Thirteen Poly Ramblers and Yvonne B’s dog Daisy met at Chorleywood station on Sunday morning in bright sunhine but  below freezing temperatures. We were five minutes up the road when Geoffrey phoned for directions as he had been held up parking his car. Eventually he caught up with the group and we headed across fields with the sun low in the sky.  Normally it would have been a seriously muddy walk but the ground was frozen over which made the going much easier. We passed the old site of Newlands College and Hilary remembered she was once a student there. Soon we reached the Vache Estate and the site of the Captain Cook Monument. This was built in 1781 by Sir Hugh Palliser, then owner of the Vache Manor house. Sir Hugh had many distinctions including Comptroller of the Navy and Lieutenant General of Marines but is best known as the man who picked Cook out for high command. The monument is accessed via a moat and steps to a tower. After viewing and eating chocolate we headed down the road to the village of Chalfont St Giles where the group divided for lunch between sandwiches by the frozen village pond, Costa Coffee and Merlin’s Cave, a rather upmarket (but very nice) pub. After lunch Yvonne and Daisy left us and the rest of the group headed on to Little Chalfont via the Chiltern Way, passing a field of birds similar to but not quite the same as ostriches.  We decided they were rheas.   Avoiding the black ice near a ford we headed up the edge of Harewood Down golf course and out onto the one of the desirable estates of Little  Chalfont.

Gillian

 Report by Sunita.

Fifteen walkers met at Barbican station for a 5 mile walk, led by Martin and assisted by his friend John, tracing the steps of the bard, William Shakespeare. From the station we went to Barbican Centre, stopping at the site of Fortune Theatre. Here Martin showed several ways the bard’s name was spelt. We studied the Roman ruins and past the St Giles and made our way towards the garden where there a memorial to Heminge and Condell, two of Shakespeare’s fellow actors who is buried. At the Guildhall we saw the Lord Mayor’s coach. Continue reading SATURDAY 5th NOVEMBER: SHAKESPEARE IN LONDON (LINEAR): →

Nine walkers met at Saunderton station for an 8 mile walk in the Chiltern Hills, led by John and Caroline.  Although it was sunny everywhere else, the mist had descended on this part of Buckinghamshire and we were deprived of views all morning. After a couple of hours of undulating walking we reached the pub at Bledlow and unusually were almost mud free. We enjoyed a good meal although Pam and Stuart both wanted the last remaining portion of beef lasagne (Stuart conceded gracefully). Just has we were finishing, Mike turned up, having missed the train and done his own walk in the morning. We stepped out of the pub into bright, warm sunshine. The mist had lifted and it was like a different day. John wanted to show us Bledlow Church but unfortunately it was locked. Instead we had a look at the Lyde Garden, a sunken aquatic garden created by Lord Carrington and now open to the public. From there it was downhill for the next hour to Princes Risborough station. Thanks to John and Caroline.