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 →

On Saturday, 21 ramblers (with 2 more joining for lunch) set off to walk to Northolt with a stop to see the Greenford Beaver colony. The weather was overcast, constantly threatening to break out into rain, but we were lucky and only experienced occasional light drizzle.

We started by following the Capital ring along the river Brent. We passed the Millennium Maze which has become well established after 25 years growth. The path was mostly wooded although we did pass 4 golf course s without having to worry about flying balls. We passed St May’s church in Perivale which is the oldest church in Ealing, dating back to 12th Century.

We made it to the top of Horsenden Hill, despite the muddy path, to catch the views of London. We had an enjoyable lunch at the Ballot Box where we caught up with 2 extra hikers who had missed the train. We then made our way to Paradise Fields where the Beavers have taken up residence. They are a recent addition to the local fauna, and although we did not see any beavers, we saw plenty of evidence – many chewed trees and their dams to make their lodges. They are already thriving and are already breeding. Those who would like more information can follow the link London welcomes urban beavers for first time – Beaver Trust

We followed the Grand Union canal round to Belvue park. The park is set on a hill and was a settlement going back to roman times, with a moat. There were informative display boards giving its history including information about how the common land was enclosed. From here it was a short walk to Northolt Station.

Stephen. Photos by Ida and Nita

An impressive total of 18 assembled at Crystal Palace station. The weather forecast was overcast and occasional light rain. Unfortunately, this turned out to be pretty accurate and so we only had glimpses of the views the route offers on clear days. The length is about six miles, so is suitable for shorter days in the winter months.
The Crystal Palace building was originally constructed for the Great Exhibition of 1851 which was in Hyde Park. At the end of the exhibition it was taken down and rebuilt on the current site where it was used until destroyed by fire in 1936. A railway line was built from Nunhead to carry the large number of visitors and the walk follows some of the old route.
The hall was built up on a stonework base which is all that remains. One can still appreciate what a massive building it must have been, the length being nearly 600 metres. The designer, Joseph Paxton, was principally a gardener but he drew on his experience of large green houses. The building was three times the size of St Pauls and had many innovative features. It consisted of largely standardised panels of plate glass in cast iron frames. For the first time in a major structure, standard nuts and bolts were used which hugely simplified construction. The original Exhibition charged for entry, and made a surplus of £25 million over the six month period which was used to found the V&A museum. Continue reading Crystal Palace to Nunhead, 8th February 2025 →