Despite dire warnings of pouring rain, weather bombs, storm Brian etc, 9 of us + one small dog screwed up our courage & went on the walk. As it  happened there was very little rain & what there was came mostly at lunch time which hardly mattered. The terrifying gale & flying trees didn’t happen either which was fortunate as the walk was mostly in woodland; there was just the pleasant sound of Continue reading SATURDAY 21st OCTOBER: BENTLEY to FARNHAM →

A Day of Contrasts!

Rob, Rosie Anna and Solvig set off for Hove – a bit earlier than planned due to a cancelled train.  I heard later that Barbara got a later train, and did the same walk although sadly we didn’t meet up. It was a very windy day with a fantastic wild sea, and we all enjoyed walking along the sea front towards the falling-down pier, which managed not to fall down while we were there! Continue reading HOVE TO BRIGHTON WALK – 7 OCTOBER →

Our second walk with the London Blind Ramblers this year, this time  the ‘elite’ section who wanted a longer and more challenging walk than they normally do.  Pam obliged with a walk advertised as 11.2 miles and undulating, and nine (not very elite) Poly Ramblers turned out last Sunday to guide and support the group.  Pam was relieved to find that we had sufficient Poly guides for the blind walkers. We  soon arrived at Knockholt and set off along the edge of a golf course at a brisk pace.  This continued through fields and Continue reading SUNDAY 10 SEPTEMBER: KNOCKHOLT CIRCULAR WITH LONDON BLIND RAMBLERS →

From the station, we walked uphill to Manningtree church where we joined the Essex Way which we followed most of the day. We reached the waterfront and followed the Stour estuary to Mistley, famous for its twin church towers and its witch finder. We left the riverside to walk across pastures, woodlands – passing old oaks including Old Knobbley – and wheat fields. We had our picnic lunch Continue reading SATURDAY 22 JULY: MANNINGTREE to WRABNESS (ESSEX) (LINEAR) →

After leaving Chigwell we enjoyed a relaxed walk through Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve and its lake onwards up through Buckhurst Hill and then up through the edge of Epping forest and its famous oaks, then onwards to the white timber-framed Elizabethan building which is Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Hunting Lodge, built for King Henry VIII in 1543. Continue reading SATURDAY 15th JULY: CHIGWELL to ENFIELD LOCK (LINEAR) →