It was a good turn out for the revised walk. Fourteen Polyramblers met outside Staines railway  station and walked to the Staines Obelisk No.87 Coal Tax post,  marking the mid 18th century  boundary of the City of London. 

After half an hour along the Thames Path, the group arrived at the wildlife filled Penton Hook Lock & Island. We walked over the weir to the island. The area is now managed by the Environment Agency to protect wildlife. Fish can travel upstream to spawn via a special channel which bypasses the weir. The Salmon Ladder opened in 1995 linking Teddington to the upstream reaches of the Thames. There were lots of different birds singing when we passed through the island. 

After a short stop for water and snacks, we continued along the towpath for another two miles. We saw a large number of swans, water birds and ducks in the river. We briefly stopped near Laleham Park to learn about the wildlife and birds in the area. Soon we passed the Chertsey Lock and Chertsey Bridge (which has a high water mark showing the level of flooding in 1947). Then we entered Dumpsey Mead, an improved grassland Site of Special Scientific Interest, for a short break. There were some interesting houseboats in the private Ryepeck Meadow Moorings area. According to Bradts Travel Guide both Dylan Thomas and Viv Stanshall once lived on houseboats at Chertsey. 

We reached the third lock of this walk, the Shepperton Lock. Some had a lovely lunch in the Ferry Cafe and some had a picnic nearby. I am glad that no one dropped out at Shepperton and everyone took the  oldest Thames river ferry crossing to the Weybridge side. 

We then followed the Church Walk to the oldest Wey Navigation System (now managed by National Trust). After a short walk along a beautiful stretch of the river Wey, the group finally entered the southern edge of Chertsey Mead. We walked through the fresh and open fields. It was fantastic that the whole group completed the longer revised route, a total of nine miles. Overall, this route included four river locks, two meadows, a bridge and a weir plus the oldest river ferry crossing and the oldest canal navigation system. Not bad for one day out! 

Ida

Photos from Ida, Lan, Nita and others.

 

This walk which I measured as 12 miles,(but felt more like 13 miles!), repeats most of the ramble performed by Polyramblers back in July 1985, some 39 years earlier, less 1 day. But instead of starting from Otford, as we did in 1985, I shortened it slightly to start from Borough Green station ending at Cuxton, near the Medway Bridges.  I now say Bridges as, since 2003 a second bridge has been built beside the M2 bridge,  which carries the HS1 railway towards Ashford.  

Six Polyramblers gathered off the train at Borough Green & Wrotham station. Unusually a smaller group than in 1985.  After road walking into Wrotham village, we picked up the NDW in the far corner of a playing field. This suddenly led us to the A20 where we immediately crossed over the M20 to a roundabout. We proceeded along a lane then a path. So far, this had been a gradual climb, and by now views on our right were opening up across the High Weald. After another mile we climbed through Hognore Wood on the slope of the Downs, until this National Trail led us up to Trosley Country Park on the hills above Trottiscliffe(Pam advised pronounced Troesley) village.  A forest path ensued, taking us north-eastwards with the odd amusement siding, one of which was a hidden orchestra pit containing several  outdoor percussion instruments for the joy of children and a few Polys in my party!!  Soon we reached Vigo Village and the green outside ‘The Villager’ PH, where we sat on benches to eat our picnics.  Weather was cool and blowy, so some of us went inside to buy a hot drink which we drank on their patio.  Virtually no customers, the publican assured me that due to the pending Euros England soccer match, they were currently at home with their families and would come here  to watch it this afternoon. 

As we set off from the pub we continued through Great Wood, still affording views to the South, until a right turn sent us steeply down the escarpment to the lower Pilgrims Way,  where we came across a group of Surrey ramblers from West Horsley undertaking that route from Winchester to Canterbury in stages.  We then had to reclimb the escarpment into Whitehorse Wood to reach White Horse Road at Holly Hill Lodge.  Meanwhile, a noisy group of cyclists negotiated the road junction before we proceeded.  Views opened up across the Medway Valley.  After half a mile of lane, we proceeded into Great Park Wood, our route now swinging northwards,  then across some fields and into Horseholders Wood,  famed for what happened there when Polys did the ramble in 1985!  At a place in the centre of this wood I found a spot to stop the party and do a speech to explain that  whilst  rambling through this wood in 1985, the Wimbledon Single Men’s final, followed on the radio,  had suddenly reached its Championship Point,  causing a cry from that party of “Becker’s Done It“.  Since then, Boris Becker became (in)famous.  As you can see, I’ve given this ramble a pseudo-latin name of “bekkusdunnet” as a reminder of 1985!

Anyhow, back to 2024. From Horseholders Wood, we proceeded through Pastead Wood, Wingate Wood, across an open valley into North Wood,  thence northwards through the pretty hamlet of Upper Bush, until we reached the road taking us into Cuxton and its station, situated on the Medway Valley line.  We were in good time for 17.45 train to Strood, as I anticipated we might not finish before 18.30.  With some train jiggery pokery including 2 changes, within 25 minutes I got us onto a fast train from Rochester to Victoria where we arrived before 18.50. 

The party enjoyed the views during the day and this is a lovely walk with long wooded stretches.

Geoffrey Waters

Photos by Geoffrey, Chris and Pam

A select group of six of us enjoyed a beautiful walk along the
Thames shaded by the trees, with excellent lighting and the coolness
afforded by the green covering. Almost all the path was tarmac, making for dry and easy walking disturbed only by the odd bikes and runners.

Rob H

Eighteen walkers braved the winds and set off from West Ruislip station into beautiful open space following the Hillingdon Trail (HT) and along the river Pinn. On reaching Old Clack farm, we noticed an original dovecote from the gate. By now the weather too improved.
After negotiating the first stile we continued through a field and then a narrow path behind residential housing and a school. The end of this path lead to crossing a road and then following a tree lined path into an open grassy space and woodland track to take us towards Ruislip Lido and the Riverside Café for an early lunch stop. Picnic lunches were enjoyed on the beach, while some walkers chose to sit in the Café, which offered a good selection of snacks, meals, drinks, and cakes.

Following lunch and a beach group photo, we proceeded round the lake admiring the various wild fowl enjoying their swim in the sunshine. Picking up the HT again we set off past the golf course and woodland. The miniature railway track which goes through the lido could be seen. Perhaps a ride on the railway could have been included within this walk?

On leaving the path, we find ourselves on an uphill climb, with no reward of sprawling country views. However, we go through a meadow and reach a sports field. Following a track leading into a residential area, we find ourselves on the footpath, leading to Northwood Hills Station, signalling the end of a short but very scenic walk.

Carol D’Souza. Photos by Hilary, Rajesh and Gillian

The sun was shining brightly when ten members and one guest met at Chingford Station on Sunday 16th June for a six mile walk through a lesser known section of Epping Forest. The original route north of the station was changed as it replicated much of a recent walk in the same area. We headed south skirting a golf course and passing a 16th century hunting lodge before joining the Centenary Walk. It commemorates the 1878 Act which saved the ancient forest of Waltham from development. The way was fairly easy to follow despite poor waymarking. The terrain was mainly dry and the few muddy patches were generally easy to bypass. After a few miles we entered the Highams Park which was formerly the grounds of a manor house. Here we stopped for lunch at Humphrey’s Cafe and admired the lake which was formed by damming the river Ching. We continued on through the forest avoiding busy roads via footbridges and underpasses before reaching our destination Leytonstone. Here most of us quenched our thirst with a well-earned drink in a Wetherspoons.

Danny
Photos courtesy of Jackie Copeland