

Carrie: it's cruel to tell us about a lovely pub with great food and then forget its name! Could it have been the Drummond Arms, on the main road in Albury? Or did you head back to the Percy Arms in Chilworth? If you went into Albury you did well to find your way back to Guildford; perhaps there's a further story to be told...

Posted by

DAC : Thursday, January 21, 2010 12:33:00 PM

Wed 20th January - Extra Walk 10x - Saunderton to Princes Risborough. 3 of us. Whipp Inn at Lacey Green friendly + good choice of ales.

Posted by

Walker : Saturday, January 23, 2010 10:31:00 PM

Saturday 23 January: Book 1 walk: Pangbourne Round: 15 on this walk. Nice mixed group, including old timers and new faces, and some South Londoners (so they DO sometimes come north of the river!).

The lunch pub has indeed closed, but we found a pleasant alternative - the unpretentious but friendly Sun Inn in Whitchurch Hill - 600 metres to the left across the main road from point [8] or point 43 in the revised directions.

The tea place, The Ditty, now seems to be a wine bar, so walkers instead went to the cafe next door, and one round the corner.

Posted by

Chris L : Sunday, January 24, 2010 7:17:00 PM

Sunday 24 January, Extra Walk 16 - Dorking to Reigate. Just 5 walkers were on the initial train that arrived at Dorking, but numbers had more than doubled by lunchtime, as more appeared from various points of the compass, including some on unforeseen rail replacement buses on the Redhill line. One keen walker even devised her own Reigate Circular, setting out from Reigate at 8.00am(!!) to walk along the top of the downs before descending to Dorking and returning with the others along the Mole valley. Despite being fully booked, The Dolphin at Betchworth found us a table and provided some substantial meals. Hopefully all 11 walkers made it to the finish, where the closed station displayed no information about the replacement buses.

Posted by

stephensoc : Sunday, January 24, 2010 8:29:00 PM

Sat 23 Jan 2010 Whyteleafe Circular
23 walkers in all with some joining us during the morning and two late comers arriving for lunch and then not seen again, so not too sure that they really count.
I was surprised at how good the walking was seeing as it is in the suburbs of Croydon, however I am not sure that the quote 'tiny villages containing just a few settlements' is entirely accurate. Maybe the quote is from Roman times?
It was only 8 miles of mud so it felt like substantially more though thankfully none of us went tumbling as far as I know.
Lunch was cheap and good but not gourmet and the tea shop had a lovely aspect but lacked a selection of good cakes.
A short but invigorating day and I was home by 17.30

Posted by

Ian T : Wednesday, January 27, 2010 5:30:00 PM

Sun 24 Jan. Welwyn Circular 10, maybe 11, on this walk.
One thing that can be said for this walk is that you’re never far from a golf course. The morning was a seemingly endless succession of them. I preferred the afternoon with its wide vistas, proper fields, and occasional stunning views. And the sun came out.

Shortly after the early/late lunch decision point, the group split up - into me and everybody else. I went on to Ayot St Lawrence, everybody else didn’t. My guess is they phoned to check the pub and thought better of it. Perish the thought that they doubled back to shake me off. I found out later that they went to the Red Lion, wherever that is. I can report that the Brocket Arms is friendly and does good ale but it is not a good lunch stop for a Sunday walk. Its restaurant was full and even bar snacks were taking half an hour. I eventually managed to winkle my way onto a table in the bar area. However I can’t say I enjoyed my expensive, tiny, brie-and-onion toastie. And why do they cut the crusts off?

Posted by

PeteB : Wednesday, January 27, 2010 7:37:00 PM

Wednesday 27 January. Extra walk 64 Boxhill Circular. Just three on this attractive walk in the Surrey Hills. My two women walking companions were exceptionally quick (one is climbing Kilimanjiro in March) and with a coffee break at the King William IV pub and a sandwich lunch break on the "Gallops" they dragged my ageing limbs around the full circular walk in 4 hours, well in time to catch the 14.28pm train back to London to avoid the commuter rush. An exhilirating, and on some downward slopes, a slippery day out.

Posted by

JohnL : Sunday, January 31, 2010 3:46:00 PM

Sat 30 Jan: Book 1 Walk: Borough Green to Sevenoaks: 20 on this walk. It was a crisp bright day with most mud frozen solid except on Greensand Way in the afternoon. Eight tried the Papermakers Arms in Plaxtol for an early lunch. It looks a bit run down outside but a warm welcome and fire inside with good food at reasonable prices. Probably better to arrive at 12:30 rather than 12:00 to give them time to open up and get the fire going.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, January 31, 2010 9:42:00 PM

Saturday 30 January: Holmwood to Reigate: 17 on this walk, with one more joining at lunch. Glorious sunshine and deep blue skies. The ground was sort of frozen - sometimes it was, and sometimes one stepped on the ice and crunched through into the water. The pub coped well with us, though someone yours truly once again managed to order the only dish with miniscule portions. I am not sure where the others had tea, but two of us found a very nice little cake shop with some tables at the back, who were very good about us caking their floor with mud (whoops!)

Posted by

Carrie : Monday, February 01, 2010 6:42:00 PM

Sat Jan 30: Bk 1, Borough Green to Sevenoaks.
The weather was beautiful.
Those who went to the Papermakers Arms sourced a better lunch option I think. At least seven of us ate at the Snail, stocking toed, in its restaurant at restaurant prices. My muscles were tasty but the reconstituted 'frites' were dreadful and quite out of keeping with the price charged and the standard for which they seemed to strive.
We discovered another pub near by. Stephen...name??? It was friendly and had standard pub lunches with a roast, we'd booked a table for ten at the Snail so loyally marched on.
The white bellied deer in Knowle Park were something to behold and the sparse foliage and dried bracken meant a handsome pheasant could not conceal himself from admiration.

Posted by

PeteB : Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:34:00 PM

Download walk 2nd walk check Hayes to Knockholt Wednesday 4 February. Six started on this walk with another joining us at lunch after catching a later train. Excellent value lunch at the Blacksmith's Arms in Cudham. Best to book ahead for a table as it's very popular with the locals. In the afternoon we joined up with the Knockholt circular walk. Tea at the Coolings Garden Centre (Maureen's scones are highly recommended). A nice walk which if you have a zones 1-6 travelcard will cost you nowt in travel expenses and a nice addition to the North Kent suite of walks. Probably best done as a midweek walk as sunny weekends would probably make the morning route pretty crowded

Posted by

stephensoc : Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:36:00 PM

Sat Jan 30: Bk 1, Borough Green to Sevenoaks
The pub that Carrie referred to in her review above was the Padwell Arms on Stone Street Seal. Phone 01732 761 532. The menu look good and wholesome and reasonably priced.
They weren't busy and looked as though they would welcome the trade whereas the Snail seemed to be busy enough.
The Snail food was okay but expensive, £13.50 for a small starter of smoked fish and a panache of veg. Say 5 mouthfulls. Not enough for a little chap like me.

Posted by

Bill S : Saturday, February 06, 2010 10:03:00 PM

Saturday 6 February: Extra walk 1a - Lenham to Hollingbourne. 22 on this walk, including at least one first timer who opted to walk to Charing instead.

Thanks to someone phoning ahead we discovered before we set out that the Blacksmiths Arms at Wormshill -the second of the suggested lunchtime pubs and our intended destination, no longer opens on Saturday lunchtimes. We stopped instead at the Ringlestone Inn at Harrietsham. It turned out to be a good choice. They had no trouble accomodating us, welcomed walkers (even providing a box of plastic boot covers by the door) and had a great Credit Crunch menu offering, among other things, pie, chips and a pint for £10 which proved popular. And very nice pies they were too.

As to the walk, the Liphook to Hazelmere walkers might have had to contend with calf deep mud, but we had the sticky variety. If there is such a thing as a mud prize for tenacity, this would have won hands down. Limpets had nothing on it. The moment that you set foot on cultivated field - of which there was no shortage on this walk - it made a beeline for your boots. By the time that you reached the other side it was so thick that it was like walking with lead weights on your feet. Scrape it off - not an easy task, believe me - and ten minutes later another ploughed field and more instant weight gain.

Mud aside, it was a good walk that would have been even better were it not for the mist and grey skies that stayed with us for most of the day.

Posted by

Walker : Saturday, February 06, 2010 10:19:00 PM

Saturday 6 February: Folkestone Circular: A highly successful first outing of the High Speed (train) Walkers (aka "The St Pancras Set"). There were 11 of us on the specified train, and in Folkestone we met one who had driven, and two who came on the slower train from Charing Cross. Plus two who just missed the specified train and joined us at lunch = 16, if I do not miscount.

The early morning weather was initially not promising - grey skies, mist - but on arrival at the coast the clouds parted and we had a lovely sunny day, with rather fine views over the sea. Indeed, on the Big Climb, when we were in a sun trap, sheltered from the wind (and warmed by exertion, obviously) for about 20 minutes it felt like summer.

Up on top of the cliff there was a cooler breeze, but it was still very nice, with the sun glittering off the sea far below. Lunch was at the Lighthouse Inn, who took an hour to serve us despite the pub being empty (apparently there was some large wedding party in the back, but what the pub would have done had they had other customers, who knows). Opinions on the food differed: mine was tastless, but others seem pleased.

The rather slow lunch filled out the afternoon, however, and meant we descended into Folkestone nicely in the setting sun. Four of us then had a very brief paddle in order to prove that the sea was indeed PAINFULLY cold, and we found a nice new cafe in the Old High Street for tea.

Back in "St P" (as we regulars call it), seven of us repaired to Carluccio's for pasta and Sicilian sheep dip wine. (One of the many joys of this station is its absolute wealth of eateries....)

Posted by

Ian T : Sunday, February 07, 2010 8:28:00 AM

Sat 6 Feb Liphook to Haslemere. 6 on this walk. A delightfully sunny day - almost like spring - we sat outside at lunchtime. Yes there were muddy stretches but it was sloppy slimy stuff, not sticky mud like those poor people in Kent had. The horse paddock at the top was, as predicted, rather a challenge (not made any easier by the electric fence threaded along the wooden fence). It was an enjoyable walk nonetheless. Red Lion fine if a little short on veggie options. Darnleys fine.

Posted by

JohnL : Sunday, February 07, 2010 9:22:00 PM

Sun 7 Feb Wadhurst Circular and Silent. 10 on this walk. Some muddy stretches at the start but rewarded by a very beautiful and tranquil Bewl Water which was very still and refected the light grey sky. We managed to pass the Vine without calling in for swift half, to reach Wadhurst and the White Hart - a proper local pub with good food at modest prices. (£7.95 for sea bass) This is a very attractive part of Kent and worth the time / cost from London .

Posted by

PeteB : Monday, February 08, 2010 5:04:00 PM

Sunday 7 February.Book 2 Walk 2 Saunderton via Bledlow circular. Six on this lovely Chilterns walk which had muddy stretches but nothing too debilitating.In the afternoon we tried a map-led detour which took us down an attractive descent through some woods.(Chris L to post this as an alternative route in the walks up-date).Good quality lunch options at the Lions pub (but beware, the vegetarian chilli is quite hot). A great day out ended with tea and cakes at the Golden Cross.

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Walk Numbers - November -December 2009

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Posted by

Chris L : Monday, November 02, 2009 3:28:00 PM

Sunday 1 November, Extra Walk 15: Winchester Circular. Nine walkers defied the dismal forecast to set out from Winchester in the wet, after lingering to admire the Great Hall while the rain started to ease. It stopped before we'd left the city, and the rest of the day was dry and mild with some sunny spells. Walkers in t-shirts, picking blackberries - could this really be November? Most had a good lunch at The Bridge inn, and tea at the cathedral cafe, both of which got general approval.

Posted by

Bill S : Saturday, November 07, 2009 4:33:00 PM

Saturday 7 November: Book 1, Walk 45 - Princes Risborough to Great Missenden. At least 22 set out from Princes Risborough Station on a fine autumn day for a classic Chiltern walk. The sky was blue, the sun shone and the trees and the paths through the woods were clothed in gold. What more could you ask for. Service at the Gate at Bryant's Bottom was commendably quick and efficient. Those of us who chose to sit outside in the warm early afternoon sun were kept company by a dozen red kites and a pair of buzzards which circled overhead. A brisk pace after lunch meant that three of us arrived in Great Missenden in time to catch the 3.16 train back into town.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, November 08, 2009 12:55:00 PM

Saturday 7 November: Wadhurst via Bewl Water Circular. Bliss it was on that morning to be alive, but to be in the Weald was very heaven.... 18 on this walk on a glorious sunny day. Some good autumn colour, but the remaining leaves were surprisingly green really. The lunch pub in Cousley Wood has indeed gone upmarket as reported: I found the portion/price ratio a tad suspect, but it has to be said that the food was tasty and other walkers did not complain. We did wonder why the pumpkin soup tasted of goat's cheese, however.

After lunch a lovely descent to Bewl Water, whose water levels seem to be lower than ever, and whose sides were adorned by swathes of daisy-like mayweed. The Wealden Wholefoods Cafe was a delight for tea as usual, and were very kind not to mind that we left mud all over their floor (just one walker took his boots off at the door.....).

After tea, four of us had a lovely walk down the back lanes to the station as darkness fell - quite magical.

Posted by

PeteB : Monday, November 09, 2009 9:12:00 AM

Sunday 8 November Free walk 36 Amersham Circular via Chalfont St Giles. 10 on this walk which I must confess was a bit too suburban for my tastes (housing estates, golf courses, back of peoples gardens.) Picked up in the afternoon as the weather brightened and following an excellent lunch at the deli by the green at Chalfont St Giles. (The pubs were visited but everyone eventually piled into the deli.) Better views in the afternoon and excellent coffees and cakes at a little deli/cafe in Amersham Market Square whose name escapes me. Excellent company made up for what is a bit of a dull walk. Instructions ok but in one or two instances lacked clarity and a map proved helpful.

Posted by

Ian T : Tuesday, November 10, 2009 8:07:00 AM

The deli in Amersham was "Seasons" formerly Carringtons.

Posted by

Hope : Wednesday, November 11, 2009 9:48:00 AM

12 people on the Coulsdon South circular walk on Sat 7 Nov.

Posted by

Graham C. : Sunday, November 15, 2009 5:42:00 PM

Saturday 14th November. Cuxton to Sole Street.
Despite terrible forecast 7 turned out for a most enjoyable walk. Great view of Medway towns and especially Rochester Cathedral and Castle from the train but the walk is deep in lovely country - and a very fine church in an interesting village in the afternoon to round it off. Thanks to Peter for getting this one up and running. Golden Lion provided shelter from the one real downpour of the outing and satisfactory if basic food.

Posted by

Ian T : Sunday, November 15, 2009 11:50:00 PM

Sun 15 November, SWC Walk 7 – Knockholt Circular
11 on this walk on a sunny mild day. The preceding day's weather had left things a little wet underfoot but not unpleasantly so. Lunch at the Queen's Head was received well. The menu seems to have evolved for the better since the last time. But if you’re thinking of having the pudding, take a torch and a book to read ..... The walk would have been better just a couple of weeks earlier. Getting back before dark was a struggle and, for some at the back, a futile one. However all got back for the 1725. Some earlier finishers went up the line to Sevenoaks for a fast train back. Having been delayed by my pudding, I don’t know whether any visited Darwin’s House and, as far as I know no-one stopped at Cooling’s.

Posted by

MG : Tuesday, November 17, 2009 2:00:00 PM

Saturday 14 November, Bow Brickhill to Leighton Buzzard. 4 defied the weather forecast to embark on this walk. The predicted rain started after an hour and continued for most of the day. 2 people thought enough was enough at lunchtime and stopped at the pub. Two of us continued on to Leighton Buzzard by navigation rather than the book which turned out to be mainly on roads. Thus the second, better half of this walk was missed, a good reason for not waiting too long for it to be posted again please.

Posted by

Marcus : Friday, November 20, 2009 10:11:00 AM

Taking up MG's comment above, the Bow Brickhill to Leighton Buzzard Walk is provisionally planned to appear in the 2010 Saturday Book 1 (amended) rota on Saturday 06 March. Let's hope the weather is a bit better on that day.

Posted by

DAC : Saturday, November 21, 2009 2:28:00 PM

Wed 18th Nov - Book 1, Walk 39 - Manningtree round. Just 3 of us; a little blustery and overcast in the morning but brightened up after a good lunch at the Sun in Dedham. Thanks to K & Co. for a great performance of Nora at the Mercury Theatre afterwards. Memorable day out.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, November 22, 2009 11:34:00 AM

Saturday 21 November: Eynsford Circular: 7 on this walk. To our great surprise, there was not only no rain on this walk (well, only the odd drop), but we even had a nice hour or so of sunshine at the beginning.

We had lunch in a largely empty Fox & Hounds in Romney Street (no need to phone and book as advised by the directions!) and then walked to Shoreham and onto the Lullingstone visitor centre for tea. Six of us then gave a substantial boost to the Saturday night takings of one of the pubs in Eynsford (by which time it WAS raining, but who cared?)

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, November 22, 2009 11:38:00 AM

A PS to the above: not many leaves remaining, but those that were left were a lovely golden colour. Some beautiful minimalist effects.

Only 17 weeks till spring....

Posted by

Sean : Sunday, November 22, 2009 12:24:00 PM

Saturday 21 November, Extra Walk 19a: Eridge to Tunbridge Wells. About 12 walkers, soon splitting into two groups. Very mild with some sunshine; the rain had the decency to hold off until we had just about finished. Muddy in places but not excessively so. Most of us had lunch in The Crown in Old Groombridge, which was particularly welcoming and served us very efficiently. I avoided ticket problems by catching a bus back to Eridge and returning from there; I hope the others got back from Tunbridge Wells without any hassle.

Posted by

Em : Sunday, November 22, 2009 3:21:00 PM

Saturday 21 November Ockley to Warnham. About 20. Scarlett Arms as cosy as ever but slightly slow to serve. Watch out for the loose alsatians near a barn near where the walk joins the Roman road, Stane Street.

Posted by

RobW : Monday, November 23, 2009 7:27:00 PM

Sunday 22nd November, Book 2 Walk 5a: Tring Circular.
7 started from Tring station along with a large group from Imperial College WC also headed for Ivinghoe Beacon (IB).

Some 15 mins into the walk the heavens opened and remained so until approaching IB. A "fell run" along that section of The Ridgeway was in progress, by which time all passing competitors were soaked through; a few managed a cheery "hello", but most probably deep in less polite thoughts!

In the wet conditions it was easy to slip on the chalky path surfaces. Approaching the road near to IB, one walker, in fear of a dumping on the tarmac of the sharp bend, just managed to regain control with an impulsive Elvis type counter sway!

The skies had brightened and rain all but stopped, but time led to the shortcut route back, 1 decided to catch a taxi at the Bridgewater monument. A lateish lunch was taken at the Valiant Trooper free house, Aldbury.

To finish a slight detour to the walk south was taken via the Grand Union Canal thereby avoiding the well used road from Aldbury to Tring station. 6 caught the 15.35 Euston train.

Posted by

JohnL : Thursday, November 26, 2009 9:09:00 PM

Sunday 22 Nov Extra Walk 79 Edenbridge to Westerham. Three hardy souls had some very exciting wet and gale force weather just before lunch. Arrived at the Royal Oak Crockham Hill to a friendly welcome. A fire would have been nice, food quite good and reasonable prices. Clear sky in the afternoon to arrive at Westerham in time for bus / chauffeur driven limo.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, November 29, 2009 2:02:00 PM

28 November: Extra Walk 53: Overton to Whitchurch: 15 on this walk. Despite perfect blue skies on the train down, it was a tad cloudier when we got off the train, but we still had a fine morning with good sunny intervals.

This made a pleasant, gentle walk, with numerous opportunities to corrupt the diet of the trout in the River Test with bread (This was quite remarkable, however: an apparently empty shallow stream was suddenly full of athletic fish as soon as one cast a morsel upon the surface of the water).

The newly re-opened lunch pub had been lovingly and eccentrically decorated with art and offered good homely food: we recommend it to other walkers.

In Whitchurch quite a few of us visited the silk mill where the technical data baffled us, and we then tried the new tea place which was cosy but a bit slow. Only the town's pubs proved disappointing, but at least the heavy rain had held off till after dark.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, November 29, 2009 2:03:00 PM

Saturday 28 November: Book 2, Walk 13: Guildford to Gomshall: I hear second hand reports of "about 20" on this walk, and gather they had more sunshine that we did in Whitchurch. If anyone wants to post a fuller walk report, feel free...

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, November 29, 2009 2:22:00 PM

Saturday 28 November: Book 1 walk; Gerards Cross to Cookham:

A walker (not me!) writes:

Two points really:

As there were seven people on this walk and seven on the walk I did last Saturday (Eynesford circular), I wonder if three walks is a good idea on a Saturday in winter, However, that is just my opinion, obviously.

This is one of my favourite walks, although the walk post said differently ("Today's walk makes no pretence at being one of the better walks from Book 1". Of course these are personal opinions, and yes the fabulous White Horse makes a difference to the quaity of the walk for me, which some of us popped into for a pint of more at 11.45 and a caught up with the others at the Jolly Woodman. I love the countryside and there is quite a lot of variety in the walk, with a nice end in Cookham.

Posted by

Graham C. : Sunday, November 29, 2009 5:21:00 PM

Sunday, 29 November. Henley via Hambledon circular. Myself and two guests did this walk. We got very wet.

Posted by

Ian T : Sunday, November 29, 2009 9:57:00 PM

Sun Nov 29 Book1 walk 21 Leigh to Sevenoaks.
3 on this walk. This, no doubt, due to anticipation of precipitation. However, we had dry weather with occasional sunshine for the larger part of the day. Heavy rain did move in as we approached Knole Park towards the end of the walk.
To avoid Sunday-standing-room-only hell at the White Rocks, we tried the Cock Horse for lunch. This required a diversion that was probably no longer than the official route. This worked well except for one infuriating stile just before lunch that was under a foot or so of water. Something to do with the rain, probably. This held us up for about 10 minutes. But, like the migrating wildebeest we are, we got through. The Cock Horse was ok. Food was ok. Service was friendly. They do roasts and stuff but we went for the bar menu. Having ordered toasted cheese sandwich and chips, I can’t really comment on the finer points of the cuisine but Chris liked his ploughmans. We didn’t stop for tea anywhere as one of our number had wet trousers by then. We went straight to the station and were back in London by about 4.30

Posted by

Sean : Thursday, December 03, 2009 6:10:00 PM

Wednesday 2 December: Book 2 Walk 5c, Tring to Berkhamsted. Does anyone do midweek walks in winter? Two walkers who'd taken earlier trains met in Aldbury, but failed to spot any arrivals from the 'correct' train. Mindful of the rain due later in the day, we had a quick pint and a snack in the Valiant Trooper and left the village at 1pm. We'd finished the walk by 2.30, just after the rain arrived. The book's directions proved particularly useful as it turned out that quite a few paths and rights of way aren't accurately shown on the OS map.

Posted by

Ian T : Sunday, December 06, 2009 11:36:00 AM

Sat Dec 5 Little Kimble to Saunderton
Just 4 on this walk, (though there was a 5th person using the same directions independently). The day started dry and sunny. By mid-afternoon, light rain had crept in. Paths were muddy in places. Lunch was at the Pink and Lily. I can’t tell you what it was like as I arrived just as the others were leaving. After lunch, one split off to try the Princes Ris ending. I got to Saunderton in time for the 16:11. The others probably made the 15:11.

Posted by

David Colver : Sunday, December 06, 2009 5:05:00 PM

Sun 6 Dec: Greenford to Osterley. A deluge at breakfast time cleared away exactly in time for seven of us to have sunshine all the way on this walk; so bright that there was a case for doing it in the opposite direction, south to north, so that one was not all the time looking into the sun, low at this time of year.

Choice offered by The Plough for lunch was wide as long as you were content to receive an animal fragment roasted: cow pig sheep chicken turkey. Unpretentious but good and copious.

We were at Osterley Park by 2:15 which half of us found early for tea, but the others thought there's no such thing as too early.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, December 06, 2009 9:51:00 PM

Saturday 5 December: Book 1 Walk: Boxhill to Leatherhead: 15 of us doing this walk in the normal direction: we met one walker who was doing the walk in reverse, having got the 8.30 train, and I dimly remember someone reporting there were one or two others doing it in reverse from the 10.30 train (they might like to confirm that, however).

Our party enjoyed a nice sunny start but by the time we were descending Juniper Top (the new variation) it was getting cloudier. About 10 of us had lunch in the posh pub, where I have to say the food was outstanding. They may be a bit fussy about muddy boots, but their food is top notch and so is their service. Two went to the other pub, and what happened to the rest I don't know.

We had finished lunch by 1.20pm, and rather than get to Leatherhead so early, six of us did a very pleasant diversion up into the hills which brought us down to Leatherhead at 3pm. We should have taken notes on this route for future reference, but we did not unfortunately.

Apologies to DA who we lost just at the end of this extra route into Leatherhead. You went left, but the best route went right. We shouted and tried to phone you, but without success. Hope you were not offended and that you found your way to the station OK.

Posted by

stephensoc : Sunday, December 06, 2009 11:28:00 PM

December 5th Knockholt to Otford
10 started and then one joined us before lunch. Lovely day with good weather all the way through and finished at the Hospice tea rooms which are v good find

Posted by

Sean : Monday, December 07, 2009 1:51:00 PM

Sunday 6 December: Extra Walk 65b, Southease Circular. Five walkers set off from home in the rain but were greeted by lovely sunny skies in Sussex. Alarmed at the prospect of a long steep climb after a substantial roast dinner, I persuaded the group to do the walk in reverse. This resulted in us doing the scenic section along the top of the downs in a gale-force crosswind which, with some squelchy ground near farm gates, made for rather slow progress; the solitary walk-checker who was waiting for us at The Juggs had already finished his first pint when our windswept group arrived. The service at the pub was excellent and we had a relaxed afternoon, easily making the 4pm train as the sun set behind the hills. I wouldn't want to do such a bracing South Downs walk every winter weekend, but it was a nice experience and the cheap online train tickets were a bonus (although the rail company partly made up for it by conning one of our party into paying twice).

Posted by

Carrie : Monday, December 07, 2009 8:09:00 PM

Belatedly, 28.xii.9, Guildford to Gomshall walk, in response to Walker's comment, and with apologies for tardiness.

I think we were 14, possibly more. The walk out of Guildford, passing Saturday Xmas shoppers, was not inspiring but the walk on across fields, through woods and the Pilgrims Way with great views at the top made up for it.

There is a quarry off to the right as you walk through woods with a power station on your left (you can tell I don't have an OS map because I cann't be more specific)and by the sense of smell of two of us at least it ponged like a nasty landfill site. Wherever it was it was before lunch in Shere.

Some of us took sun baths and ate our tuck near the river where the ducks which flew kamikaze low over the bridge, probably alarming drivers, to land spectacularly in the shallow stream. At least four set of briskly after that. Those that had pub lunches seemed happy. The weather was dry and there were delightful spells of sunshine. It scacely felt like late November. I know those of us who were stil in a group at the end boarded trains before sunset. I think that must mean we got the 15.52 or somesuch.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, December 13, 2009 9:19:00 PM

Saturday 12 December: Lewes to Brighton via Rottingdean. 22 on this walk. The weather was a mix of sunny intervals and the odd chilly shower in the morning, and there a cold wind on the crest of the downs, but the sky cleared to lovely sunshine for the walk along the seafront below the cliffs into Brighton.

"Tony" also posted the following on the website (note, Tony, that you have to post walk reports here, not as a comment on the walk post, which gets deleted the day after the walk):

A bracing walk on the South Downs Way and good honest pub food at the Coach House in Rottingdean. Waited patiently for the Starlings to arrive at Brighton Pier and was rewarded with a wonderful acrobatic display! Motivated to check for a collective noun: Oxford English dictionary lists "a murmuration". Popular group 'Elbow' feature a track entitled 'Starlings' on their album 'Seldom Seen Kid' (one for You Tube).

Posted by

DGA : Monday, December 14, 2009 2:36:00 PM

Yalding to Bo Green. 5 plus 2 later joiners at lunch at the revamped Queens at Mereworth; excellent grub I thought. However, good to soft mud and dense but beautiful forest meant 3 who did the whole thing got to the end pub in the dark; rec 30 mins earlier start!

Posted by

PeteB : Monday, December 14, 2009 2:54:00 PM

Sunday 13 December Download walk Eastbourne to East Dean. Cheap advanced booking train deal not enough to tempt people out and just 2 on this walk. Downs were startlingly beautiful in winter sunlight.

Posted by

Walker : Wednesday, December 16, 2009 1:20:00 PM

Tuesday 15 December: Christmas Party: not sure how many were at this - who counts guests at a party? - but we had a full room and people coming and going, I would guess at least 40 in all. Once again this proved a pleasant venue - huge thanks to ZZ for organising it - with nice cheap food and a wonderful array of whiskies. I personally wished they could have turned the music down, but perhaps I am just getting old...

Posted by

Walker : Wednesday, December 16, 2009 1:20:00 PM

Posted by

Sean : Wednesday, December 16, 2009 1:50:00 PM

Saturday 12 December, Alternative Walk 1.32b, Arundel Circular. Only five walkers at the start, plus one who took an earlier train and met us at lunchtime. A bright winter's day with plenty of sunshine and lovely clear views from the top of the South Downs. The ever-popular Black Rabbit did well to find us a table and served us very promptly; their special lunch menu is very good value. Most opted for a stroll around Swanbourne Lake on the way back and a quick tea at its café. Two stayed on in Arundel to see the Christmas celebrations taking place in the town.

Posted by

DAC : Thursday, December 17, 2009 10:36:00 AM

Wed 16th December - Extra Walk - Goring Circular via Moulsford. 3 of us on a fairly cold day with light snowfall. New morning variation fine.

Posted by

DGA : Friday, December 18, 2009 11:56:00 AM

XMAS PARTY NUMBERS: I thought wa*ker knew everything! Actually there were 48 at last reckoning but I only know that because I was there at the start and there at the end as a few left early. Enjoy your xmas away - some of us have to stay here and ensure London still carries on as usual!

Posted by

Carrie : Sunday, December 20, 2009 12:54:00 PM

19.12.9 - Hever to Leigh in the snow, a beautiful walk in about four inches of snow when walking through the fields. Ian's pictures reflect brilliantly the Winter views, the light was fantastic. We were sixteen, though after lunch somehow split in two. Six of our party had tea in Penshurt and two walked on to the station and met up with one of the other group at Leigh. A fabulous walk before the full onslaught of Christmas.

Posted by

Graham C. : Sunday, December 20, 2009 6:32:00 PM

Sunday 20 Dec. Pluckley Circular. At least 7 met at Charing Cross but train was delayed - predicted at least 40 mins. 3 of us decided to take up offer of high speed train (no extra cost) from St Pancras but after ourown dilatoriness and then delay at Ashford for connection back to Pluckley we arrived Pluckley about 30 mins after the predicted time for the original train. No others in sight tho there were two lots of recent footprints in the snow. Did Ian and one other make it? Maybe appearance of photos will reveal. Clear blue sky, snow under foot. Pub excellent. Good day despite train problems.

Posted by

Ian T : Sunday, December 20, 2009 11:25:00 PM

Its tempting to claim credit for those footsteps but no we gave up waiting after another half hour.

Posted by

stephensoc : Monday, December 21, 2009 5:00:00 AM

Saturday 19.12.09 Woldingham to Oxted
11 of us started the walk with a couple shortening after lunch. Delicious walk with deepish snow, wonderful light and numerous tobogganers out on the hills.

Posted by

Walker : Tuesday, December 29, 2009 5:23:00 PM

Monday 28 December: Hassocks to Lewes. Only 4 on this walk - a surprise, because it was bright and sunny, a bank holiday and forecast to be the only nice day of the week weather-wise.

The weather did indeed prove wonderfully sunny, and we had a fine crisp walk along the downs. Of the four who started at the station one took his leave of us on Hassocks station platform (I guess he was not impressed with the company), but we gained another, who had taken an earlier train, at Chaldon Church.

The pub seemed pleased to see us and actually asked us NOT to take our boots off - "We are a walkers' pub". Tea was served slightly less graciously in the comfy lounge of the White Hart hotel in Lewes, but was very generously portioned when it came.

A nice companionable day. The only slight downpoint was excessive mud along the aptly named River Ouse on the way into Lewes.

PS: I hear that only three turned out on Boxing Day and seven on one of the Sunday 27 December walks, but someone who was there might like to correct these reports.

Posted by

JohnL : Wednesday, December 30, 2009 8:16:00 AM

Monday 28 December: Crowthorne to Sandhurst. 9 people enjoyed a crisp frosty walk in bright sun on this new route. In the morning Finchampstead proved there are hills in this part of Berkshire. The lunch time pub was welcoming and efficient. The afternoon is flatter along the River Blackwater with gravel pits in various stages of rehabilitation to wild life sanctuaries. A very worthwhile new walk.

Posted by

Carrie : Wednesday, December 30, 2009 8:27:00 PM

Wednesday 30th December 2009: Princes Risborough to Wendover. Oh you slug a beds and fair weather frolickers, you missed a fine walk in damp circumstances. (Or perhaps everyone else had to work today and I am unjust.) Two of us returned on the train to London. We only otherwise passed one another as I approached the pub and Marcus embarked on his post pranial path. This due to my determination to catch a train half an hour after the one suggested, specifically to reach the Boer War memorial as the sleet began and the cold bit hard in the encroaching gloam on that fantastically exposed place where the shocking visibility revealed nowt but distant headlamps. Close to the escarpment, one hardy child skipped the sky with the brightest kite; palpable was the frozen parental patience pacing the soggy hill top. And yes, it was soggy. There were swathes of mud, puddles galore and, on the final section of ridgeway, a skate sheet of ice with a profound gravitational pull. A constant light drizzle tambourined its song in the woods. I loved it.

Posted by

Penny : Friday, January 01, 2010 7:11:00 PM

Re comment above yes, for the record, 7 people showed up for the Winchfield Circular on 27 Dec. Thanks to some clever reverse psychology in the author's description of his new walk, expectations were nil and were therefore well exceeded. The tranquil Basingstoke Canal, a hidden, ancient hunting lodge which looked as if it had come straight out of a fairy tale and a lake containing some unusual ducks of great interest to the ornithology contingent were some of the morning highlights. This was followed by roast dinners at the Barley Mow, capped off by some delicious offerings from the rucksack of the Chocolate King.

Posted by

DGA : Monday, January 25, 2010 12:49:00 PM

For the Record;
Boxing Day; Sloane St circular. I can confirm there were just 3 of us but it was worth going for the egress through Chelsea Hospital, views of the Thames, birds in Battersea Park and tea or coffee at the cafe by the lake.
Sunday next day 27 Dec; Just 2 of us on the Wimbledon to Kingston but we both enjoyed the thames views, Richmond lunch and tea!

Posted by

DGA : Friday, January 29, 2010 1:01:00 PM

For The Log: New Year's Eve walk. Chesham circular. Only 3 walkers braved the rain and the mud for this nice walk in better weather. Lunch in a cosy pub prepared us for the afternoon's travails. However we couldn't find the recommended tea place in the High Street which seemed to be divided in two by the road junction which coincidently - or not - was where Cafe Starbucks or whatever it was called was located. Nice enough, with views of Chesham on two sides and only 5 mins from the station.

96 comments [view] [add]

Forum

Air your views about walks or walking club issues by clicking on the comment button.

Posted by

PeteB : Thursday, June 19, 2008 10:45:00 PM

test

Posted by

Andrew : Friday, June 27, 2008 11:17:00 AM

The map now has a "terrain" option, which shows shaded contours.

Posted by

AJK : Monday, July 28, 2008 7:40:00 AM

Recently we seem to be missing out on new members from foreign climes, the person who comes to London on a long assignment, from all over the world. Should we be advertising in Time Out and/or other publications that they might discover. That used to offer a continual stream of interesting new people. Which publications are current? Do social media sites provide the same advertising opportunites? How should we implement this?

Posted by

Sean : Monday, July 28, 2008 10:01:00 AM

I agree, AJK. All we need is a general entry in Time Out (and perhaps other listings magazines) directing people to the web site. There's no need to work out the exact details weeks in advance to fit in with their publication deadlines. In their Events section, how about: "FREE Country Walks. Choice of walks every weekend, from the Time Out books plus some new ones. No booking required - just turn up. See www.walkingclub.org.uk for details."

Posted by

AJK : Monday, July 28, 2008 10:16:00 AM

Yes, keep the ideas coming.
As an aside, this forum comment section works better now that sign-in is compulsory. It is isn't it?

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, July 28, 2008 2:00:00 PM

A (slightly pointless) map of (most) UK Rail Stations. Its rather pretty if you zoom out. Its also the basis of the 'walks' map.

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, July 28, 2008 2:04:00 PM

AJK - yes, sign in is compulsory.

Posted by

Peter C : Monday, July 28, 2008 3:48:00 PM

Time Out did run a general entry for a while, but then they lost interest. Anyone who has some contact at Time Out and can persuade them to run it again, that would be great. But everyone knew I spoke to either heard about the walks by buying the book, or searching on the web. I would have thought looking for ways to viral market on the web was a better idea

Posted by

AJK : Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:06:00 AM

Yup, the first thing I would say is to let your friends and friends of friends know that you are in the SWC and then we tell them what the SWC get up to. This is a two stage approach. Those who can make head'n tails out of the social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace should be encouraged to show their membership of the SWC sub-group (and make sure that their membership of the group is visible - may require ticking a little box to agree to this). Then the Officers and Administrators of the groups on the web post newsy stuff on the walls and then occasionally perhaps be proactive and use the email message facility to invite people to events. Still as an adjunct to the existing walkingclub.org website. Anybody want to clarify this?

The purpose as I see it is to catch the friend of a friend who might just be interested. People in your exisiting net and those who know your friends are the most likely candidiates for pursuasion since they share many friends and interests in common already

But this does not catch the visiting international worker who has always been in my view an interesting feature of the Time Out group. Caught by such media as Time Out. The question is how do we reproduce the old Time Out Magazine effect?

Posted by

Andrew : Thursday, July 31, 2008 4:45:00 PM

The SWC walks now have a feedback/comment facility

Posted by

AJS : Tuesday, August 05, 2008 4:54:00 PM

Could we perhaps explain why Anonymous comments are no longer allowed? Walk comments have pretty much dried up altogether, and here on the Forum there's not much of the old diversity. We could at least explain the reasons behind this. I'd be interested to know them myself.

Posted by

Caroline : Tuesday, August 05, 2008 6:35:00 PM

I'm pleased that people have to use their real names now (or at least someone's name, as opposed to the cop-out that was "Anonymous"). Anonymity allowed people to be unaccountable for their comments, and you never knew who you were talking to. So this new registration thing is a definite step forward.

Posted by

Ian T : Tuesday, August 05, 2008 6:36:00 PM

It took me a bit of trial and error to get the damn thing to work. Perhaps others have just given up. Would some directions be in order

Posted by

Sean : Wednesday, August 06, 2008 11:32:00 AM

Well, no-one seemed very excited about a listing in Time Out, but then again no-one said here that it was a bad idea, so I've submitted the following listing:

FREE Country Walks. Choice of walks every weekend, from the Time Out books plus some new ones. These walks are self-organising: there's no guide and you don't need to book. Just bring along the directions and turn up. See www.walkingclub.org.uk for details.

Time Out might not like an anonymous submission (I did it from "Saturday Walkers Club", with the club's email address as contact), but if they accept it, it should appear from August 20th.

Posted by

AJK : Wednesday, August 06, 2008 12:46:00 PM

Good, positive action. 'see www.walkingclub.org , this week for schedule' as a next time suggestion

Posted by

Margaret_C : Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:58:00 AM

I like the idea of the afternoon/evening walks while we have long summer days. It gives me a chance to do other things in the morning and, on a hot day, it's nice walking in the afternoon/evening when it's a bit cooler.

Posted by

Peter C : Thursday, August 07, 2008 12:46:00 PM

I also think it good that anonymous posts are no longer allowed. Do we really want comments from people who are too lazy even to create an ID for themselves? After all, no one says you have to use your real name. You can be Bob the Builder or whatever you like.

Posted by

elijah : Thursday, August 07, 2008 11:19:00 PM

advertising sounds like a good idea. I'm sure they will post it but it might need contact with the listings section editor to get them to notice the email.

Posted by

AJK : Tuesday, August 12, 2008 8:51:00 AM

40 years today 12/08/08 since Time Out London was started by a certain Tony Elliot. He still owns the company and takes interest in daily activities and listings. Read the wikipedia article to see what kind of character he is and you can see why Nicholas and he were friends, Eccentric but not hippy. You can see perhaps why TO has survived in spite of the onset of free listings and the internet and why it is still expanding round the world. Due to a particular set of some might say high journalistic and editorial ideals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Out

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, August 12, 2008 4:21:00 PM

http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/os_map.shtml

A page with OS 1:25,000 scale maps.

Could be useful for new walk developers - It is possible to put markers (points) on it.

Andrew

Posted by

Andrew : Wednesday, August 13, 2008 8:22:00 AM

http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/os_map_test.shtml

Works in IE only.

A 1:25,000 scale OS map with the "Hassocks to Lewes" route marked on it. The route came from a GPS

Andrew

Posted by

AJK : Wednesday, August 13, 2008 12:12:00 PM

Not IE 6

Posted by

anonhere : Wednesday, August 13, 2008 9:09:00 PM

what's all this about having to register with Google first ?!
pain in the b** !

I'm in favour of afternoon walks thanks so far to Sean and Penny, keep 'em coming !

anon

Posted by

Ian T : Thursday, August 14, 2008 10:23:00 AM

This post has been removed by the author.

Posted by

Ian T : Thursday, August 14, 2008 11:00:00 AM

I’m not one for shorter later walks myself and I shall miss the luxury of being able to choose between two full-length Sunday walks. However if there is a demand, I guess it should be catered for.
I do have one suggestion though.
You probably already have a clever method for choosing the Sunday walks that will work well (bespoke programme that weighs up the available options, B-list celebrity with a tombola drum -both fine by me)in which case, just ignore me.
However, if the plan is to draw the walks from the Saturday schedule, can I suggest that the Sunday walk precedes, rather than follows, its Saturday outing. That way, people who like walking on both Saturday and Sunday wouldn't find themselves stuck with the repeat of a walk they'd just done. The repeat would come up on the Saturday when there'd be other choices.

Posted by

Sean : Thursday, August 14, 2008 11:40:00 AM

Ian: We haven't been getting much feedback on the Sunday walk numbers - eg. did anyone do Glynde-Seaford last Sunday? - so the suspicion is that they haven't been well attended. Having had several requests for shorter (afternoon) walks, I think we ought to give this experiment at least 4-6 weeks to see how it goes. But please - let's have more comments about this.

I agree that your "6 days before" rule makes more sense than the original "8 days after", but as it happens I prefer to choose Sunday walks which haven't recently been posted on a Saturday (or are due to appear soon). Then you avoid the "just done that walk" scenario as much as possible. But I've seen too many eyes glaze over at parties so I shan't elaborate on my ridiculously complicated method for choosing the walks...

Posted by

Ian T : Thursday, August 14, 2008 12:26:00 PM

Sounds good. Yours must be the "clever method" I alluded to so fleetingly.

Posted by

Lucilla : Sunday, August 17, 2008 2:39:00 PM

How about having the shorter & later version every other week?

Posted by

AJK : Monday, August 18, 2008 11:41:00 AM

See my entry on the New Forum

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/Saturday-Walkers-Club?hl=en

asking for assistance with designing new walks in Essex.

Posted by

Andrew : Friday, August 29, 2008 7:52:00 AM

Met Office Forecast for Autumn 2008

Temperature: ... temperatures are more likely to be either near average, or above average.

Rainfall : ... will probably have below-average amounts of rain

Review of this summer

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, September 23, 2008 7:38:00 PM

One place for a new 'swc walk', would be the New Forest.

Posted by

Isabel Sanchez : Sunday, September 28, 2008 3:38:00 PM

Hi! I am planning to climb El Teide in Tenerife early in November and then trek in La Gomera for a few days. Would anyone have by any chance a copy of Alternative Gomera that I could borrow to take a look at? Not only it is out of print but I have been unable to find second hand copies available for sale. Isabel.

Posted by

Andrew : Wednesday, October 01, 2008 1:29:00 PM

Had an email about advertising. Do we accept any, and if so, what would we do with the money?

Posted by

Lucilla : Wednesday, October 01, 2008 2:20:00 PM

Perhaps we could use the money at our Christmas party for booking venues etc. Just a thought...

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, October 06, 2008 2:35:00 PM

The 'buy the book' links are back, but now point to Amazon. We get 5% commission.

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, October 06, 2008 2:48:00 PM

SWC Walks.

SWC walks now has a new page - club walks - its the same as the original one, but excludes walks that are: too long, too short, too far away or too public transport unfriendly.

This means that new SWC walks which are long (more than 1 day), short, far away (outside the Network Card area), or travel by car only, are welcome.

Once (if) there are enough of them, each of these categories will get their own page

Posted by

Isabel Sanchez : Monday, October 06, 2008 2:49:00 PM

Thanks about the reply on the "Alternative Gomera". I did try both e-bay and Amazon before posting the note on the blog. In Ammazon appear under 7 differente sellers... as unavailable!

Re. Earnings from advertising: using those on some sort of Xmas gathering was my first though too.

Posted by

DAC : Sunday, October 12, 2008 2:42:00 PM

Sean wrote under walk numbers:
Saturday 4 October, Book 2 Walk 4: Chesham to Great Missenden. Ten walkers .......... investigated it. A mention in dispatches to the staff at the Cock & Rabbit, who identified us immediately as Time Out walkers and then treated us like minor royalty.

This made me laugh. Glad that SWC are appreciated. Truth is for every pub where we get a frosty reception (think prior recommended pub on Cookham walk, White Horse, Silver Hill) there are at least 20 where we receive a warm welcome. In the case of the Cock & Rabbit they no doubt appreciate that the books bring them custom they would not otherwise have.

Posted by

rika : Friday, October 24, 2008 8:26:00 PM

Dear All,

I am one of the old Saturday walkers (1999-2004) and now live in the Netherlands. On November 8th I will be in London (just like last year) and would love to join a Saturday walk. Which is the best one to go on to meet some of the old crowd. It would be really lovely to see you again.

Rika

Posted by

Catherine : Monday, October 27, 2008 12:27:00 PM

1 walker showed up for the Pluckley circular walk. Rain for most of the day with two 5 minute cessations. Time Out book requires updating: no electric fences whatsoever in field behind The Swan pub in Little Chart (Best value Sunday pub lunch in Greater London at £7.95 plus oodles of the freshest veggies). In addition, a missing right of way sign in the Orchard opposite proved frustrating. An excellent icy weather walk.

Posted by

Lucilla : Sunday, November 23, 2008 8:43:00 PM

Do you know that if you buy a book from Amazon using the link from this site (at the bottom of the page), our walkers' club will get a referral fee from Amazon? I just found this out! I will order all my books via this site from now on! Hope you will do the same to support the club.

Posted by

AJK : Tuesday, December 02, 2008 12:19:00 PM

I shall be going to Winchester on Saturday 6th December to research a new walk. I intend to make use of PC's comprehensive notes on Winchester but to go north east (opposite direction to Winchester Circular) along the so-called Pilgrims' Way, here waymarked as St Swithins Way to Alresford. Returning to Winchester by bus for a Cathedral tour or for an early train home. If anyone would like to explore the possibility of a new Pilgrims' Way route, eventually all the way to Canterbury, searching out relevant features they would be most welcome to join me or to make themselves known to me for a future occasion via mail ajkennedy at blueyonder dot co dot uk
Thank you.
Initial map Reference http://www.multimap.com/s/1XyfAMuq

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, January 06, 2009 12:58:00 PM

Christmas Trading Update

Google Ads
- Not so good - I would have to move the ads higher up the page to get more "clicks" to make them worthwhile

Amazon Ads
- We have received the first income (for 10/08 - its 2 months in arrears)
- Its dropped off quite a bit since the start, but picked up around Xmas (mainly thanks to someone who brought a camera :)
- At the current rate, we will easily cover the current web hosting (£30/year)
- most purchases are the TOCW books, and a few related southeast England walking books
- anything you buy after going to Amazon via the link counts, even a flatscreen!

The first priority is to save 2 or 3 years website hosting money. This may increase as we are currently on a not very well supported 'legacy' plan.

Once the hosting plan is sorted out, and money has been saved, we can decide how to spend anything left over. Maybe small thank you's (eg a book or OS map) to the walk posters / new walk writers / photographers.

NB The actual numbers are missing (as you're not allowed to discuss them in public) - email me if you're curious

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:09:00 PM

I've received a 'Rough Guide to Walks in London and the Southeast'

A few walks in it are similar to ones we already have, but it does contain quite a few new ones (eg Ely, New Forest, Stonehenge). It has some inner London and 2 day walks as well.

The format is
- train station to train station
- some instructions plus an OS inspired map (i.e. the instructions are not so detailed as our 'instructions only' format walks)

The credits mention walk testers, which is a good sign.

Not done a walk from it yet (so, on sight alone) - recommended

Posted by

Sean : Friday, January 09, 2009 10:35:00 AM

I also had this Rough Guide but carelessly gave it away as a present a few years ago. It looked good, and I was influenced by its style when writing my own walks (eg. dividing them into sections), but for some reason I only did one or two walks from it.

Apart from the Time Out walking books, the ones I would thoroughly recommend are those produced by Which? magazine. The Which? Guide to Pub Walks (in SE England), first published in 2000, is particularly good. Holiday Which? produced two country-wide Guides in 1985 & 1990 which are also good but somewhat out of date as well as being difficult to find (all three are probably out of print). A section on "What makes a good walk: our house rules" in their 1990 Town and Country Walks Guide is well worth reading.

Posted by

Ian T : Wednesday, January 14, 2009 8:36:00 AM

Ive done a few of the Rough Guide walks - on the whole quite good.
The directions are less meticulous but it seems to give you all you need and it only got me lost once - in Epping Forest of all places.
The Stonehenge walk is a nice one but it depends on catching a bus back(the last one is quite early in winter)and has some road walking (that could perhaps be avoided by keeping to the river).
There is also a variant of the Kintbury N Wessex Downs walk that goes the other way along the top.
One or two of the walks were a bit too urban for me.
The SE walks book by Christopher Somerville is also to be recommended

Posted by

Andrew : Saturday, January 24, 2009 1:01:00 PM

Train disruption.

You go for a walk, but drive, or get on at a surburban station like Clapham or East Croydon. But, when there's train disruption, and you aren't on the same train as the main group, what do you do? (something like this happened to the last 2 midweek walks)

Is there any way of getting in touch with everyone else, or finding what's going on.

Ideas?

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, February 02, 2009 5:28:00 PM

I get frequent emails from small summer sun hotels/places to let with a walking theme/cater to walking groups.

So far I've ignored them, but this one seems quite interesting - www.aqua-ventura.com - near Alicante, Spain - 50 euro/night full board, incl packed lunch, transport and walking guide!

I may get round to making a new page for them all, but in the meantime, if someone would like to organise a holiday .. :)

Andrew

Posted by

Sean : Sunday, February 08, 2009 2:30:00 PM

AJS raises an important issue in his Walk Numbers post for the Harlow walk. What's the best way of getting – and keeping – feedback on walks, so that when a walk poster is looking for ideas in a year's time, he or she has more information than just the author's Walk Notes?

There is a Feedback option for the Extra Walks, but it isn't (yet) widely used. I can think of several 'nice-to-have' features. If the Walk Number reports were linked to each walk, you could quickly scan all the reports from previous outings. I also like the kind of feedback you get on Amazon, eBay, etc, where people are invited to rate their overall experience (eg. 1* to 5*). Detailed comments about a broken post or a wobbly stile are useful, but perhaps in encouraging these we're missing out on the bigger picture. For me the key feedback about a walk is "Would you include it in a Volume 3 of Country Walks near London?" A hypothetical question, perhaps, but it's what a walk poster most wants to know.

If the SWC was a commercial organisation with a few million to spend on IT, no doubt all this would be feasible. We're not, and I certainly don't want to encourage anyone to spend lots of time on this. But perhaps there are tools in Google, or Blogger, which one could use for this purpose. Any ideas on this, or about what features you'd like to see?

Posted by

Walker : Monday, February 09, 2009 3:31:00 PM

Just having the Walk Numbers reports stored under the relevant walk - perhaps as a section on that walk's update page - would be immensely useful.

But it sounds like a lot of work for someone to set up, particularly as the Free Walks don't even have update pages.

Meantime, I suppose people who wished could use the existing Updates comment function to express views on individual book or two walks. For the unintiated, if you go to the BOOK ONE or BOOK TWO section of the site, click on the relevant walk, then the UPDATES AND FEEDBACK link at the top, there is a comment function. By all means use it to expres your views.

(The only danger I can see in the above is that one or two views might sway everyone else. Eg if one person says a walk is boring, everyone else might believe it is: but perhaps it is just that person's view...)

Posted by

Helena : Monday, March 02, 2009 10:49:00 PM

Hello! I'm the author of the RG to Walks in London. and Southeast England. I'm all for friendly competition, but I read this review on your site:

"There's a Rough Guide to walking in the south east, some of its walks seem quite similar to ones in our 2 books. The book doesn't contain OS maps or walking instructions, so you'd need to buy the appropriate OS maps for each walk as well."

I'd say the walks in your book are simillar to mine - that's a moot point. But of course my book has walking instructions! And the maps are sourced from the OS. They're terrific, and you do NOT need to buy the OS map.

I'd be grateful if you reviewed my book in the spirit of fair play, or don't review it at all.

Helena

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, March 03, 2009 9:28:00 AM

Hi Helena,

There are some comments above this one which are quite favourable to your book - favourable enough to recommend it - we link to it on Amazon equally with 'our' TOCW books.

I just found the text (Walking - Other Walks) you quoted - it refers to the previous edition of the RG, and as you say, is in no way fair to the current edition. I'd forgotten about that page, it, and the 'buy' page are outdated, and are on my 'to do' list.

Andrew

Posted by

anonymous : Friday, March 06, 2009 11:32:00 AM

Can we have some late starting walks - esp on Sunday ?

it's starting to stay lighter a bit later now...

thanks

Posted by

AJK : Friday, March 27, 2009 12:07:00 PM

'Pilgrimage walk or is it just a sense of history?' on the new forum under Walk Ideas

http://swclondon.proboards.com

anyone can read, reply or start a new post topic there. You can follow it easily because it's multi-branched and not have to jump back and forth to in a single long list. Much better. Oh yes and you can go back and easily amend or delete a previous comment of your own thus changing your argument if you wish !! So nothing you say need ever be locked in stone.

Posted by

Em : Tuesday, March 31, 2009 10:36:00 AM

South Downs National Park - Benn gives green light

News Release ref: 72/09
31 March 2009

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today gave the go-ahead for the South Downs to become England's ninth National Park.

The new 627 square mile protected area will be home to an estimated 120,000 people, stretching from Beachy Head to the edge of Winchester, in line with an independent inspector's recommendations following a 19-month public inquiry.

A new South Downs National Park Authority is expected to be established by April 2010 and become fully operational a year later.

Hilary Benn said:

"Having considered the inspector's report and recommendations carefully, and agreed that the statutory criteria are met, I have decided that the South Downs including the so-called Western Weald should be confirmed as a National Park.

"It is fitting that in this year, the 60th anniversary of the radical legislation that gave birth to National Parks, we are celebrating an addition to the family.

"National Park status can be a real boost for the local economy, attracting new visitors, businesses and investment, but above all, the South Downs' wonderful countryside will be protected forever for the enjoyment of everyone."

For more information and a map of the proposed boundary of the South Downs National Park go to www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/protected-areas/national-parks/south-downs/index.htm.

Posted by

Andrew : Wednesday, April 08, 2009 9:34:00 AM

I have changed the "owner" of walkingclub.org.uk to "Saturday Walkers Club" (for £11.50).

If you can read this, doing it didn't break anything.

Posted by

Lucile : Saturday, April 18, 2009 6:18:00 PM

Hi,
I have just discovered this group and find it very interesting.
I was hoping to find family friendly walks (I have a 3 year old), but from the browsing of the website, it is not obvious to me which (if any) of the walks are suitable for families with young children.
Are any of the walks suitable for young kids? Are people sometimes joining the walk accompanied by children?
Are there other people who would be interested in easy family friendly walks?
Could someone recommend the most family friendly walks amongst all the walks mentioned here?
If there are other people with an interest in family friendly walks, it would be great if there was from time to time walks targetted to families with young kids (e.g. once a month, every first Saturday of month or similar).
Looking forward to your feedback.

Posted by

Walker : Sunday, April 19, 2009 1:14:00 AM

In reply to the above post, I don't want to be offputting, but I don't think our walks are really suitable for you. We are walking 8-13 miles in a walk, at maybe 2-3 miles per hour, and I don't know any 3 year olds that can do that. Very rarely people have come with teenage kids on the walk, but to be honest I don't think they find our company very interesting: the bulk of our walkers are in their 30s or 40s.

Why not see if The Ramblers Association can advise you?

Posted by

Andrew : Friday, May 01, 2009 9:46:00 AM

In April, business picked up (the weather?), and 79 items were purchased via Amazon, including:
23 x Book 2,
13 x Book 1,
3 x Rough Guide southeast walks,
3 x Time Out London walks
5 x various OS maps,
1 x the Cicerone Thames book

The website can now support itself.

I am minded to move it to a better (and more expensive) hosting service, with, for example, 1000x more disk space!

Andrew

Posted by

AJK : Friday, May 01, 2009 12:37:00 PM

A larger server would seem like a good idea if it meant you could combine 'walk number' comments with 'feedback' and store against the specific walk for say 18 months. All that's needed is for someone (me for instance) volunteering for a time to label the 'walk numbers' correctly then they could be parsed by your sorting mechanism when soemone wanted the information, or for more permanent storage in a database. What do ya think?

Posted by

AJK : Sunday, June 28, 2009 10:23:00 PM

Some places available on Isle of Wight trip with one week to go. See under New Forum, weekends away. I publish this here in order to get maximum coverage.

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, June 29, 2009 9:40:00 AM

There has been a new edition of the British hills database. It includes the highest hill in each county, and each London borough (Hills - Southeast)

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, June 30, 2009 8:10:00 AM

Multimap OS Maps

As a test, this map uses 'multimap', rather than the OS's map service.

It uses true north, rather than 'OS map' north ...
http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_01/map.shtml

Posted by

AJK : Tuesday, June 30, 2009 9:59:00 AM

Great but seems to miss out the 1:25000 scale (where footpaths are in green and field boundaries are shown) that can be had by working the Multimap site directly. That is one of the best features of the MM site. A real bonus apart from that.

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, July 06, 2009 6:58:00 PM

Southern is offering Advance tickets at a staggering 90% discount if purchased at www.southernrailway.com On Friday 10 July

Tickets can be bought on-line on the day only for travel up to three months ahead. Southern offers Advance tickets between Milton Keynes, Watford Junction, London Victoria, south London and many stations including Gatwick Airport, Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Worthing, Chichester, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, July 06, 2009 7:05:00 PM

"Great but seems to miss out the 1:25000 scale"

Alas, true. Multimap, and the OS's own map service, only have the 1:50,000 maps, which is a shame as they are much better.

The OS is very protective of its 1:25,000 mapping - its very expensive for hand-held GPS units as well

There's a link to multimap and streetmap websites which do have the 1:25,000 scale maps.

Posted by

AJK : Sunday, July 12, 2009 5:24:00 PM

Possibly time to start thinking about the future of the so called 'New Forum'.

Firstly could Andrew M. please change the link to the new forum to link to the '10 most recent posts page'
http://swclondon.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=recent instaed of the normal front page,
then people will be led direct to the hot topics. (Could then delete the three comments associated with it on the main blog).

Secondly, I think there are some interesting topics emerging which I hope people will find of interest and wish to add to.

Thirdly I think I'd like to drop any pretense at being a summary of future 'Walk Numbers' entries so I'm willing to delete that whole section in spite of all the work I put in to seed it. Why can't you Andrew combine 'walk number' reports with 'feedback' on the main web site since they seem to be in many cases equally valid and intermingled anyway?

Fourthly, people will not use the new forum whilst the old forum for other topics remains open. If we keep the new forum to 'off-topic' (walk) subjects, then it could have a place. What do you think?

Posted by

Walker : Saturday, July 18, 2009 11:13:00 PM

I gotta say this, AJK: I can see that your new forum enables walkers to have several running debates at the same time. And by having different headings, it makes it easier to zoom in on one particular type of comment, ie new walk ideas.

But the problem is that for the casual observer, there are too many headings to check. In order to find out what the latest comments are since I last looked, I have to check under loads and loads of different headings - and frankly, I don't really have the time.

The clunky old forum at least had this benefit - that one could see all the new comments at a glance. Having said that, admittedly it has not been used very much.

I notice that on the top of this page, there is a RECENT COMMENTS button on the website. This brings up recent comments on the website, not the forum. Maybe if you had some such function on the new forum, it would be easier to use.

I think the real problem is that walkers are not very keen to make comments of any kind, though. Perhaps it means they are all happy!

Posted by

CG : Tuesday, July 28, 2009 9:16:00 PM

I think "Walker" is right about this ( and so many other things too ! ). It is very confusing having to trawl through and see if anyone said anything of interest recently. It worked really well with just one forum to see latest comments. After all how many topics can there be on a walking website ?

Posted by

AJK : Wednesday, July 29, 2009 6:13:00 PM

How many topics can there be on a walking website? Picture the number of books there are on travel writing and walking when you go into your local bookshop. Reminds me of a scene from the film Notting Hill. Customer 'Have you any books on ...?' Hugh Grant character. 'No sir, this is a travel bookshop. We only have books on travel' In the background, Julia Roberts smiles.

Posted by

CG : Wednesday, July 29, 2009 9:54:00 PM

But that proves my point, one bookshop for travel = one forum for comments !

Posted by

AJK : Thursday, July 30, 2009 8:49:00 AM

To answer several points at once.
Firstly I have been pressing for the 'Walk Numbers' comments to be combined with 'Feedback' for some time now and I'm pleased to see that Andrew M. has apparently gone along this path albeit without discussing it, he has started programming it. The difficulty here is that commentators don't always reference their report back to a walk number so some manual intervention is required here meaning lots of work for the indexer!

Secondly there is a link direct to the '10 most recent comments' on the new forum and this is highlighted under 'New Forum'. This gets you straight in to the hot topics.

The 'New Forum' in my vision and this is obviously up for discussion, is a place to discuss your passions about walking and a mechanism to suggest new things where comment is invited or extra information needs to be given. (Several hundred viewings for the Isle of Wight weekend. 50 for the Pilgrimage Walk.) It's evolving and it's open for anyone to start a topic.

It would be a sad world if all we had was vanilla ice cream, or for that matter only one section in the bookshop.

Posted by

Andrew : Friday, July 31, 2009 12:13:00 PM

Southwest Trains has a go anywhere (except IoW) for £10 promotion on the first 4 August weekends - http://southwesttrains.co.uk/SWTrains/News/_midsummermadness

Posted by

CG : Friday, July 31, 2009 10:10:00 PM

I like this forum, ie. this old forum. It is an up to date, easy to view, easy to read forum, requiring no special instructions. Would be nice to see it first on the list in this section rather than buried after Walk Numbers. Simplicity, like walking, is a wonderful thing.

Posted by

AJK : Saturday, August 01, 2009 9:37:00 AM

This forum is great for making announcements, I like very much the way it sends me an alert when a new message is posted but it is not a discussion forum. A discussion forum allows you to start your own thread in a quiet corner and let it see how it develops.

Also the current forum gets deleted after a time like the walk numbers so what has been said over the years as this club has developed has been lost.

It also does not rely on the web master creating a new topic for us.

So keep an announcements section but please let us have our own space as well.

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, August 31, 2009 12:49:00 AM

The News page/blog has gone - as there rarely was any.

The Midweek Evening Walks are being put online in a 'London Short Walks' blog.

I tried to make the site prettier, by playing around with the menus, but I'm not sure it worked. We may end up having a 'left hand navigation', rather than the 'top drop-down menu'

Posted by

Walker : Monday, August 31, 2009 10:32:00 PM

Left hand navigation might prove a good idea: perhaps more visible than the top menu.

Was speaking to a new walker over the weekend, and he had very complimentary things to say about the website, Andrew, so keep up the good work.

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, September 07, 2009 5:21:00 PM

I'm trying out having the navigation menu on the left, (rather than on the top) of each page. Andrew.

Posted by

Lucilla : Sunday, September 13, 2009 3:41:00 PM

I am quite impressed about the amount of revenues we have generated via purchases made using Amazon. I just like to clarify one point. Do we get any commissions from buying from the 3rd party sellers on Amazon? It would be good to know as the price differential from the 3rd party after adding postage and Amazon itself is not that big in many cases. I would be happy to pay a bit more to support the club if we don't receive commission from the 3rd party sellers. Thanks.

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, September 15, 2009 10:51:00 AM

Hi

I recently moved the "navigation" from the top to the side.

The aim was to make the site much easier to use for non-SWC people who come to the site looking for TOCW updates and the free walks.

Hence "Time Out Country Walks 1" rather than "Book 1" and "Free Walks" rather than "SWC Walks" - the side navigation allows for longer titles.

I was also never sure that the "drop-down" menus worked for everyone (i.e. every combination of IE, Firefox, Mac, PC and browser version).

The disadvantage is all the wasted space on the left hand side. (I have a wide screen monitor, so maybe don't appreciate this as much as other people) - and it also makes the pages slower to load

I have thought of putting just 4 buttons at the top (TOCW1 TOCW2 Free Walks and This Week) and having a much narrower LHS (TOCW is the 'widest' title). Then the 'SWC' group could be at the top of the LHS navigation, which would be more logical.

So far 2 in favour, and 2 against the change.

Any other feedback? (either here or to saturdaywalkers //AT// yahoo.co.uk

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, September 15, 2009 10:59:00 AM

Amazon have changed their payment structure recently - to about half what it used to be.

Commission is the same on 'third party sellers', but there is none on postage.

Third party sellers sometimes sell things for (e.g.) £0.01 + £4.00 postage. On that sale, our commission would only be on the 1p.

Posted by

Walker : Tuesday, September 15, 2009 11:30:00 AM

I love the new left hand navigation!! It makes the various sections of the site much easier to find. Before, the drop down menus did not work, and in any case you only knew they were there if your cursor happened to land on that button. No, this is clear and much more accessible to new users of the site.

To shorten the headings and make the column narrower you could try "Walks in the South East" rather than "Walks in South East England", but I am not sure how you shorten "Time Out Country Walks 1" without making it too eliptical. The only idea I have is to have "Time Out Books:" on one level (non clickable), and then "Country Walks 1" and "Country Walks 2" below as clickable sub-items. "Historic Houses and Gardens" further down could be "Houses and Gardens" or "Historic Houses". But aren't we talking about milimetres saved here?

I am not so keen on having that section of navigation along the top, as that makes the navigation more complex, in my opinion, but by all means try it out and see.

I suppose another idea also might be to have the navigation bar on the right, which would solve the white space problem a bit. But would this work visually? I can't picture it....

Posted by

Em : Friday, September 18, 2009 9:45:00 PM

I like this forum because it's on the main page. It would be good if people could start threads here though. But mostly people don't want to talk about soul stuff in relation to walks. They want stuff about inns and cafes and the walk quality. Which, if that can be made to be linked to the actual walk info and instructions, is a good thing in my opinion. You then have live commentary on the basic information about the walk.

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, September 22, 2009 3:13:00 PM

Short London Walks

This will be a new section to include the routes of the 'Midweek Evening Walks'. There are a couple there already.

Posted by

DGA : Wednesday, September 23, 2009 3:33:00 PM

MAP - LED WALKS
Having done the STREATLEY-GORING CIRCULAR map-led walk the other week I would like to recommend this variation on a theme.
Firstly, less eyestrain - no wonder we got lost on the Wadhurst to Robertsbridge 21 miler with 9 pages of text at light infantry pace!
Secondly, only 1 page of A4 which has fairly clear indications of when to turn, hills, views and gates and stiles etc although the last two could do with some improvement.
Thirdly, as someone who's been trying to get their favourite drafted walks up on the website, it may be less hassle with a large scale handdrawn map if they can be drawn properly of course.
Any comments so far or criticisms from the Pedant Brigade?

Posted by

Sean : Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:07:00 AM

I mostly agree with DGA about Map Walks, though with some reservations. Personally I always like to follow any walk I'm doing for the first time on the relevant OS map, and I'll borrow one from a library if necessary. But occasionally the situation on the ground doesn't correspond to the map and then carefully written, accurate directions can be invaluable.

It's also a bit unfair to compare a short walk (partly along roads) with a 21-mile trek across countryside – even the most skilled draughtsman would struggle to illustrate that on an A4 page. And of course a practical problem is finding software which would enable more of us to produce walk maps like those beautifully-drawn ones for the Streatley YHA. If anyone has any suggestions on this I'd be delighted to hear them.

Posted by

Andrew : Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:29:00 PM

Maybe for TOCW1 books that we have revised, we could include all the options in the text, to cut down on the number of printouts needed.

Posted by

Andrew : Saturday, October 24, 2009 8:31:00 PM

OK, even I think the colour scheme is a little pallid now.

Posted by

Andrew : Monday, October 26, 2009 5:31:00 PM

the new hi speed trains to kent are in the timetable now, from dec-23 (e.g. wye is now less than an hour)

but no prices as yet :)

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, December 01, 2009 11:27:00 PM

Do people have any comments on how printed walking instructions look - I recently made italics (which indicate a "change of direction") bolder - would it help if they were underlined?

Posted by

Sean : Wednesday, December 02, 2009 7:56:00 PM

This isn't really an answer to your question, Andrew, but it got me thinking about how we present the walking instructions. I think it’s unfortunate that the original books used italics for every change of direction, because it’s harder to pick out the important points when so many instructions are shown in this way. Personally I would emphasise fewer points but make them stand out more. If we were starting from scratch, this would be my "style guide":

Use bold italic to emphasise points in the directions, but highlighting just the key actions, not long phrases or complete sentences: In 100m, turn left onto the signposted South Downs Way...

Use bold italic underline (sparingly) for 'pay careful attention here', ie. where the books use [!]: In 100m, turn left onto an unmarked path, easy to miss, where the main path...

[The phrase above should be underlined, but Blogger doesn't seem to allow this]

I would reserve normal bold text for station names, pubs, points of interest, etc: On the left, Hever Castle..., and stick with the convention of using normal italic text for foreign words or phrases: en route to the pub, ...

In html-speak, that would mean leaving B and I with their default settings, and using EM and STRONG (defined as above) for normal and strong emphasis.

I don't suppose a major change like this will attract much support, but that's my contribution to the debate...

Posted by

Walker : Thursday, December 03, 2009 12:15:00 PM

Two points: could we slim down some of the old forum posts or create a new thread? It takes ages to scroll down through 91 posts to read the latest.

In reply to the above, I agree re keeping bold for place names. I must confess I have moved away from using italics for key directions at all. The original idea was to use them either when there was a change of direction, or to have them as the minimum directions needed to follow the walk, with the rest as extra detail.

But I think we are now pretty concise in our directions anyway, and since we introduced numbered paragraphs - a good innovation, though one I admit I was slow to adopt - I think the best solution is to have each para start with a key direction, with any detail then following, and the next key direction in the next para.

I think that replaces the need for highlighting key parts of the direction altogether, and italics can then be used for REALLY important directions, ie when you want to give something some very important emphasis: "The more obvious path is straight ahead, but take the one to the left." Italics can also then be used for supplementary information eg to indicate short alternative routes, or a point of interest, or something outside the walk directions.

One last point: I was the biggest advocate of keeping to one style when we were writing a book for publication, but for the extra walks, I am the opposite. I think it is great that we have been able to experiment with lots of different ideas, and I think we should continue to do so. I am against imposing any style rules for the extra walks. Let walk creators try various ideas and see which work.

Posted by

Andrew : Thursday, December 17, 2009 1:57:00 PM

A volunteer is needed to input (or scan in if they can) the walking instructions of Book 1, walks 7 (merge book text + update document) and 32 (book text only). Just the walking instructions - the introduction section is already online.

Posted by

CG : Thursday, December 24, 2009 12:09:00 AM

A big thank you to all of the walk posters for all the lovely walks planned over the holidays. Much appreciated.
Merry Christmas !

Posted by

CG : Thursday, December 24, 2009 12:21:00 AM

And of course thank you for posting the walks for us all through the year too. Where would we be without you ? Indoors warm and dry, but where's the fun in that ? Thanks to you all X

Posted by

Lucilla : Saturday, January 02, 2010 10:13:00 PM

Well said CG. I would also like to thank all walk posters and the web master for the time spent posting walks and maintaining the website. You have brought so much joy to all of us through the year and your efforts are very much appreciated. I look forward to another year of wonderful walks and here is a toast to 2010.

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Announcements

A Mental Health Charity is seeking volunteers for short walks - see comments for details
Historic Houses Association (Annual: £36 single /£58 double) : Membership scheme which gives free entrance to many houses passed by the walks.
National Trust (First Year: £32/£54) : Covers several of the more well known attractions (e.g. Nymans Gardens, Wakehurst, Winkworth, Knole House).
English Heritage : has a similar scheme, but only a few of its properties are covered by these walks.
The Art Fund (£31.50/£40.50) : Eclectic mixture of NT, English Heritage, and museums. Not many places on the walks, but maybe of interest as it covers most London museums. Recommended.

Posted by

Andrew : Tuesday, April 15, 2008 7:07:00 PM

[Alison Bearn writes] Rethink is a large mental health charity & we have recently received funding to set up walking projects for mental health service users & carers in four areas of London ( Harrow , Ealing, Hackney & Lambeth). The planned walks will only be relatively short – only up to 1 – 1 ½ hours/ 2 – 3 miles - in length & are targeted at mental health service users & carers. The aim of the project is to encourage & motivate people to take part in walking & hopefully then link them into other physical activity groups in the area. It is hoped that the walking groups will act as a first step to get people walking & to then link them in with other services. Mental health service-users & carers often have much higher rates of physical illness & often lack the confidence to join mainstream services & this is what our project is hoping to address. We are in the process of recruiting volunteers to the project & this is one of the reasons why I am contacting you now…

…I was sitting on the train on Saturday listening to a group of Saturday walkers on their way to Leigh for a (very wet!) walk & it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps I could publicise our service on your website – or in your forum – as it might be a way of reaching keen walkers who might be interested in volunteering for the project – or who might know people who would like to join one of the walks. I have a huge amount of regard for the Time Out guides & the Saturday walking group as it was the first edition of the book that started me out walking & helped me escape into the country when I first moved to London . I now go walking most weekends but don’t know that I would ever have started doing this without your books to guide me! When listening to the walkers chatting on Saturday I thought it would be great to let some of the people who use your site & books know about our project as it would be great to make links with fellow walkers who have the enthusiasm to encourage people to start walking.

Alison Bearn
Walking for Wellbeing Coordinator
Rethink

http://www.rethink.org/go.rm?id=5216

Phone 020 7330 9148
Fax 020 7330 9134
Alison.Bearn --AT-- rethink.org

Posted by

Lucilla : Tuesday, November 17, 2009 11:32:00 AM

If you are not a dedicated user of NT or English Heritage (ie an occassional user), I recommend The Art Fund - it is cheaper and allows you to get into some of NT and EH sites free (some of these are on TO walks) and 1/2 price entrance to special exhibitions in almost all major London Museums and many more around the country..... I have been a member for a few years and loved it. You can find details at www.artfund.org

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SWC Club Walks

These walks are open to all, no need to book, everybody welcome.
Meet in the middle carriage of the train, or on the platform at the start of the walk.
Please note that the club just organises the rota, not the walks themselves. It has no legal existance or insurance. The rota enables people independantly walking the route to walk togther. As such, you should have a copy of the route. This means a copy of the appropriate book, or (for the free walks) a printout.
The group is self-organising: do not expect to be led, and feel free to take your own pace, or form into smaller groups.
The cognoscenti check the return train times.
You can also catch a train from your local station, or connect with the walk at an outer London station, e.g. Clapham Junction, East Croydon
You can of course drive to a walk, but (especially with book 1 walks) check that the start and finish stations are on the same line!
Walk Rota : The book 1 (Vigorous, Nature, Relaxed and Creative) and book 2 (Main, Vigorous, Sunday) walk rotas have been replaced over time. See: This Weeks Walks.
To submit a walk or social event of your own, contact one of the 'bloggers', or see the contacts page.

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Walk Photos

There are 2,800+ photos of the 136 walks.

We have a SWC Group on Flickr (which you are invited to join), or you can use Google's Picasa web albums.

Flickr Slideshow: Press F11 (on PC's), then choose from most interesting or most recent.

www.flickr.com

Posted by

Anonymous : Monday, September 04, 2006 8:25:00 PM

I'm one of those who are thinking of posting an extra walk at some stage. What's the score on adding pics from the web if I don't have a digital camera? How do I know if they're copyrighted? Is there some way of requesting pictures of relevant locations and getting the reply "Have one of mine" ?

Posted by

Peter C : Monday, February 12, 2007 8:01:00 PM

I am not an expert, but I would not use any photo from the web unless you are SURE it is not copyrighted.

For the record, you can do an extra walk text without photos: I don't think any of the extra walks so far have photos with them. I am sure if you want to have some pics of your walk on your site then some walker on the first check would oblige you by taking some on a digital camera

Posted by

Anonymous : Friday, February 23, 2007 5:33:00 PM

I really like these photos especially the one of the owl.
Who took it?

Jane

Posted by

Anonymous : Saturday, February 24, 2007 8:18:00 PM

absolutely brilliant photos...does anyone know which camera? ...I'm in the market for a new digital camera !

many thanks

Posted by

Andrew : Sunday, February 25, 2007 8:25:00 AM

The photos are randomly selected from the Flickr SWC group each time you view this page.

More more details on an individual photo, click it, or follow the link to the Flickr SWC group

Posted by

Anonymous : Wednesday, March 07, 2007 7:38:00 PM

Andrew - it doesn't say which make model camera etc,..?

Posted by

Roland : Wednesday, March 07, 2007 10:38:00 PM

Anonymous - click on a photo, then scroll down the text column to the right of the photo. Under 'Additional Information' you'll see the camera model and date the photo was taken. If you want to be really geeky, click on 'More properties' for a host of useless technical information.

Posted by

Anonymous : Thursday, January 31, 2008 4:45:00 PM

I'm glad to see that photos are becoming more inventive in expressing what one sees on SWC walks and not just masses of pics of individual flowers, trees, toodstools etc which don't seem to have any relevance to walking routes; or is it that I'm just not a fun-gi?

Posted by

Ian T (aka Axolotl}) : Tuesday, February 05, 2008 8:17:00 AM

Could just be the time of the year. There aren’t too many of the little blighters around in the winter. But for me the little things are just as much a part of the walk experience as the big things. And the big things could quite often be from any of a series of walks themselves. A downland scene could be from the same range of walks as a chalkland flower.
I find it interesting to see what images other people got from a walk whether big or small but really, deep down, its pretty pictures that do it for me, regardless of how walk specific they are. Knowing they were taken on that walk is enough for me.

Posted by

Ian T : Tuesday, February 05, 2008 8:37:00 AM

sorry wrong alias there, should be aka moontiger

Posted by

PeteB : Monday, December 22, 2008 7:59:00 PM

Added five photos from my recent Himalayan adventure. Most of these walks were a 10 (;>)

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Train Travel

Network Railcard : Costs £25, gives 1/3 off for up to 4 people. Valid:
- weekends and bank holidays : anytime
- weekdays: after 10am with a £13 minimum fare.
- not valid with Advance fares
Gold Card (Annual Travelcard) : Gives similar discount to a Network Card, but no weekday minimum fare.
TFL Gold Card holders can also get 1) a Network Card for a friend for £1, and 2) off-peak 1-day Travelcards for £1
There are also Young Persons (students, under 26), Family (travel with a child) and Senior (over 60) railcards, all of which give 1/3 off.
Groupsave (4 travel for the price of 2)
Southern Trains Day Tickets - Buy online only, unlimited travel on Southern Trains only, after 10:00 weekdays, all day Sat/Sun/BH, includes Chichester, Amberley, Lewes, Seaford, Eastbourne, Rye
- Daysave : Buy 7 days in advance : £10 for 1 person, £20 for up to 4, £1 per child
- Downlander : Buy 2 days in advance, £12.50, includes some buses as well
If you already have a Travelcard,
- ask for a rail ticket from (say) the Zone 6 Boundary to ...
If you do not have a Travelcard season ticket:
- and start your journey from a local train station, get a train ticket direct to your destination (it includes the cross-london tube fare if necessary, and is often very good value)
- and start from a tube station, consider a Travelcard with a Netword Card, then a ticket from the Zone 9 boundary to ...
If organising a walk yourself:
- Railway Engineering Work : Always check the out and return journey times, or you may end up on a very slow replacement bus service.
- Several train companies (e.g. Chiltern, East Anglia) have a 'buy discounted tickets' online facility, but either the destinations are limited, or you have to specify the exact return train which doesn't justify the saving
If buying a ticket at a mainline station on a sunny Saturday, beware of the queues.

Posted by

Peter C : Saturday, December 03, 2005 11:24:00 PM

If you live in zone three or further out, note that with a Network Card you can apparently get a day travelcard covering ALL London Transport zones (1-6, plus A-D)for £4.80 at weekends: this is available, I am told, from tube ticket offices, but not from ticket machines. If used to get a reduction from the boundary of the outer LT Zone (6 or D as appropriate) this could save several pounds on train fares.

Posted by

David C : Friday, December 09, 2005 2:09:00 PM

Yes the £4.80 All zone travelcard can be bought at weekends from any tube station ticket office. Somebody told me about this a few weeks ago and I've made use of my network card to get this discount a couple of times. Still cost effective even if you are making a fairly short journey from a zone 1 tube station to a mainline railway station to then purchase a return rail ticket from boundary Zone 6 to whereever.

Posted by

Anonymous : Friday, January 06, 2006 12:50:00 PM

you can also buy these from the new ticket machines at Charing X, London Bridge and other southeastern trains railway stations

Posted by

Tony Cantlay : Thursday, February 23, 2006 6:26:00 PM

Can anyone give further info on the '4 travel for the price of 2' offer mentioned ? I can't find it on any rail-related site.

Cheers (tony_cantlay@hotmail.com)

Posted by

Sean : Friday, February 24, 2006 10:12:00 AM

The "4-for-2" offer is called GroupSave (3 or 4 travel for the price of 2 at off-peak times). It may not be a national offer, and it may be withdrawn at any time. South of London I've used it recently on Southern and South-West trains, but I don't know if it's available on South Eastern. You're supposed to travel as a group but you actually get individual tickets with GRP-3 or GRP-4 printed on them.

Southern also promote DaySave, where if you book online 7 days in advance a group of up to 4 people can go anywhere for a day on Southern's network for £20 (just £5 each). If those who schedule extra walks on the South Coast in summer could give at least 10 days' notice, it would be possible to take advantage of this offer. But of course if it pours with rain on the day you lose out...

Posted by

Andrew K : Monday, September 04, 2006 7:06:00 AM

From the end of July 2006 There are also two types of 'Downlander' ticket offering combined Southern Rail and Bus travel for max £12.50. Might be useful for exploring the more remote parts of Sussex me thinks. See
Downlander
Visit South Downs dot com is also a useful site for linking transport anyway.

Posted by

Link to Grapevine : Thursday, March 15, 2007 5:14:00 PM

Zone 6 Extends Further Than You Might Think When You Travel By Bus!
Follow the link below to see how you could get to Dorking, Knockholt or Redhill on a London Buses Travelcard / OysterCard and even return from Tunbridge Wells for part of the way on that same card!
A.K.

Posted by

Sean : Monday, October 01, 2007 6:33:00 PM

I reckon the best strategy for train tickets on walks like Gerrards Cross to Cookham (on two completely different lines) is:

(1) On the way out, buy a Travelcard covering Zone 6 and a single from the Zone 6 Boundary to Gerrards Cross, both with the Network Card discount. Don't buy a return ticket.

(2) On the return journey, each gang of four can get a 50% saving by asking for a Groupsave ticket from Cookham to the Zone 6 Boundary. Anyone left over can still get a third off with their Network Card. You can't combine the two discounts, but Groupsave "4 travel for the price of 2" is still cheaper.

You could of course also use Groupsave for the outward journey, but that requires more organisation - meeting up and queueing at what's usually a busy ticket office, etc.

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Train Travel : Midweek Walks

This advice is for anyone travelling by train for a walk during the week

SWC Midweek Day walks usually take place on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month)
If travelling to the mainline departure train station by underground, your cheapest option may be to:
- purchase an Off-Peak All Zone (1-6) travelcard (for use after 9.30am Mon - Fri)
- then purchase a return from Boundary Zone 6 to your destination station.
If travelling from a local BR station then a cheap day return (available from 9.30am) to the destination station is probably the best option.
On weekdays for mainline rail journeys :
- Network Railcards (anyone) and Young Persons Railcards (under 26, students) are only valid after 10am with a minimum fare of £13 [railcard website]
- Senior Railcards (over 60) are valid after 9:30, and there is no minimum fare.
The All Zone (1-6) travelcard is available from underground stations.
- National rail stations will be able to sell you a Zone 1-6 card (and with no Network Card reduction on weekdays).
- NB: Zone 7-9 refer to stations at the end of the Metropolitan Line, e.g. Amersham. (These zones (7-9) are no longer covered by the all zone travelcard purchased from underground stations.)

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