Tring to Berkhamsted

On Sunday Maija Roberts led eight Hampstead members on a 10 mile walk from Tring to Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire.

The weather was showery to start with but improved gradually through the day.


Wood Anemone was in bloom.

The walk covered some hilly terrain...



We stopped for a quick cuppa by the canal at the strangely named Cow Roast.


Apparently the area was originally called Cow Rest, and was in fact a staging post for the cattle drovers coming down from the Midlands to the London markets.

Cattle were not the only animals around- we passed a llama farm en route...



The high point (literally) was at the Bridgewater Monument just above Aldbury...



We all made it to the station a couple of minutes before the train. Many thanks to Maija for an enjoyable walk in some varied terrain.

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Haddenham to Aylesbury

Jane Rosoux writes...

"I attach a selection of the photographs I took on my ramble from Haddenham & Thame Parkway to Aylesbury.



It was a lovely day on Saturday, albeit somewhat hazy, and six of us spent an enjoyable 16 miles walking through picture-postcard villages, such as Long Crendon, and attractive farmland in the Vale of Aylesbury.


The oil-seed rape was in full flower,



the National Trust Courthouse at Long Crendon opened as we were passing,


the hawthorn bushes were covered in blossom,


orchids, dandelions and lesser celandines were amongst other wild flowers in bloom.

And whilst we waited at Aylesbury for our train back to London we were able to enjoy very good value tea, coffee and cakes courtesy of Morrisons!"

Many thanks to Jane for leading the walking, reporting and photographing it!

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Chorleywood Circular

Gabriel Newfield led this walk for Hampstead Ramblers. Jane Rosoux reports...

"I attach photographs I took on today's 14.5 mile circular ramble from Chorleywood led by Gabriel Newfield from which to make a selection for the Rambling On blog.

There were 14 in the party and the weather was good.




[Gabriel is fourth from the left.]

We passed the picturesque Sarratt Church...



shortly after the service had ended. After a brief stop in the woods we followed good paths across rolling farmland and then the Twelve Apostles Pond...



... - the twelve apostles were twelve trees but they are well past their prime.

'The Windmill' pub at Chipperfield was our lunch stop. Nearby was a pond where the surrounding vegetation had been cut back leaving a fine display of lesser celandine.

In the afternoon we continued to pass many fields of horses (I cannot recall seeing a single farm animal!) and we returned to Chorleywood via the Chess valley and its extensive watercress beds."






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Capital Ring Section 2 - Highgate to West Ham

Jane Rosoux writes...

"I attach some photographs taken on yesterday's 12 mile walk along the Capital Ring from Highgate to West Ham led by Susan Holman from which to select a few for the Rambling On blog. 13 people joined Susan on the walk, which was a very good turnout for a midweek walk, despite the weather not being very good with light rain for much of the time. The route was very interesting and took us along the Parkland Walk...




... past Stoke Newington Library and through Abney Park Cemetery...






to lunch at Springfield Park. It then followed the River Lea Navigation past Walthamstow Marshes to the Olympic Stadium site and the Greenway (Northern Outfall Sewer Embankment)...



... which seems to be a lot less green now that much of the vegetation has been removed and replaced by a broad strip of tarmac and concrete more suitable for cyclists than leisure walkers!





However, the "View Tube" near Pudding Mill Lane Station, at the point where the Greenway is crossed by the railway line at surface level, was quite interesting and further on near Abbey Mills Pumping Station there was an unusual sundial embedded in the tarmac.



The walk ended all too soon and we look forward to the next section next month."

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Lewes Circular

Jane Rosoux reports on Clare Kirkbride's 20 mile circular walk around Lewes...

"There were 11 in the party at the start, 9 of whom did the full distance.



[Clare Kirkbride 2nd left]

We were very lucky with the weather, which was dry with some sun but quite breezy. Clare had chosen an attractive route with plenty of excellent views and also selected a good spot for our picnic lunch where some gorse bushes were so effective as a wind break that it felt positively warm.



[A rare picture of Jane Rosoux, 2nd left]


Although it was muddy in places we made such good speed that some of the party managed to catch the 4.50 pm train back. The rest of us enjoyed a brief tour of some of the attractions of Lewes, including the horse pond and the castle,...



...which dates from 1066. Towards the end of the walk we passed the Pioneer V8 car shown below...



...a local man returning from exercising his Barbary falcon...






... and a bare-chested canoist on the river Ouse..."



As usual the reports are greatly appreciated.

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An Alternative Means of Travel......

Lindsey Purchall provides an appropriately Easter-themed blog post today...

"I went on the very enjoyable ‘St. Albans to Markyate’ walk on Saturday, ably led by Elizabeth Parsons, who, among other achievements, guided us faultlessly, entertained us with numerous engaging stories, and not least got us to the Redbournbury Water Mill before the bakery shop shut.

It was in this establishment, as I purchased a pair of freshly baked spicy wholemeal hot cross buns, that the serving lady addressed me thus:

“Where are you walking today?”

“We’ve come from St. Albans and we are going on to Markyate”.

“How do you get from here to Markyate?”

I was about to reply circumspectly that I wasn’t quite sure but had every faith in our leader, when she went on with a very puzzled expression:

“I mean, I know how to get there by car, but...”

And then as though light suddenly dawned:

“Oh! I suppose there are footpaths!”


It occurred to me that there must be a substantial proportion of the population of the United Kingdom who have utterly no concept of how to travel around other than by car.

We have a mountain to climb here to wean people off their petrol dependency, and start reducing pollution levels.

At least in London there are some active campaigns to encourage people to walk and cycle more, but of course it is much more difficult in rural areas where it can be dangerous to use either method of transport on narrow lanes.

I like to think that perhaps there is one person at the mill who might think about finding some local footpaths to walk when not surrounded by delicious mounds of crusty bread and teacakes."

Thanks Lindsey, and I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Easter.

Steve.
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