Thirteen Poly Ramblers met at Edenbridge Town to begin the fourth stage of the Vanguard way. We reiterated to Poly Ramblers in our briefing that the walk was likely to be muddy, there were no pubs nor cafes en route, and more importantly no toilets, however they would be rewarded by some stunning views!
Our walk to the start of the Vanguard Way proved complicated. This first stretch of our hike crossed the airfield of East Haxted Farm with its network of taxiways and runways. An orange windsock indicated the wind direction to pilots. Luckily the electrified fences to protect the sheep that had been there on our recce had now been removed along with the sheep.
The Vanguard signage was difficult to find at this point but we successfully found our next landmark Gabriels Fisheries but deviated slightly off our route. Now back on track we passed Cernes Farm and headed towards Starborough Manor (also known as Starborough castle). Here we had an early picnic as this was one of the few places on the walk with an expanse of grass we could use for this purpose.
Our afternoon walk was a contrast to the morning’s hike, we enjoyed a long gentle climb through woodland passing some beautifully detailed bug hotels.
We continued along the broad track passing a trig point at altitude 564 ft one of the highest points along the Vanguard Way. The views were far reaching over the Surrey countryside, we were fortunate to have a clear sky and sunshine. Our next landmark was a chocolate box cottage called Smithers. We walked along a winding road passing Gotwick manor which used to be the home of Elaine Marks of the Marks and Spencers Family.
We reached Forest Row wading through a very muddy stretch following the Forest way, a shallow gully on our left and a much deeper gully to our right. We reached our bus stop with just five minutes to spare, taking us back to East Grinstead station to take a train to London.
Once all the participants had located the Thames Water/ Mayor of London’s new blue drinking water fountain in Stratford Plaza / Meridian Square, 17 Polyramblers crossed the Meridian Line to the Eastern Hemisphere to start our walk at the obelisk with drinking water fountains, dedicated to Samuel Gurney Sr., banker, councillor and philanthropist, whose sister was Elizabeth Fry, the prison reformer, and whose second son Samuel Gurney (MP) founder and chairman of the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association (MDF&CTA), is commemorated by a fine bronze drinking water fountain outside Blackfriars Station. From the obelisk we set off through the Olympic Park, along the Greenway (formerly the Northern Outfall Sewer Cycleway), part of Sir Joseph Bazalgette’s solution to the City of London’s water and sewage problems in the 19th century! Once we arrived in Victoria Park the group was impressed by the drinking water fountain installed by Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, daughter of the banker Thomas Coutts, heiress to her grandfather’s fortune and first woman to be admitted to the House of Lords! Understandably none of the historical drinking water fountains mentioned are still in operation and the silver-plated cups are no more (although the cups on the fountain at St. Sepulchre, without Newgate, are still on view, as per the Polyramblers’ website)!
We kept on past the queues at the West Lake café, some of the group filled their water bottles at the modern drinking water fountain and we all admired the rainbow created by the big fountain in the centre of the lake (where poor local people would wash in the 19th century because there was no running water for washing where they lived. What water they had was not safe to drink). From Victoria Park we made our way down to the busy Grand Union canal path to the Angel area. There the canal goes into a tunnel, so we went up to street level to eat our lunch picnic in Duncan Terrace Gardens. Fortunately it was a lovely sunny day and there were enough benches for us all! At this point Danny peeled off to a neighbouring watering hole! The rest of us proceeded through the streets to nearby New River Head (where the “New River” arrives from Hertfordshire and goes underground) which became the Metropolitan Water Board HQ and now contains upmarket apartments. Myddelton Square is named after Sir Hugh Myddelton (1560-1631) who was instrumental in the development of the New River, using his own fortune and in securing monetary assistance from King James I to help with funding the project which first brought fresh water into the City of London. The peripheral buildings of the New River Head are currently being turned into the Quentin Blake Illustration Centre which will be ready for us to visit next year! Hopefully there will then be mention of the reservoirs where the pumps were operated by horses walking round them in circles and the massive pipe that takes the water 90 metres down for distribution across London. Myddelton Passage came out beside Sadler’s Wells Theatre which we couldn’t visit because customers were going in to a show but where the well, unearthed in 1683 on this property by the owner Dick Sadler, can be viewed by customers through a round glass panel in the floor. The well was thought to have “miraculous medicinal powers”. The water continues to flow from the aquifer and in 2004 Sadler’s Wells entered into an agreement with Thames Water for the re-use of excess water flowing from the ground below the theatre, instead of continuing to allow it to drain wastefully away.
From there we made our way to the Clerken Well (see photos), modern drinking water fountain (where water bottles were filled) and cattle trough, originally installed by the MDF&CTA – now containing a flower bed! Here more Polyramblers baled out to local watering holes.
The remainder of the group proceeded up Amwell St, past a reservoir, and down to Regent’s Canal but as we passed routes to King’s Cross station, more Polyramblers baled out and the remaining four carried on along the canal to Coal Drops Yard where we paused for a comfort call and coffee (and a luxury doughnut!). After which two more peeled off and the remaining two of us carried on to the edge of Regent’s Park and the Matilda Fountain, presented to the MDF&CTA about 1878 by Matilda, “wife of Richard Kent Jr. a local churchwarden”. On our way to the tube at sunset through Regent’s Park, we came upon a drinking water fountain, gift of Sir Cowasjee Behangir Readymoney (C.S.I.) installed in 1869, a fantastic discovery to round off the day! Distance 12 miles, finishers 2! Perhaps, if we had kept up a brisk pace, we would have been able to get to Little Venice before dark. Next time!
Thank you to all who came on the walk and to donors to WaterAid, thinking of the women round the world who have to walk a long way every day to collect fresh water while we can enjoy the benefits of water first supplied by philanthropists of yesteryear.
Pam
Notes: All the historical people mentioned can be found in Wikipedia. Spellings of names may vary (eg Myddelton and Cowasjee) Individual step-counter readings may vary. https://www.wateraid.org/uk/donate Every drop counts!
We got beautiful weather for our walk on Sunday 9th March. Starting at Uxbridge, the first part was mostly along the Grand Union canal, passing two lakes and two nature reserves. We stopped briefly at a cafe, ‘The Hubb’, which had a large OPEN sign but was actually closed. Fortunately, we were able to use their loo behind the building, which was open, although there was a bit of resistance from the staff. Promising to move on fairly sharpish was enough to persuade security to let the final three walkers needing the loo to do so!
Back along the canal we arrived at the Coy Carp pub, ate our lunch on a green area nearby and then visited the pub to wash it down.
The second part of the walk was very different. A steep ascent took us up onto rolling Hertfordshire countryside, green paths with a lovely long stretch through Bishop’s Wood. We had a little bit of backtracking to do on this bit, missing a loop sign and then taking a path next to the correct one! Reminder to myself not to chat when leading! Fortunately, these diversions didn’t involve long distances so we did get back on track and completed in good time, our final stretch running parallel to the railway lines at Moor Park.
It was such lovely weather that some of us sought a cafe or pub to extend our day out. However, Moor Park was very quiet, no cafe or pub in sight, and we settled for chocolate from a little grocery store and headed for the train home.
It was a chilly, foggy, start at Isleworth but the sun was soon out to cheer us on our walk. Isleworth was once a well-cultivated farming and trading settlement, the boundary stretching from the Middlesex bank of the River Thames, westward to the centre of Hounslow and as far as Southhall in 1066. Much of Isleworth became orchards and market gardens in the 19th Century. Many royal and noble houses were built there including Syon House.
The leader welcomed 20 polyrambers at Isleworth station where we started our walk to Old Isleworth. We walked along a street with rows of workmen‘s cottages which were built for workers of the famous Pears soap factory. The Red Lion Pub in the same street has won the local CAMRA pub of the year prize four times since 2003. It was one of only three buildings in Hounslow to be recognised as ‘assets of Community value’. Then we walked through the Silverhall Park which sits either side of the Duke of Northumberland River. We entered Mill Plat, one of the oldest paths giving access to the Flour Mill built in 1635. The Ingram’s Almshouses built in 1664 are the oldest almshouses in the Borough.
Apparently there are often up to 20 herons resting in the area during night time. We looked at Warkworth House built in 1866, later becoming West Middlesex hospital accommodation for nurses. Now new houses have been built in the complex. Then the Mill Bridge : over the Duke of Northumberland’s River which was man-made in the 16th century to provide water for the Isleworth Flour Mill. The Tudor mill was made of wood and was destroyed by fire in 1795 and replaced by a brick built structure. It closed in 1934 and was demolished in 1941. Tolson’s Almshouses for the poor is located where the Duke of Northumberland River meets the Thames, and these are now flats.
There were many water puddles along the route after lots of rain over the past few days. The group enjoyed lovely views of the Thames. We followed the Capital Ring/Thames Path on the north side of the Thames, crossed Richmond Lock then we were walked through the Old Deer Park. We crossed the busy A316, to the town centre, through two alley ways and passed the house where Virgina Wolf lived for 9 years. We made our way along the Vineyard Passage, St. Matthias Church ( a victorian gothic style Grade II listed building) to the top of Richmond Hill. Finally, we arrived at our lunch stop in Terrace Gardens where some had their picnic lunch and some lunched at the Hollyhock Cafe.
After lunch 17 polyramblers continued walking back up to the top of the Hill where we enjoyed fantastic views over the Thames and further afield. It was not long after entering Richmond Park that we reached the Poet’s Corner Pollinator Garden and the John Beer Laburnum Walk. It was a fine clear afternoon and we spent some time at King Henry VIII’s Mound marvelling at the unrestricted view of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
We carried on walking towards Ham gate. I had promised there would be some mud for the group to enjoy, so we took the path to the left side of Ham Common instead of the formal path on the right. After walking for a mile, we arrived at Teddington Lock. One member decided to finish his walk there. The remaining 16 carried on along the Thames Path towards Kingston and we had a water stop under the 64 year old replacement of Half Mile Tree, a sign marking the official ‘half mile’ to Kingston.
Overall we had a very rewarding day with glorious sunshine that made the walk very enjoyable. This section of the Thames is thoroughly recommended for anyone seeking a metropolitan ramble with plenty of historical interest.
Despite the threat of dire weather and constant reminders from the leader about steep and possibly slippery inclines, 13 of us gathered at West Humble for a good and reasonably long walk in the lovely Surrey Hills.
We started with a fairly drawn-out climb to Mickleham, a bit of flat and then the first steep haul up onto Mickleham Downs which, in summer, is full of the kind of chalk downland wildflowers which have become a rare sight. Over 50% of the UK’s chalk grassland was lost between the mid-1950s and the early 1990s. Now that these areas are not routinely grazed, unchecked encroaching scrub is one of the main problems and there are, thankfully, schemes to control it including the National Trust’s introduction of Belted Galloway cattle on Box Hill. Continue reading WEST HUMBLE CIRCULAR – 23 February→
The Polytechnic Rambling Club – Walking with friends
