Ten of us left Berkhamsted station in drizzly rain and walked past the remains of the 11^th century castle, whose motte and bailey layout could be seen clearly.  It was muddy as we made the gradual ascent to Berkhamsted Common, but we Poly Ramblers have seen much worse.  Passing some horses we made our way to the Alpine Meadow.  This area is the haunt of lizards, but we didn’t see any.  Presumably they were hiding under stones, sheltering from the rain.  Our disappointment at not seeing any lizards was soon forgotten when we caught a glimpse of five or six deer running through the wood and into the adjacent meadow.  Moments later we were further rewarded by the sight of a much larger herd of deer running in the same direction. Continue reading February 13th. Berkhamstead to Tring →

The weather forecast was poor,and the preceding week had been wet, so it was a creditable 9 who assembled at Chipstead Station. We were pleased to welcome new member Marie-Reine who  came out with us on the Windsor walk before Christmas. We entered Banstead Woods, taking due note of a sign urging people not to eat the snails. There were a lot of people about, but we were probably the only ones who were dogless. Emerging from the woods, we continued through undulating farmland to the Well House Inn at Mugswell. Despite having done a few walks in this area, this was the first time we had been there and we were most impressed. Friendly staff, efficient service, good food and beer, all in a wonderfull old building. Continue reading Sunday February 7th. Chipstead Circular →

Via Cassiobury, Sarratt Church End and Croxley Green. We made use of Watford station before its threatened closure by 2020. Undulating West Herts with some flat stretches.  Lunch at Cock Inn, Sarratt Church End. Distance: 10 miles.

photo of Almshouses, Church End Sarratt by Nigel Cox

The weather forecast was for heavy rain, Holland Park Station was closed for several months and the District and Circle Lines weren’t going North of High Street Kensington.  All credit therefore to the 19 of us who were motivated to get to the start. It was dry as we made our way south into a rather sodden Holland Park. We passed round the house, dating from the 17th century, of which only the east wing wing remains, following bomb damage in 1940. Heading east, we crossed Kensington Church Street, making a detour down an attractive alley and past St Mary Abots Church. Here there is blue plaque to Ezra Pound the American poet. A contoversial figure, he was a contemporary of TS Eliot but became converted to the fascist cause. He moved to Italy, later making anti American broadcasts on behalf of the Mussolini government during the second world war.  He was incarcerated by the US army and charged with treason  but found unfit to stand trial. Continue reading SATURDAY 2nd January. HOLLAND PARK to HORSEGUARDS. →

A goodly number of Polyramblers met at Kew Gardens station, including new member Maria and her labrador guide dog Bella who was wagging her tail and cosying up to the walkers. We were ready for a soothing stroll along the Thames Path but fearing forecast strong winds and rain. There was too much traffic to let Bella off the lead, even while some of the group peeped into St. Anne’s Church at Kew Green, but when we got to the towpath Bella was keen to explore. I described to Maria that on our left there was a narrow road leading to Kew Gardens car park and on the right was the river. Maria said later she imagined the river bank would be the same as at Putney, gently leading down to the water. Before I could explain that there was a 10ft vertical wall covered in bright green moss, Bella was off the lead and skiing down the wall to the narrow strip of shingle beach, splashing delightedly in the shallows until she realised that there was no obvious way back up.  Continue reading Saturday 5th December Kew. A Cautionary Tail! →