Saturday 31 July 2010

Wendover Circular

The 30th July walk was a departure for Hampstead, taking place on a Friday. Jane reports as follows...

"Once again we were fortunate with the weather and Joe had devised another very interesting route. There were 15 in the party - excellent for a [weekday] walk. We started off by following the ancient Ridgeway Path southeast to Barn Wood...



"then northeast towards Wendover Woods where we then headed northwest to Dancers End Nature Reserve, where we had a short stop...



[Joe is centre left in the blue shirt]

"....before making our way to the Cafe in the Woods for lunch. Not surpringly, it was a hive of activity. In the afternoon we headed towards Halton and then followed the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal back to Wendover. It was very attractive with lots of reeds and other vegetation and it would be a great pity if the plans to reinstate it as an operational canal ever came to fruition.



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Tuesday 27 July 2010

Leatherhead Circular

"There were 9 in the party led by Jerry O'Connor and the weather was dry, warm and sunny for the most part.



[Jerry is 4th from the left].

"The route we followed involved hardly any road walking and took us through Norbury Park to a very busy Polesden Lacey, where we had a short stop. We then continued south across Ranmore Common and through the Wotton Estate to Friday Street where we ate our sandwiches beside the lake and then had drinks in the 'Stephen Langton' which, like Polesden Lacey, was abuzz with people.




"Our return route to Leatherhead was slightly to the east of but just as attractive as the morning route, finishing with a short stretch beside the River Mole. We had covered just under 22 miles in 6 hours 35 minutes, tired but happy."

Thank you Jane for the photos and report.



[I noticed from the photos how much common ragwort there was on the route, as can be seen in the photo above.]

Finally I couldn't resist featuring this fellow, i don't think he is a rambler....



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Tuesday 20 July 2010

Vanguard Way 1 - East Croydon to Oxted

Jane Rosoux writes:
"I attach photographs taken on last Sunday's walk from East Croydon to Oxted led by Henriette Van Zaelen.

"There were 11 in the party and the weather was good.



[Henriette is front right, with blue cap].



"Most of the route followed the Vanguard Way and we stopped for lunch at 'The Bull' pub, Chelsham. As we continued southward and left London behind the scenery became more rural and soon we were on the the North Downs escarpment with the M25 below us and Oxted beyond.



"Rather than follow the Vanguard Way east from this point and then have to double back to Oxted Station, Henriette led us along short stretches of the North Downs Way and Greensand Way to the outskirts of Oxted.



"At that point we had covered 12.5 miles.

From there most of the party headed straight to the station, a further mile or so, whilst two of us retraced our steps to the North Downs Way and then followed an attractive 7-mile route via Marden Park to Caterham Station."

Many thanks to Jane for the report and photos.

Finally, Jane has sent a photo of an unusual bird she spotted on the walk....



Any identifications will be warmly welcomed!

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Tuesday 13 July 2010

Bayford Circular




"Last Sunday a party of 6 enjoyed a very pleasant 10-mile circular ramble from Bayford led by Hardy Samsami. Much of it was through woodland, notably Broxbourne Wood, which provided welcome shade from the hot sun.



"Our lunch stop was a picnic in a grassy clearing."





Hardy is pictured (left) above.

Walk report and photos by Jane Rosoux.

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Monday 12 July 2010

Wealdway 1: Gravesend to Borough Green

"There were 8 of us on Saturday's ramble along the Wealdway from Gravesend to Borough Green. Although the weather was hot it was bearable.

"We started by having a look at the statue of Princess Pocahuntas near the ferry terminal and the start of the Wealdway.



"However, instead of following the official route out of Gravesend along the busy A227 we took a quieter but slighly longer route via a B-road to join the Wealdway near Field Court.

"From there we were in very pleasant countryside following a well-waymarked trail, which was easy going.



"After 11 miles or so and around 3 hours 45 minutes we diverted to Harvel for lunch, where some picnicked whilst others enjoyed pub food at the 'Amazon and Tiger'. Soon after lunch we crossed the Pilgrim's Way then had a brief stop at Coldrum Long Barrow, from where we had good views of the North Downs away to the east. When we reached Wrotham Heath we decided to follow the Wealdway a little further to the south before heading west to Borough Green Station, which we reached at 5.45 pm after covering 19 miles in around 6 hours 30 minutes (excluding an hour for the lunch stop)."



Thanks to Jane for leading the walk, and sending me the walk report and the photos.

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Monday 5 July 2010

Christ's Hospital to Horsham

Jane Rosoux writes...

"I attach photographs taken on today's 10 mile walk along the West Sussex Literary Trail from Christ's Hospital to Horsham led by Gill Henderson. There were eight in the party and the weather was very good.





The route took us past Itchingfield Church



....... with its Priest's House in its grounds....



Slinfold Church had been the intended lunch stop but we arrived too early - at 11.30 am. So we continued to Strood Green School where we picnicked in its extensive grounds. After lunch our route took us through a deer park and Warnham Estate, with a glimpse of Warnham Place in the distance. All too soon we were walking through the popular Horsham Park and the Carfax on our way to The Shelley Fountain...



Nearby was the fascinating Horsham Heritage Sundial





where the party split with some going for an earlier train whilst the rest of us enjoyed iced coffees.

The West Sussex Literary Trail (55 miles from Horsham to Chichester Cathedral) looked fascinating and Gill Henderson has offered to lead the rest of it for the Hampstead Group in 10-mile sections, one section per programme on Saturdays. She has also offered to lead most of the Serpent Trail, a 64-mile circuitous trail between Haslemere and Petersfield which links up heathland areas and is very scenic, for the group in 10-mile sections, one section per programme on Sundays.