Barking station was an unusual meeting place and not straight-forward to get to but 9 Polyramblers managed to get there.  Others were probably busy doing their washing after coming back from the holiday in Cogne and Turin two days before.  We had lovely weather all day with a breeze to cool the hot sunshine.  Our morning walk Continue reading Saturday 3rd: Benfleet (Essex) circular via Leigh on Sea →

The club has done this walk on a previous occasion but this was my first visit to the Hadhams and what a fine walk it was. We started by taking the 351 bus for a 30 minute white knuckle ride through attractive half timbered villages before alighting at Little Hadham. The weather was overcast but pleasant for walking, with little wind. We passed through undulating farming country, with fields of wheat and oilseed rape. The fields were large, showing how farming has changed in the last 30 years and often our path across a field was clearly a previous boundary. We were struck how dry it was for May, with wide fissures in the ground and empty streambeds. After conversing with a friendly horse, we paused in the pretty 13th century church of St Andrews at Much Hadham and admired its contemporary kneelers. A plaque there commemorates Edmund Tudor,  born in the village and subsequently father to the 1st Tudor king, Henry VII. Continue reading Saturday 6th May, Little Hadham to St Margarets →

A respectable  16 of us assembled at Tottenham Hale station on a chilly and overcast morning. Our route followed  the Lea navigation, initially leafy and almost rural as it passes through Clapton. There was plenty of bird activity with sets of ducklings and coots with the occasional predatory heron on the lookout for a snack. Approaching the Olympic Park, things became distinctly more urban, with some interesting street art. We lunched at the attractive Timber Lodge café, which was doing good business. We sat outside, trying to convince ourselves that it wasn’t really that cold. Continue reading Monday 1st May Tottenham Hale to Limehouse →