Twelve of us came out of Kingston station to a cool but bright morning. Through the town and into the heath and woodland of Bushy Park. We saw and heard a number of Stags roaring whilst quite a few Does were quietly munching the grass, looking up now and then. We walked through a few plantations, the Oval, Pheasant and Waterhouse, passing Leg of Mutton Pond and Heron Pond, surrounded by some lovely old weeping willow trees. In the distance we spotted the Diana Fountain and Hampton Court Palace but we didn’t divert off our route to visit these.
After a bit of road walking, mostly residential streets, we followed the River Crane until Shot Tower came into sight, our lunch stop. The van selling drinks and cake next to the tower was decorated for Halloween and had tables and chairs out. The tower was open for visitors, with information on the local flora and fauna and Chris M was able to tell us a bit of the history of the tower.
The Crane Park Shot Tower is a Grade II listed building. Built in 1828 it is believed that the 25.3m tall tower was used, for the manufacture of lead shot. Molten lead was poured, through a sieve and formed shot as it fell to the bottom of the tower, where it was cooled in a tank of water.
After lunch, and a bit more road walking, we found ourselves on Hounslow Heath. We rejoined the River Crane and made our way to Brazil Mill Woods, then Donkey Wood, where we followed a winding timber causeway and, for the remainder of the route we could hear the planes overhead as they landed/took off from the airport nearby. The sky was overcast so not many were visible, but the few we did spot going up into the clouds were quite dramatic. Finally, a half-mile walk along the A30 took us to Hatton Cross station.
This was the second stage of the Norfolk coast path. We walked the first stage from Hunstanton to Wells next the Sea in April 2023. This stage took us eastwards from Wells to Sheringham. We based ourselves in the seaside town of Sheringham split between the Youth Hostel and an excellent B&B. Following uneventful train journeys on a Friday afternoon in late June we convened at the friendly Crown pub on East Cliff for our pre-ordered dinner. As it was a balmy mid summer evening we were able to watch the glorious sunset from the cliff top after our meal.
Eight hardy walkers met bright and early at Marylebone Station ready to board the 09:07 train to Beaconsfield and then take the rail replacement service to Great Missenden. Unfortunately, the train had a technical fault, and was cancelled. We then boarded the 09:37 (in theory a faster service so all appeared to be going well). Once again, a technical fault prevented this train from leaving the station!
Third train lucky, Yay, we were finally on our way. On arriving at Beaconsfield, after a short wait, we boarded the rail replacement service, arriving an hour later than anticipated and met up with two more ramblers at Great Missenden Station. Thankful they waited and hoped that we would make up the time and provide a walk worth waiting for. We gave the safety briefing and walk details and finally set off with the sun on our backs.
The walk began, through Great Missenden to find the South Bucks way path leading to fields towards Cobblershill Farm. There were several school groups taking their Duke of Edinburgh award training also following some of our route.
The South Bucks way led us to Dunsmore. Walking through fields and woodland we arrived in Little Hampden, at the seat, a bench with a crown dedicated to HRH Queen Elizabeth on her Accession to the throne in 1952.
After a short water/snack break, we carried on following the Chiltern Way towards Great Hampden, Hampden House. Opposite Hampden House at the church of St. Mary Magdalene, we walked through the church yard and left by the back gate following a footpath straight ahead leading to fields. There would have been a prize to the person who guessed the breed of sheep in the field. However, the vegetation was so overgrown, following the rains that the sheep were barely visible!
The sheep had white faces and light brown woolly coats. Any suggestions?
The exit from the fields led us across to a tarmac access road leading to a crossroads and open fields. This was our lunch spot with the option to picnic in the fields or head to the Hampden Arms for refreshments.
After lunch our walk continued towards Bryant’s Bottom. Finding the path leading to Bryant’s Bottom we encounter our first stile, and the old oak tree planted to commemorate HRH Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. We continued through the common and into Great Hampden common, leaving the common via another stile. At the end of the common we turned right, into the gate marked Denner Farm, and followed the driveway, which led to another stile and into undulating fields. Crossing another field, we turned left, through a gate to a road, where we picked up a gravel track, to double gates leading to a house. Behind the house, we followed a footpath leading to a field to another highish stile, into fields with grazing horses and another gate. Once through the gate a right turn led to an overgrown narrow path., which we managed to negotiate by walking in single file, until we came to the road. Crossing the road, we accessed another gate into a field which climbed towards another gate. Through this gate a short woodland walk brought an exit into the first of three fields which eventually led to the Wycombe Road. Some residential walking followed, through Sixty Acres Road, Honor Road and Nairdwood Lane and a path to New road. Here we heard a kite whistle, looking up into the trees we saw a kite perched and then soar into the sky, beautiful & graceful. At the end of New Road, we picked up the Chiltern Heritage Trail along the verge, admiring the topiary snail and other shapes at a local house, before turning left by Andlows farm. We followed the path which led to Angling Spring Wood, keeping to the main path, walking down hill until we met the road. Here on turning right we headed downhill towards Great Missenden Station, just in time to see the rail replacement bus pull up. We said farewell to two ramblers and boarded the bus to Beaconsfield Station. Our return rail service to Marylebone was on time and thankfully uneventful.
Nine intrepid ramblers, after the inevitable transport delays we seem to get nowadays, set off from Hildenborough station in search of the Club’s recently (well, fairly recently!) donated kissing gate located not far from the station.
Inscribed plaques in memory of past members to be added to the gate were still stuck in the post. Despite this disappointment we were able to pose for photos of the gate and the pleasant surroundings on what was a very sunny day. The occasion even afforded a chance by Danny, on one of his rare excursions outside suburbia, to explain to a small group of walkers coming in the opposite direction who we were, the gate donation and the toll they had to pay to go through it!
Pleasantries over, we headed off to Leigh (pronounced Lye by local wurzels) for a tea break and the opportunity to eat the local church’s biscuits left to feed pilgrims like us and for the leader to leave behind his map of the walk! Fortunately, having done the recce only days earlier the leader remembered the rest of the route with only the odd referral to the OS app.
We dined in Haysden Country Park on the banks of the River Medway before heading off along part of the Eden Valley Walk to the Plough and Barn Inn which we had to reach before it closed at 2.30pm to host a wedding. Arriving 15 minutes late the leader pleaded, nay, begged bar staff to allow us to have a quick pint/coffee. They eventually caved in, but we had to finish before the bride arrived. Returning empty glasses with the groom’s entourage already at the bar, my inquiry about a tab was met with a ‘get lost’ smile!
Refreshed, we set off for the station, walking through the countryside, arriving in good time for the hourly train back to London thanks to Sandra’s earlier calculations that the pub was a 45 minute walk from the station!
After a truly horrible final walkover two days earlier – torrential rain, gales, thunder and lightning – the day of the walk was beautiful. It was warm with a pleasingly gentle breeze and the world seemed a different place in which it was a pleasure to be out walking. We gathered at Stonegate station and set off along paths that were on the map but clearly not, or very rarely, used. There were some rough fields which must have been left for years and were completely overgrown but which had probably once been ploughed and so were ankle-twistingly but invisibly uneven. We are skillful and experienced walkers of course, and we navigated our way through with no problems. There were many stiles that were in a disgraceful state and in some cases so completely overgrown that they had to be hacked free to have any possibility of getting over them. Others had so many bits missing that they were a challenge to even the most long-legged among us but, again, we all managed and eventually were rewarded by a view of the lovely Bewl Water. Continue reading STONEGATE TO WADHURST – 7 SEPTEMBER→
The Polytechnic Rambling Club – Walking with friends
