The Saturday walk had attracted 24 walkers so I was pleased to have a turnout of 13.I was impressed to learn that 10 of them had been on the Saturday walk too – hats off to them. It was good to have Sandra with us for the 1st time in a few weeks. From Boxhill and Westhumble Station we made our way uphill to the west, passing through Dobies Vineyard to join the Pilgrims Way. The wooded section was alive with birdsong and the open stretch gave us sunny views across the valley towards  Leith Hill. Turning downhill and crossing the railway we passed along Milton Street, lined with some very attractive 17th century and older houses. Entering woods we climbed up to a ridge with a gazebo, where we sat and appreciated views both to the north  and Box Hill and to the south towards the South Downs.

Continue reading MAY 2nd Bank Holiday Monday, Box Hill and Westhumble to Dorking, plus Dorking loop →

Even storm Eunice could not stop the Polyramblers. The day after the storm, 13 Polyramblers joined me ,Dominique, (a little late due to delayed trains) at Tilbury Town. We headed for the docks and the ferry terminal along a boring road to arrive at the cruise terminal. In 1948, it was at Tilbury Docks that the first post-war Caribbean migrants arrived on the ship ‘Empire Windrush’ from Kingston, Jamaica. We stopped to read the information about the history of the docks. We followed the sea wall, passed the Worlds End Pub and reached Tilbury Fort that Chris was afraid we had missed. Henry VIII built the first fort here and Queen Elizabeth famously rallied her army nearby to face the threat of the Armada. The building we saw is a star-sharped bastion fort built in the late 17th century. Leaving the view of Gravesend on the other side of the Thames, the walk continued at the foot of the sea wall that protected the former Tilbury Power Station site and other industrial buildings.

Continue reading Saturday 19 February 2022 – Thames Valley Estuary Path Part 1: Tilbury Town to East Tilbury →

By the time I arrived in Chesham, 24 Poly Ramblers had assembled for a walk, which was a good turnout for a winter walk. Some, like me, had arrived on a combination of the Chilterns Railways and Met Line and others had driven directly to Chesham the start point for our walk. We had three new members and a number of members we hadn’t seen for a long time so it was really nice to welcome them to the fold. It took us a while to set off because I had to confirm numbers of people who were going to be eating at the pub and then phone through their orders to the pub who wanted to have some notice to be prepared for us. I wasn’t expecting to have to do this, so this created a bit of stress for me. But after the briefing, we were ready to get going. It was a very bright sunny day perfect for walking!

Continue reading 12 February, Chesham Circular →