# London based walking, rambling and hiking

> The friendly walking club


## Posts

- [Sunday 22nd November, 2016. Luton Airport Parkway circular.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-22nd-november-2016-luton-airport-parkway-circular/): Having made my own way to this station I sat in the waiting room of platform 2. The 10:49 from London arrived. I looked out for a group of polyramblers amongst large swathes of people alighting with their bulky luggage. After a minute or so it became clear there were none!  Strange, I thought.  I took out my club programme from my rucksack only to find they would be due on the 10:54!!!  And indeed they were!  All 9 of us proceeded out of the station past the shuttle buses and  huddles of people with more bulky luggage, down the [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 14th November. Paddock Wood circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-november-14-paddock-wood-circular/): Despite ever worsening weather forecasts, 9 Polys and a guest from the blind ramblers set off optimistically from Paddock Wood. As we walked through the busy town and up onto the weald, we congratulated ourselves on being out; the rain was light, there as no wind and it was not cold. We wended our way through Kent orchards and the pretty village of Matfield, arriving at the Halfway House at Brenchley for lunch where we enjoyed a variety of food and real ales, all served from barrels behind the bar. It&#8217;s a very old pub with lots of character, including [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 7th November. Coulsdon circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-7th-november-coulsdon-circular/): Report by Geoffrey. On approaching the concourse of London Bridge station, we were greeted by the 2nd dilemma of the day &#8211; our 0945 train to Coulsdon South showed as CANCELLED. The 1st dilemma was that the BBC weather forecast was right, ie dull with blustery showers and we assumed this kept many polyramblers tucked up at home in their warm beds! Our leader Ken decided we should board the 0950 train to Coulsdon Town to minimise delays. Five of us intrepidly set off on this train alighting at Coulsdon Town station (pka Smitham) to be confronted by a confusing system [&hellip;]
- [Holmwood to Dorking via Friday Street](https://polyramblers.org.uk/holmwood-to-dorking-via-friday-street/): Despite an early start, a very respectable 14 of us assembled at Holmwood Station. We were rewarded when,  just before our arrival, the sun came out, lighting up the wonderful autumn colours. We made our way uphill to Coldharbour, enjoying views to the south. There we were greeted by the new landlady of the Plough Inn, who in the spirit of free enterprise was offering discounts to diners. I don&#8217;t recall having been there as a club &#8211; one for the future perhaps. Onward and upward past the cricket ground and to Leith Hill Tower and a cup of tea [&hellip;]
- [BUXTED (CIRCULAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-24-october-buxted-circular/): Eleven polyramblers set off from Buxted, in dry weather though with rain forecast. We made our way out of the village and then through fields and woods towards Poundgate, with the occasional stretch of lane, and pretty views. It was a good time of year to be doing the walk as the trees were turning and the colours were lovely. Towards the end of the morning we had to cross a golf course, which we negotiated successfully, helped by the fact that there were surprisingly few golfers about. Shortly after we arrived at the Crow and Gate pub, our lunchtime [&hellip;]
- [Geoffrey's big birthday celebration and walk from Flitwick](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-11th-october-geoffreys-big-birthday-party-social-at-flitwick-with-short-ramble/): Geoffrey reaches 60, having completed over 37 years of club membership! It was over 10 years ago when I moved to Flitwick. That year, being in a rural location as I am, I thought it fitting to hold a 50th birthday ramble with party to follow, included as an event in the club programme. This worked well so I decided to do same for this year, having reached 60. This time I added on a morning coffee and chat pre-ramble. Although the programme stated “train arrives at 11.11 where Geoffrey will meet the party”, it was only about 10.40 when [&hellip;]
- [WOKING TO BROOKWOOD AND TOUR OF BROOKWOOD CEMETERY (Surrey) (LINEAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-17-october-saturn-trail-brookwood-cemetery-surrey-linear/): After leaving Woking station and town centre, 16 Polyramblers were soon walking along the quiet (apart from the interruption of cyclists) Basingstoke Canal.  The canal is bordered by trees and the autumn leaves were covering the water.  We reached St John’s lock and, soon after, we crossed to the other side of the canal that meandered alongside woodland.  We had lunch at the Nag’s Head pub and then made our way to Brookwood Station where we met our guide ‘on the other side’  of the railway.  We did a tour of the cemetery led by a member of the Brookwood [&hellip;]
- [Autumn weekend in Northumbria](https://polyramblers.org.uk/2nd-5th-october-autumn-weekend-in-northumbria/): This year&#8217;s Autumn Weekend to Northumberland proved very popular with thirty-four members in attendance. We arrived in Berwick-upon-Tweed in glorious sunshine and had a walk round the very impressive Elizabethan fortifications. The weather was mainly overcast for the rest of the trip but it remained calm and dry until just before we headed home on the Monday.
- [Saturday 27 September: Kemsing Circular Walk](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-27-september-kemsing-circular-walk/): Eight Polyramblers aligned at Kemsing station to be met by Kim and Siew Kee who were leading the walk.  It was a beautiful sunny day, ideal for walking.  After a short walk on a country lane, we were soon in fields full of sheep.  Walkers and sheep wanted to go across the same bridge over the motorway so there was a bit of a bottleneck but the sheep went one way and we went the other, walking along newly ploughed fields,
- [Programme of Events: October 2015 to January 2016](https://polyramblers.org.uk/programme-of-events-october-2015-to-january-2016/): Click here to see a pdf of the autumn/winter programme: PR walks prog Oct 2015 &#8211; Jan 2016
- [Saturday 19 September: Sole Street Circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-19-september-sole-street-circular/): Meeting at Victoria Station – our  9.07 train was platformed early so 5 of us boarded early.  On reaching Sole Street station more of us gathered together on that platform. Kim  &amp; Siew Kee met us, having arrived by car.  On leaving the station a large apple tree was pointed out to me hanging over the road bridge. We proceeded northwards through the village, and after some fields and a lane we reached Owletts – a National Trust manor and formerly the  family home of renowned architect Sir Herbert Baker. 
- [Sunday 13 September: Linear walk from Loughton to Epping (Essex)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-13-september-linear-walk-from-loughton-to-epping-essex/): Engineering works on the Southend line meant a very late change to Saturday&#8217;s planned walk. Eighteen members and guests got the message and assembled at Loughton for a substitute ramble through Epping Forest. Fortunately there were no calls from distressed walkers wondering why the leader wasn&#8217;t at Rochford!
- [Saturday 5 September 2015 - Loop 13: Enfield Lock to Chigwell](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-5-september-2015-loop-13-enfield-lock-to-chigwell/): 10 Polyramblers were not put off by the rain to do part 13 of the London Loop.  The rain soon stopped to be replaced by a cloudy day which cleared up in the afternoon.  After reaching Enfield Lock and following the River Lea for a short while, we climbed into the Sewardstone Hills from where we could see the King George V reservoir which supplies London&#8217;s water.  We were accompanied by music as we walked into Gilwell Park,  as there was a jamboree in the home of scouting in the UK.  
- [Weekend in Bangor (North Wales) - 28 August to 1 September 2015](https://polyramblers.org.uk/weekend-in-bangor-north-wales-28-august-to-1-september-2015/): Thirty six PolyRamblers spent the bank holiday weekend in North Wales staying in self catering student accommodation at the University of Bangor.  On arrival we took a walk down to the beautifully restored Victorian Pier with views across the Menai Strait to Anglesey.  That evening we had a very good dinner at Brasserie 1884 in the University complex.  The main challenge of the weekend was to  climb Snowdon via the Miners Track and Rhyd Ddu path. 
- [Saturday 22nd August. Balcombe circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-22nd-august-balcombe-circular/): Despite perfect weather, the day didn&#8217;t start auspiciously. Pam &amp; Tim arrived at London Bridge in good time but without tickets, only to find the concourse filled with a snaking queue of hopeful travellers all trying to get tickets from the 2 functioning machines. The Ticket Office being likewise besieged, they managed to get through the Barrier hoping to throw themselves on the compassion of the person at the Excess Fares booth but that was similarly overwhelmed by confused families all trying, &amp; presumably failing, to make sense of the Railway ticketing system. Pam made it onto the train but Tim, not having a Freedom [&hellip;]
- [Shawford (Hants) circular 15th August](https://polyramblers.org.uk/shawford-hants-circular-15th-august/): Ten walkers made the longish journey from Waterloo to Shawford in Hampshire on Saturday morning to meet up with leader Roy who lives in the area.  Soon we were up on Shawford down and crossing the M3 to Compton Down.  It was not an arduous walk, undulating rather than hilly, and Roy treated us gently, with frequent pauses for information about the history of the area. He had certainly done his research – we learnt about the mizmaze (turf maze) on St Catherine’s Hill, the WW1 troop camps surrounding Winchester and the history of Richard Cromwell (son of Oliver) in [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 8th August Icknield Way Stage 2 Dunstable to Streatley](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-8th-august-icknield-way-stage-2-dunstable-to-streatley/): Stuart and I met 13 walkers at Luton station on a warm, sunny Saturday morning for stage 2 of the Icknield Way.  A 15 minute trip on the guided busway took us back to Dunstable where we finished in May.  A long green lane took us to steep steps to cross the A5 and we continued north, stopping briefly to try some delicious cultivated blackberries growing just above a sewage works.  Later we had to negotiate the diggers starting work on the A5/M1 link road.  Soon
- [Saturday August 29th Twickenham to Richmond](https://polyramblers.org.uk/additional-walk-saturday-august-29th/): Five walkers turned up for the short walk on Sat. Solvig, Nigel, Roberta, myself and Louise – a friend of mine. The weather was wonderful. We took the walk  gently and went first on to Eel pie Island, then to York House, Orleans house and Marble Hill House for lunch. We didn’t go in the houses – just lovely to walk around the gardens and watch the boats going by on the river. The gardens at York House  were originally designed  by a famous Indian industrialist  Sir Ratan Tata who lived there long ago. After lunch, we went on the [&hellip;]
- [Saturday August 1st. Bosham to Chichester](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-august-1st-bosham-to-chichester/): My 10 mile walk around Chichester Harbour needs to be done on a good day when the water sparkles and the boats bob. On a bad day we would be walking into the teeth of a gale. The weather did not disappoint, unlike Southern Railways which managed to make us miss our connection to Bosham. Facing a 1 hour delay, we headed for the bus. The locals were a little bemused to find 18 Polyramblers crammed onto their small vehicle.
- [Sunday 26 July: Shorter Walk - Little Venice, Regent's Park & Primrose Hill (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-26-july-shorter-walk-little-venice-regents-park-primrose-hill-circular/): In pouring rain, ten heroic ramblers set off from Little Venice along the canal towards Regents Park. Enroute we encountered a band of trainee cyclists who wobbled their way past us as we stood well clear. Turning into the park, we walked beside the lake to a cafe where we had a well-deserved stop for coffee and cake. By this time the rain had eased and we continued through the park past a pair of black swans in the Rose Garden and with glimpses of llamas and penguins in the zoo. We stopped for an excellent lunch in the Pembroke [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 25 July: Longer walk: Wendover (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-25-july-longer-walk-wendover-circular/): Eighteen polyramblers joined us for this walk; sixteen of travelled by train and Gillian and Stuart joined us at Wendover. After Peter had confirmed the pub reservation we made our way toward the Boer War Monument on top of Coombe Hill. After the rain on Friday we were grateful for a clear sunny day and were able to enjoy the wonderful views &#8211; Ellensborough church, Ivinghoe Beacon, Chequers (David Cameron’s country retreat).
- [Walking trip to Grazalema, Andalucia](https://polyramblers.org.uk/walking-trip-to-grazalema-andalucia/): A group of 19 of us went to Grazalema in Andalucia, in early June. The journey there had gone OK but it was with great relief that we stepped down from the coach in the main square of this attractive mountain village. We checked into our hotel, La Casa de las Piedras, and took a turn round the village, enjoying the extensive views .  The weather was pleasantly warm and we had a leisurely group meal at the Restaurant Simancon sitting outside at a long table. There were geckos on the walls and birds swooping to catch insects. London seemed a long [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 11 July: Hever to Cowden (West Kent)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-11-july-hever-to-cowden-west-kent/): We started from Hever railway station and as the leader I promptly led the group of 15 walkers straight past the footpath sign! Not a good start, but after quickly retracing our steps we were on course to Christmas Mill and then onto Dry Hill and some views of the North Downs.   Another readjustment had to be made after Siew Kee pointed out we needed to track across a meadow rather than
- [Saturday 18 July: Harlow Town to Broxbourne (Herts)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-18-july-harlow-town-to-broxbourn-herts/): It was a walk of contrasts; we began walking along a two hundred year old canal and finished close to a 21st century eco power station at Hoddesdon. In between we walked along three rivers: the Stort, the Lea, and the New River, taking in pleasant meadows, and the odd nature reserve at Hunsdon. The New Inn at Roydon was our pub
- [Saturday 4 July: The Hicca Way - Arlesey to Hitchin](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-4-july-the-hicca-way-arlesey-to-hitchin/): The Hicca Way starts right next to Arlesey station and we followed the lovely river Hiz through nature reserves and meadows full of butterflies.  We crossed Arlesey Common via a footbridge over the river.  The path cut across arable fields of wheat and barley and Ickleford and Whitsun Commons before arriving in the village of Ickleford via the Icknield Way.  We had lunch in two different pubs or a picnic in the churchyard.  
- [Saturday 27 June: London Loop 12 - Cockfosters to Enfield Lock (zone 6) Linear](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-27-june-london-loop-12-cockfosters-to-enfield-lock-zone-6-linear/): 12 Polyramblers joined Anna and Martin on this beautiful sunny and hot day.  We left Cockfosters station and entered Trent Country Park, once the home of the Sassoon family.  We then walked along the farmland of Enfield Chase and Hilly Fields Park.  This area was once Enfield Chase, a 12th century royal hunting forest.  Enfield&#8217;s woodland was described in the Domesday Book as providing food for four thousand swine! This was a measure of the woodland&#8217;s great size.  From the hill, we could see the Shard and other skyscrapers in the distance.  We stopped for a break at a small [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 21 June: Walk with London Blind Ramblers - Otford to Shoreham (Kent)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-21-june-walk-with-london-blind-ramblers-otford-to-shoreham-kent-2/): Despite an unpromising start and even a few drops of rain, the walk turned out to be very enjoyable and refreshing.  Making our way along the Darent Valley with our blind rambling friends, starting at Otford, along footpaths where our guide dog, Paris, could sniff around, run to and fro excitedly and roll on the grass in ecstasy , via Shoreham where the Darent is not much more than a stream but ideal for a dog to make a splash, then on through fields of wheat and barley, past rows of hops and early blooming lavender to the Lullingstone Country [&hellip;]
- [17 June: A Walk in Bankside](https://polyramblers.org.uk/17-june-a-walk-in-bankside/): After meeting outside a very noisy Borough tube station on a warm evening, 15 Polyramblers soon found themselves in the quiet street of Southwark.  We went around parks, garden squares, churchyards, community gardens and other green spaces, most of them maintained by Bankside Open Space Trust (BOST), and which are oases of calm in a busy London.  We started with the cottage-style front garden of Drapers&#8217; Almshouses, then followed a mangy fox to All Hallows Church Garden where we were welcomed by a tortoiseshell cat.  After crossing Mins Street Park, we went to my favourite garden: Red Cross Garden.  
- [Sunday 14 June - Circular walk in Runnymede](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-14-june-circular-walk-in-runnymede/): My first club ramble I ever attended was from Egham station almost exactly 37 years ago! It was led by the late Peter Gould, and I remember Rosie and Rosemary attending!   Since then the station has been completely rebuilt with a housing estate nearby. This time the ramble date is Sunday 14 June 2015 and we are celebrating 800 years of Magna Carta, and my route took us into Royal Holloway College where we spent an hour at their Great Charter Festival open day.
- [Saturday 6th June Berkhamsted to Tring Station.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-6th-june-berkhamsted-to-tring-station/): A small but select group joined me at Euston. After an unusually quiet, for Polyramblers, journey to Berkhamsted we were joined by another three walkers and made our way to the canal. I suggested a visit to Waitrose but no one was interested. Instead we stopped to watch two cygnets struggling to get out of the canal onto the bank. Their parents were too busy preening themselves to take any notice but the persistent cygnets made it in the end.
- [Saturday 30 May: Circular walk in Hatfield Forest](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-30-may-circular-walk-in-hatfield-forest/): After a nice bus journey from Bishop’s Storford to Hatfield Broad Oak, 13 Polyramblers joined Sue and Geoffrey who had driven to the start of the walk.  In the sunshine, we walked through meadows and arable fields along the Three Forests Way following the Pincey Brook. Just before joining the Flitch Way, the line of the old Bishop’s Stortford to Braintree railway, we saw Gillian and Stuart who had come to meet us for lunch. We walked to The Green Man public
- [Saturday 23rd May. Great Chesterford to Newport](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-23rd-may-great-chesterford-to-newport/): Report by Heather. “Lonely Trainers on the platform wonders if he’s got it wrong But hark – the trains – from which alight the happy Polyrambling throng…” With apologies to Betjeman, I like to think he would have approved of the walk on Saturday.  With all three Mikes, and more men than women – could this be a Polyramble first of modern times?  Starting
- [Programme of Events. June to October 2015](https://polyramblers.org.uk/programme-of-events-june-to-october-2015/): Click here to see pdf of current programme with additional August Bank Holiday walk.  
- [Saturday 16th May: Icknield Way Stage One: Ivinghoe Beacon (Tring) to Dunstable](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-16th-may-icknield-way-stage-one-ivinghoe-beacon-tring-to-dunstable/): Saturday was a beautiful sunny morning with a light breeze, perfect for walking the first stage of the Icknield Way. Things got off to an inauspicous start as the leaders were a few minutes late meeting the group at Tring and Dominique had missed the train at Euston (long ticket queue).  So Stuart set off with a group of 12 to begin the 3 mile uphill trek towards Ivinghoe Beacon while Irene and I waited for the next train.  After the first half mile I gave Dominique the map and let
- [Sunday 10th May. Horsley Jubilee Trail](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-10th-may-horsley-jubilee-trail/): A late decision to join this walk was rewarded with a delightful Spring afternoon in the lush green-belt area of Horsley and nearby Effingham.   Horsley is an easy train ride from Waterloo or Clapham Junction yet is as different from its city neighbour as Winter from Spring with its quiet countryside and distinctive flint and stone (some say eccentric) architecture designed by landowner Lord Lovelace in the 1800s.
- [Saturday 2nd May. Marlow and Hurley](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-2nd-may-marlow-and-hurley/): Twenty three Polyramblers were out on a dry, pleasant day to enjoy two places, Marlow and Hurley It was disappointing that the main party was delayed by one hour due to problems on the railway. However, this did not stop us from doing the full walk as planned. After a steep climb to the town’s edge we reached a street with apple and cherry trees full of blossom. Our path took us past flint
- [Saturday 25th April: Loop Stage 11 - Elstree to Cockfosters](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-25th-april-loop-stage-11-elstree-to-cockfosters-linear/): Saturday 25 April: Loop Stage 11 – Elstree to Cockfosters Seventeen Polyramblers were out on this very pleasant sunny day to walk another section of the loop (there were 15 to start with and we gained 2 at lunchtime and then lost 4 after lunch). Martin handed out chocolate bars on the train to bribe us because the walk before lunch was 7 mile long. There were a few hills in the morning and a lengthy walk up and down the A1 to cross it via an underpass. We stopped to eat our chocolate after this ordeal at Moat Mount [&hellip;]
- [Wednesday 22nd April: Evening walk–Discover the new King's Cross (circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wednesday-22nd-evening-walk-discover-the-new-kings-cross-circular/): Kings Cross Walk – 22 April 2015 Eleven Polyramblers braved the icy wind to discover the amazing changes in Kings Cross. They patiently listened to me reading my notes while I told them about the history of the Kings Cross area and the station itself designed by Lewis Cubitt and opened in 1852. King&#8217;s Cross is the site of Boudicca’s final battle and she is said to be buried under one of the platforms. The ugly 1972 extension has been removed and been replaced by an open-air plaza. We admired the new semi-circular departures concourse, opened to the public on [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 18th April, Putney to Richmond](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-18th-april-putney-to-richmond/): Despite signalling problems on the District Line, 15 of us managed to get to East Putney. Special mention  to  Rita and Mike Trainers of whom we haven’t seen a great deal recently.  The weather was dry and bright, but decidedly chilly as we made our way up to Putney Heath and then to Wimbledon Common and its distinctive windmill. Richmond  Park was in good shape and our route took us through
- [Circular walk, Etchingham East Sussex](https://polyramblers.org.uk/circular-walk-etchingham-east-sussex/): Arriving at Etchingham station in steady rain, 19 Polyramblers looked anxiously at the sky for signs of the forecast better weather to come. Taking no chances, we donned rain wear and set off along the valley.  There were great banks of primroses to be seen and a few early bluebells. By the time we had gained some height, the rain had stopped, the sun was on its way, and the views were very fine. We walked through a field of sheep and lambs, one of which was
- [Danny's Easter Sunday walk, Newport Essex.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/dannys-easter-sunday-walk-newport-essex/): An impressive 20 members got off the train at the small village of Newport, Essex. It isn&#8217;t on the coast or a river, but in Saxon times, apparently port meant market place. We made our way east across pleasant rolling farm and woodland, reaching the attractive 13th century church of St Mary&#8217;s, Debden. Our circular route took us back to Newport where an extended lunch was taken in The Coach and Horses. We were made extremely welcome, with our own room,
- [YHA Weekend in Cheddar 20-22 March 2015](https://polyramblers.org.uk/yha-weekend-in-cheddar-20-22-march-2015/): We were in sunny Somerset four our annual Youth Hostel weekend. 20 Polyramblers arrived in Cheddar yesterday after a pleasant journey by train and bus. Nice and comfortable hostel. We had tea and cake and our food supplies were delivered by Tesco (ordered on-line by Danny. We did a walk around Cheddar and had a nice meal at the Riverside Inn. In the morning, we had cooked breakfast
- [Sunday 8th March. Marlow to Cookham.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-8th-march-marlow-to-cookham/): An impressive 24 were out, surely a sign that spring has sprung. Especially good to have Ingrid and Tony along, of whom who we have seen all too little recently. We had a pleasant stroll along the towpath downstream from Marlow as far a Bourne End where we crossed over the railway bridge, for lunch at the Bounty. How refreshing to see a sign welcoming dogs, children and muddy boots. We took the towpath upstream before turning  up and over a low ridge and down to Cookham. En route we called into the church at Cookham Dean with its painting [&hellip;]
- [PROGRAMME OF EVENTS - FEBRUARY to MAY 2015](https://polyramblers.org.uk/upcoming-walks/): PDF of upcoming walks Click here to see the upcoming walks in PDF &nbsp;
- [SATURDAY 8 JULY: LEWES (CIRCULAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-8th-july-lewes-circular/): This was pretty much the perfect walk, nearly 15 miles &amp; neatly divided into 3 parts. We left Lewes via a lovely walled garden where children rehearsed for what appeared to be a mediaeval pageant or perhaps, being Lewes something more alternative, &amp; an unusually easy-going cat allowed itself to be played with by a small child &amp; then seemed to join its family on a blanket for a picnic. We then flew &#8211; well, something like that &#8211; up the first mighty incline onto the South Downs Way &amp; our first glimpse of the sea. The path curved around
- [Wednesday 5 July: Evening walk in Regent's Park](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wednesday-5-july-2017-evening-walk-in-regents-park/): The Regent&#8217;s Park, one of the 8 Royal Parks, was designed by John Nash and cover 395 acres but we  stayed mainly around Queen Mary&#8217;s Gardens as well as the Avenue gardens.  It was a hot evening and the gardens were busy with people relaxing on the grass or having picnics.  Only 9 Polyramblers on the walk; perhaps people were scared of the heat but it was cooler in the gardens. We entered
- [Saturday 1st July. Amberley circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-1st-july-amberley-circular/): A total of 15 Polys met at Amberley station for a walk in perfect weather. A much larger walking group left the train at the same time, so we sped off just in case they were heading in the same direction. We had a short walk along the river Arun, then through Amberley village with its castle, thatched houses and delightful cottage gardens, then across country to Parham Park where the picnickers had their lunch. The pub lunchers enjoyed sandwiches in the garden of the nearby Crown Inn, in the company of goats, rabbits and guinea pigs. We were pleased [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 24th/25th: ICKNIELD WAY STAGE SIX: GT. CHESTERFORD to DULLINGHAM (LINEAR) W/E](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-24th25th-icknield-way-stage-six-gt-chesterford-to-dullingham-linear-we/): Thirteen stalwarts continued our walk along the Icknield Way long distance path at the weekend, carrying our overnight essentials on our backs.  Luckily the weather forecast was clement so we took the risk of dispensing with serious waterproofs and fleeces and travelled light (well, some of us travelled lighter than others). Things were going smoothly when the train pulled in at Great Chesterford
- [Spring Bank Holiday in Cogne and the Aosta Valley](https://polyramblers.org.uk/spring-bank-holiday-in-cogne-and-the-aosta-valley/): Thursday 25th May.  Mike writes.  Our early afternoon flight landed in Turin at 4.30 pm for a 2 hour coach transfer to Cogne. This took us on motorway up  the Aosta valley, a principal  route between Italy and Northern Europe via the Mont Blanc tunnel. Turning off just beyond Aosta, the last stretch was on a sinuous local road  in the Cogne valley,  high above the rushing Grand Eyvia river with some extremely scary unprotected drops. Those brave enough to have their eyes open caught a glimpse of the famous Roman bridge at Pondel, way below.
- [Walks programme - June to September 2017](https://polyramblers.org.uk/walks-programme-june-to-september-2017/): Click on the link below to download the latest walks programme. PRC walks programme June-Sept 2017 web version
- [Saturday 17 June 2017: Marlow / Maidenhead / Cookham](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-17-june-2017-marlow-maidenhead-cookham/): Nine of us met at Marlow Station on a bright, hot, sunny day. We walked past Marlow Football and Rugby clubs and eventually joined the river path and made our way to Bourne End. This part of the walk was at a gentle pace so we had plenty of time to watch the damsel and dragon files, watch the swans and geese.
- [Saturday 10th. Berwick to Eastbourne Linear.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-10th-berwick-to-eastbourne-linear/): It was an early start for 9 dedicated Polyramblers for the long journey to  East Sussex but the hot sunshine and the beautiful views of the Downs made up for it.  We started the walk by going half way round Arlington reservoir and then through undulating farmland with beautiful views of the South Downs and the Long Man of Wilmington. After the rain of the past few weeks, the vegetation &#8211;
- [Saturday 3rd: Benfleet (Essex) circular via Leigh on Sea](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-3rd-benfleet-essex-circular-via-leigh-on-sea/): 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
- [Saturday 20th May. Liss to Petersfield](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-20th-may-liss-to-petersfield/): Saturday&#8217;s walk showed what a beautiful county Hampshire is. Woods with the ground completely covered in wild garlic, fields with sheep &amp; lambs with varying ear arrangements-some at the more usual horizontal angle &amp; some with vertical, sticking up ones like llamas. Lovely buttercup meadows &amp; some small valleys that hadn&#8217;t been cultivated recently &amp; were almost wild looking. The pub was
- [Saturday 13th May. Great Missenden](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-13th-may-great-missenden/): Fourteen hikers turned out for our walk around Great Missenden. We followed the South Bucks Way and Chiltern Trails. We passed some pretty villages including Little and Great Hampden, Bryant Bottom and Prestwood.  Our walk took us through fields, woodland and meadows. We saw blue bells and, primroses and red kites. We had lunch at The Hampden Arms; Peter Wee was looking forward to dining here but sadly was unable to make the walk. We were served very tasty food and the service was excellent so my thanks to Constantine and Louise Lucas and the staff.
- [Saturday 6th May, Little Hadham to St Margarets](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-6th-may-little-hadham-to-st-margarets/): 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 [&hellip;]
- [Monday 1st May Tottenham Hale to Limehouse](https://polyramblers.org.uk/monday-1st-may-tottenham-hale-to-limehouse/): 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&#8217;t really that cold.
- [SATURDAY 29th APRIL: WENDOVER to TRING (LINEAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-29th-april-wendover-to-tring-linear/): A lovely walk yesterday following the Ridgeway long distance trail from Wendover to Tring.  Another good turn out of 17 walkers on a fine, if chilly, morning. We headed through the village of Wendover and past St Mary&#8217;s Church where a Spring fayre was being set up in the graveyard. The walk took us into Wendover Woods which were full of bluebells. We walked through a large field of cattle with their
- [SATURDAY 22nd APRIL: ICKNIELD WAY: ROYSTON to GREAT CHESTERFORD](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-22nd-april-icknield-way-stage-five-royston-to-great-chesterford-linear/): Fifteen PolyRamblers and one guest turned out for stage five of the Icknield Way on Saturday. Heading east from Royston, the weather seemed more promising than forecast and we were soon shedding waterproofs and fleeces. We passed the Greenwich Meridian line and then left the busy A505 to head across country, following field edges and green lanes. Soon we left Hertfordshire for
- [SATURDAY 15TH APRIL: DENHAM CIRCULAR](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-15th-april-denham-circular/): On a sunny but chilly morning, twenty-two members assembled at Denham Station for a gentle walk in the Colne Valley. After visiting the quaint village and the grave of Sir John Mills, we headed through the adjacent Country Park and then joined the Grand Union Canal. We followed the towpath for around three miles during which we passed a group of new age campers protesting against HS2 . Some of us signed the proffered petition while others hurried by without stopping! Our lunch stop the Coy Carp awaited us at the end of the towpath and fortunately it was just [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 8 April: Source of the Thames](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-8-april-source-of-the-thames/): We had beautiful sunshine for this day out in Gloucestershire, a bit further than our average walks. 8 Polyramblers braved the longer journey to Kemble. After walking through a meadow, we found the infant Thames which we followed for a while. We crossed more meadows and reached the source of the Thames (dry) marked by a stone. We continued the walk along the abandoned Severn and Thames Canal until we reached the Coates Tunnel. We had a leisurely lunch at The Tunnel Inn but resisted the desserts. We walked through more fields before reaching the source again where we had [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 1 April 2017: Coulsdon South (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-1-april-2017-coulsdon-south-circular/): I did consider catching the though train from Flitwick to Coulsdon(the ramble&#8217;s train), but wisely decided to catch the earlier one leaving 0920. With the arrangement for the party to meet at Blackfriars to board the ramble&#8217;s train, this would give me 15 mins there between trains to buy some refreshment. Meeting at Blackfriars is a first, for my nearly 39 years in this club! However, my refreshment plan was somewhat thwarted, as, my train into London got delayed near Radlett, so on reaching Blackfriars there was only 3 mins to spare &amp; no time to go to the kiosks [&hellip;]
- [Wednesday 29 March 2017: Sculpture in the City Walk](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wednesday-29-march-2017-sculpture-in-the-city-walk/): This walk in the Square Mile was a mixture of the old and the new with contemporary sculptures among modern office buildings such as the Gherkin and the Cheesegrater and older landmarks like St Helens Bishopsgate, St Botolphs and Leadenhall Market. We met outside Liverpool Street station on a chilly evening; 20 of us. I handed out an information sheet with explanations about each sculpture &#8211; to avoid questions I would have been unable to answer &#8211;
- [Friday 24 to Sunday 26 March 2017: Portland YHA Weekend](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-24-to-sunday-26-march-2017-portland-yha-weekend/): The Polyramblers  were back in Portland after our last trip in 2004; this time, we rented the Youth Hostel for the weekend. After a nice train journey, we took a bus to Fortuneswell and took possession of the Youth Hostel. We checked the facilities and chose our beds while waiting for the Tesco delivery. After tea and cake, we did a short walk and ended up at the Cove House Inn in Chiswell where
- [Sunday 19th March: Hadley Wood to Cockfosters and exploring Trent Country Park with the London Blind Ramblers (Linear)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-19th-march-hadley-wood-to-cockfosters-and-exploring-trent-country-park-with-the-london-blind-ramblers-linear/): Given the vicissitudes of finding a walk that didn&#8217;t involve a long stretch walking alongside the A1, starting at a station that wasn&#8217;t closed by engineering work, with a lunch-stop venue that wasn&#8217;t being repurposed as a block of swanky apartments, today&#8217;s walk turned out really well! I was more worried about there not being enough walkers or helpers but there were 31 of us in all! What a splendid turnout! Thanks to everyone
- [Saturday 11th March. Annual General Meeting](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-11th-march-annual-general-meeting/): The AGM is a nice occasion to meet with friends and celebrate another year of walking.  Approximately 30 Polyramblers attended on a beautiful spring day.  In her opening remarks, the President was pleased to note that she did not have to report any death of club members since the last AGM; quite a relief to everybody.  The minutes of the last AGM, the annual report and the accounts were approved.  The annual report mentions that members had the opportunity to walk over
- [Saturday 4th March; Polesden Lacy and Ranmore Common](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-4th-march-polesden-lacy-and-raanmore-common/): The weather was looking up when we arrived at the lovely old station with its Victorian carvings of fruit and flowers and its pillars, built to impress the travellers of that time. Geoffrey was waiting with boot laces untied, having just arrived by car. A few minutes later, with a quick glance left and right, the broken chair was safely put aside and another enlisted for the job. All laces tied, off we went, most relieved to take a different direction to a large group of teenagers doing their DoE.
- [Saturday 26th February. Richmond to Hampton Court.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-26th-february-richmond-to-hampton-court/): An impressive 22 of us assembled at Richmond Station. The weather was largely dry but there was a strong and chilly wind as we crossed Richmond Green. We have taken the path on the Ham side several times in the past, but by way of a change crossed Richmond Bridge, following the Middlesex bank. We passed  Ham house across the river, then Orleans Gallery, currently under renovation and York House with its wonderful Naked Ladies statuary. These had been acquired around 1900 by the Indian industrialist Sir Ratan Tata whose name survives in what is now a multinational company.
- [18th February Tring circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/18th-february-tring-circular/): Twenty one walkers were enticed with the promise of early spring sunshine to Tring, to experience a walk of nine miles with much variety, featuring canals, reservoirs, farms and parkland. We also had time to visit the Tring Natural History Museum, filled with stuffed animals, and this was followed by  a really attractive section of the Ridgeway back to Tring station. Peter Many thanks to the kind and efficient staff at the Anglers&#8217; Retreat  at Marsworth, who looked after us so well. Mike C &nbsp; &nbsp;
- [Sunday February 11th Oakwood to Woodside Park](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-february-11th-oakwood-to-woodside-park/): It was a bitingly cold and damp morning.  Not the sort of morning to entice most people out walking but Polyramblers are made of sterner stuff and 11 people braved the elements for what was to be a superb walk.  After meeting at Oakwood station, we set out along a footpath taking us into Trent Country Park.  Our path took us into woodland with mist hanging in the trees and around the outskirts of former Middlesex University campus buildings now standing empty awaiting the approval of a planning application to refurbish the 18th century manor house, and rather surprisingly to [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 3rd February, Otford to Eynsford](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-3rd-february-otford-to-eynsham/): The weather forecast had not been encouraging and there were just nine  of us who got off the train at a misty Otford. We made our way through this attractive town, with its pond and assortment of historic buildings. Continuing through woods and farmland, we passed Filston hall before a stiff climb took us up to Meenfield Wood.
- [Saturday 28th January. Flitwick circular.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-28th-january-flitwick-circular/): I hurried to the station and was met by 7 Polyramblers  under a small shelter there. I was presented with a long parcel of cake and other unexpected goodies for tea time. Instead of leaving the station by the opening on the footbridge, we all proceeded throught the booking hall which was just as well as 2 extra polyramblers appeared on the other side. I thus rang through to the Green Man to confirm our numbers for lunch. 
- [WALKS PROGRAMME - FEBRUARY TO MAY 2017](https://polyramblers.org.uk/walks-programme-february-to-may-2017/): Click on the link below to download the latest walks programme. Prog Feb &#8211; May 2017 WEB VERSIONdocx Photo: RedSimon.  A group of double flowered snowdrops growing in the grounds of Brodsworth Hall Doncaster.  CCA 3.0 unported
- [CHORLEYWOOD TO CHALFONT ST GILES](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chorleywood-to-chalfont-st-giles/): Thirteen Poly Ramblers and Yvonne B&#8217;s dog Daisy met at Chorleywood station on Sunday morning in bright sunhine but  below freezing temperatures. We were five minutes up the road when Geoffrey phoned for directions as he had been held up parking his car. Eventually he caught up with the group and we headed across fields with the sun low in the sky.  Normally it would have been a seriously muddy walk but the ground was frozen over which made the going much easier. We passed the old site of Newlands College and Hilary remembered she was once a student there. [&hellip;]
- [13 to 16 January 2017: Snow-walking in Oberammergau (Bavaria)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/13-to-16-january-2017-snow-walking-in-oberammergau-bavaria/): Although we travelled on Friday 13 to Oberammergau, it was a very smooth journey by plane and train via Munich. After settling in our hotels we did an exploratory walk as night was falling and drank our first gluhwein/beer. Meal in the hotel and off to bed. After a nice breakfast &#8211; and discovering that the hotel has 2 cats -we set off to walk the Altherrenweg, a trail with panoramic views which follows the Ammer valley. We saw a black squirrel and a hare. We
- [Saturday 7th January: Kings Langley to Hemel Hempstead](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-7th-january-kings-langley-to-hemel-hempstead/): The club was offering two walks on the same day, so a turnout of seven for this the longer one was respectable. The cold snap of the preceding week had given way to much milder weather, though it was somewhat misty as we got off the train at Kings Langley. We had just passed under the M25 before the station so there was a real sense of being in the country, rather than in London.
- [Monday 2 January 2017: Bayford to Hertford North via Letty Green (linear walk)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/monday-2-january-2017-bayford-to-hertford-north-via-letty-green-linear-walk/): A sunny but chilly day for the first walk of the year through woodland and fields in the beautiful county of Hertfordshire. 11 Polyramblers turned up to walk off the excess of Christmas .  We walked along country roads before going through fields and woods (muddy but not too much), the outskirts of a quarry and more quiet lanes.  We reached the Cowper Arms in Cole Green, where we were lucky to find a table in a bay window.  Feeling invigorated after our
- [Tuesday 27 December 2016 (Bank Holiday) - Totteridge to Hampstead (Linear)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/tuesday-27-december-2016-bank-holiday-totteridge-to-hampstead-linear/): On a frosty but sunny morning, ten ramblers gathered at Totteridge &amp; Whetstone Station for a leisurely walk along a section of the Dollis Valley Greenwalk. It links areas of public open space alongside the Dollis Brook initially and then the Mutton Brook. Both join up to form the River Brent which flows all the way to Brentford. Refreshment opportunities are limited enroute so after a couple of miles we made a short diversion to a BP Service Station with a Wild Bean Cafe for a hot drink &#8230;&#8230; but
- [Sunday 18th December: Rochester and the Medway](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-18th-december-rochester-and-the-medway-2/): After a rather foggy train journey down, we were rewarded with the sun breaking through just  as we  crossed the Medway from Strood. The land between the railway and the river has been cleared prior to residential development and we made our way along the river wall with atmospheric views of glistening mud, decaying boats and wharves.
- [Sunday 11th December. Club Christmas Lunch at the Rutland Arms](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-11th-december-club-christmas-lunch-at-the-rutlands-arms/): This must have been the best attended walk of the year as a large crowd of Polyramblers met at Putney Bridge tube station for our pre-Christmas lunch walk.  We followed the Thames Path through Bishops&#8217; Park, leaving the river briefly to walk around Fulham football ground.  We continued to Hammersmith Bridge and the Rutland Arms, a nice Taylor Walker pub by the river.   
- [Saturday 3rd December; Brookmans Park to Wildhill (Herts) circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-3rd-december-brookmans-park-to-wildhill-herts-circular/): A cold but dry day for this winter walk from the large village of Brookmans Park.  After walking along an avenue lined with nice houses and stopping to say hello to a friendly horse, we crossed the A1000 and followed the edge of the Brookmans Park BBC Transmitting Station.  This transmitting station played a crucial part in the history of broadcasting in Great Britain, as the first purpose-built twin transmitter station in the world capable of broadcasting two radio programmes
- [Saturday 26th November. Northolt to Alperton](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-26th-november-northolt-to-alperton/): Fifteen polyrambler, a guest and Teddy the poodle joined the walk, starting at Northolt village. Our walk took us to Northolt Church that was closed, the gravestones  dating from around 1850 onwards. After a detour we eventually arrived at Northala Fields, a man-made country Style Park in London, where we were overtaken by the London strollers. We climbed the main peak (one of  four) and enjoyed great views that included Windsor Castle and BT Tower whilst we enjoyed mince pies and stollen provided by Lucy and Peter.
- [Saturday 19th November. Wadhurst to Bewl Water, circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-19th-november-wadhurst-to-bewl-water-circular/): A slightly disappointing turnout of five was met at Wadhurst by Kim &amp; Siew Kee. The weather forecast was for rain later but we were blessed with some lovely warm sunshine as we set off north along the Sussex border path. The cold weather had brought down a lot of leaves but there were plenty still on the trees to form a golden canopy as we passed along an old sunken way. There were signs of preparing for winter, with fields now empty of crops, and sheep with their winter coats on.
- [Saturday November 15th. Around Guildford](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-november-15th-around-guildford/): Eight of us  alighted at Guildford on a mild and misty morning. It was good to have Sandra with us, making her 1st appearance after breaking her ankle in September. The weather forecast was for rain pretty much all day. Undaunted, we set off south along the Wey navigation, a route we have done many times in the past, but usually in the other direction.
- [WEDNESDAY 9th NOVEMBER 7.30pm: GUILDHALL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AT THE BARBICAN:](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wednesday-9th-november-7-30pm-guildhall-symphony-orchestra-at-the-barbican/): Once again the GSO gave us an inspirational demonstration of musicality, vitality and expertise, from the haunting violin solo of Scheherezade to the stirring ensemble performance of Beethoven&#8217;s Fifth Symphony. Even though they are well known works, the Orchestra and especially the solo violinist, Amarins Wierdsma, under the baton of the Venezuelan conductor Diego Matheuz, put their hearts and souls into their playing, imbued with youthful energy and enthusiasm, leaving the audience stimulated and refreshed, to face the outside world and all it has to throw at us!
- [Newport (Essex) circular - Sunday 6th November 2016](https://polyramblers.org.uk/newport-essex-circular-sunday-6th-november-2016/): Despite the dire weather forecast there were still some stalwart and courageous Polyramblers who turned out for this walk. Contrary to what we had been led to expect, we were rewarded with blue skies and bright sunshine although the wind was keen but that just encouraged us to keep up a good pace. Green shoots were bravely peeping up in the ploughed fields and we were treated to wide open skies and spacious views of the surounding rolling farmland.
- [SATURDAY 5th NOVEMBER: SHAKESPEARE IN LONDON (LINEAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-5th-november-shakespeare-in-london-linear/):  Report by Sunita. Fifteen walkers met at Barbican station for a 5 mile walk, led by Martin and assisted by his friend John, tracing the steps of the bard, William Shakespeare. From the station we went to Barbican Centre, stopping at the site of Fortune Theatre. Here Martin showed several ways the bard’s name was spelt. We studied the Roman ruins and past the St Giles and made our way towards the garden where there a memorial to Heminge and Condell, two of Shakespeare’s fellow actors who is buried. At the Guildhall we saw the Lord Mayor’s coach.
- [Saturday 29th  October. Witley to Haslemere](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-29th-october-witley-to-haslemere/): There were 14 of us on the train to Witley.  Rochelle  introduced us to her friend Laura who&#8217;s lively poodle Teddy happily made his own introductions. The weather was dry and mild if somewhat misty. The autumn colours were truly wonderful  as we made our way along largely woodland paths. The damp conditions had produced spectacular displays of fungi, but none of our party were sufficiently brave  and/or savvy to do any foraging.
- [SAUNDERTON TO PRINCES RISBOROUGH (LINEAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-22-october-princes-risborough-to-saunderton-linear/): Nine walkers met at Saunderton station for an 8 mile walk in the Chiltern Hills, led by John and Caroline.  Although it was sunny everywhere else, the mist had descended on this part of Buckinghamshire and we were deprived of views all morning. After a couple of hours of undulating walking we reached the pub at Bledlow and unusually were almost mud free. We enjoyed a good meal although Pam and Stuart both wanted the last remaining portion of beef lasagne (Stuart conceded gracefully). Just has we were finishing, Mike turned up, having missed the train and done his own [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 15 October 2016: Brookwood Cemetery and Pirbright (Surrey)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-15-october-2016-brookwood-cemetery-and-pirbright-surrey/): Six Polyramblers arrived at Brookwood station to meet Margaret, our guide, and her husband.  Like last year, Margaret gave us a very informative tour of Brookwood Cemetery, starting with its history .  She pointed out the grave of Zaha Hadid, the well-known architect whose designs include the London Olympic Aquatic Centre.  We then walked through the non-conformist part of the cemetery with Margaret bringing to life (if I may say so) some of the people buried
- [Peak District walking weekend - near Matlock](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-7th-monday-10th-octoberpeak-district-walking-weekend-darwin-country-park-near-matlock/): Contributions from Hilary, Sandy, Gillian, Pam and Sunita Hilary writes: After many years of enjoying walking breaks with the club. I decided that my turn had come to organise a walk weekend. There was just one obstacle to my good intention a complete inability to lead a walk as I have no sense of direction! Luckily my sister came to the rescue and agreed to lead the longer walks including a walk with her walk club the Nomads. Many thanks to my sister Janet and the Nomads for all their hard work in leading the walks for so successfully. We [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 25 September: Woldingham and Chelsham (Circular Walk)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-25-september-woldingham-and-chelsham-circular-walk/): It was a lovely, sunny autumn day for this undulating walk following parts of different paths: the Woldingham Countryside Walk, the North Downs Way, the Vanguard Way and the Greenwich Meridian Trail.  There were 12 Polyramblers on the train but two forgot to get off at Woldingham station.  We started the walk going gently up through woodland before reaching the North Downs Way where we had a nice view of the countryside bisected by the M25 and the
- [Autumn Programme: 1 October 2016 to 31 January 2017](https://polyramblers.org.uk/autumn-programme-1-october-2016-to-31-january-2017/): Click here to access the Autumn Programme: prog-oct-2016-jan-2017
- [Saturday 17 September: Windsor Circular Walk](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-17-september-windsor-circular-walk/): Only three polyramblers boarded the Windsor train so I was hoping a few members would join en route or come on First Great Western. At Windsor four more members joined us,  so not a bad turn out as there was a longer walk scheduled for Sunday. We walked along the river towards Eton Wick and Dorney , where the British rowing team trains.  We went into St Mary Magdalene Church (Friends of
- [Saturday 10 September: Harlow Town to Broxbourne (Herts) - Linear](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-10-september-harlow-town-to-broxbourne-herts-linear/): The weather forecast was for heavy rain all day but this did not stop 6 Polyramblers and 3 of John&#8217;s friends from another group to come on this walk in the Stort Valley.  Children were having fun in canoes when we reached the Stort Nagivation Canal which we started to follow alongside meadows.   At Parndon Mill Lock, we started playing catch-up with a lady on a narrow boat
- [Thursday 8 September: Evening Walk - Sherlock Holmes Trail](https://polyramblers.org.uk/thursday-8-september-evening-walk-sherlock-holmes-trail/): Seventeen members gathered at Piccadilly Circus on a pleasantly warm and sunny Thursday evening. Stuart took us on a 90 minute guided tour of various West End haunts of Holmes and Watson. The area was busy with tourists, al fresco drinkers and traffic but luckily Stuart has a loud voice and was able to make himself heard above the hubbub.  
- [Saturday 3rd September, Knockholt to Orpington](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-3rd-september-knockholt-to-orpington/): Over the previous bank holiday weekend, the club had been to Skipton, returning late on Tuesday, so Sandra was not expecting a large turnout. We were pleasantly surprised to find 16 of us at Knockholt station. The weather was warm although rain was forecast for the afternoon. Our route took us in a sweep to the south and west, across attractive chalk downland and the occasional golf course. We stopped to talk to a vociferous couple of goats.
- [AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN THE YORKSHIRE DALES](https://polyramblers.org.uk/august-bank-holiday-weekend-in-the-yorkshire-dales/): The Strollers&#8217; report &#8211; By Sandy For the Strollers’ first outing we caught the train to Settle to walk from there to Horton-in-Ribblesdale. On arrival in Settle there was the usual demand for a coffee stop from the subversive element but our leader enforced discipline and we made our way out of Settle into the beautiful, green Yorkshire Dales countryside. Before long we came to a steep hill, which surprised us because we were expecting a leisurely riverside walk. Nevertheless we made our way up the hill with true Strollers grit and determination.
- [Saturday 20 August: The Hadhams (Herts)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-20-august-the-hadhams-herts/): After a few dry weeks, the weather forecast was for rain.  That&#8217;s probably why only 5 elite Polyramblers turned up for the walk.  However, we only had 3 showers during the day, one while we were on the train, the second while we were having lunch and the third in the afternoon lasted only 2 minutes.  The train was delayed due to problems with a door so we missed the bus in St Margarets which is only every 2 hours.  Therefore, we decided to do the walk in reverse from St
- [August 13th. Farncombe to Godalming](https://polyramblers.org.uk/august-13th-farncombe-to-godalming/): Eleven of us  got off the train at Farncombe. We were  pleased to have been joined by Jenifer who was checking us out with a view to perhaps becoming a member. The day was overcast with sunny periods  forecast for later. Making our way down towards the Wey and Arun navigation, we paused to admire some well tended allotments, their abundance putting our own efforts to shame. Perhaps  the Wey alluvial deposits are better for growing stuff than our London clay.
- [Saturday 6 August: St Albans to Hatfield along the Alban Way](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-6-august-st-albans-to-hatfield-along-the-alban-way/): Four of us started the walk with a leisurely coffee while the main group was delayed because of a cancelled train. When we turned up at the station, the other 12 had gone but Danny and Gillian were waiting for us. It was a hot day and it was nice to be in the shade of the Alban way, the former route of the Hatfield to St Albans branch line of the Great Northern Railway. The Line was opened in 1865 for
- [30th July. Rowlands Castle and Stansted Forest](https://polyramblers.org.uk/30th-july-rowlands-castle-and-stansted-forest/): Five polyramblers  met up at Waterloo station and boarded the 0945 Portsmouth train. The journey was overcast with patches of hazy sun. After Petersfield the sky became decidedly leaden and there was a cloudburst when we alighted at Rowlands Castle station – making haste to the sheltered part of the platform.  Having set off out of the station approach, the sky started to clear and the rain almost stopped. It was about 11:30 and getting sunny. We took a stroll around the lovely village green noting various Golden/Diamond  Jubilee memorials/planted Oaks, and the small church at one end which was [&hellip;]
- [Thursday 21 July: A Bermondsey evening walk](https://polyramblers.org.uk/thursday-21-july-a-bermondsey-evening-walk/): On a nice summer&#8217;s evening, 16 Polyramblers went to explore Bermondsey, the site of Bermondsey Abbey founded in the 8th century and, later, the centre of the leather trade and tanneries. We started with Bermondsey Street with its mixture of old and new buildings. Mary pointed out number 78 where her mother used to work. We continued to St Mary Magdalen church where there is a memorial to Susanna Wood. The carving is eroded but the wording
- [Saturday 16th July. Shawford circular.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-6th-july-shawford-circular/): It&#8217;s more than 3 years since Roy &amp; Jane moved away from London, and a walk in area of their new home near Winchester has become an annual event. It was a lovely summer&#8217;s day as we got off the train at Shawford to find Roy waiting for us. Our journey had been uneventful although the train had initially busy with people going to the Farnborough air show.
- [Saturday 9 July: Great Missenden Circular Walk](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-9-july-great-missenden-circular-walk/): Fourteen hikers turned out for our walk in Great Missenden. We followed the South Bucks Way and Chiltern Trails. We passed some pretty villages including Little and Great Hampden, Bryant Bottom and Prestwood. Our walk took us through fields, woodland and some very overgrown paths. Lucy and I both had secateurs, however,  Lucy did a better job of clearing the path. I hope everyone
- [July 2nd. Maldon Essex.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/july-2nd-maldon-essex/): This attractive historic town on the river Blackwater is easily reached by bus from Chelmsford. For our leader Christine it was a trip down memory lane, as  it was at Maldon Grammar school that she started her teaching career in the 1950&#8217;s. Our first stop was at the Maeldune Heritage Centre in the main street where we viewed the Malden Emboidery. This 40 or so foot long piece was carried out to mark 1000 years since the Viking invasion of 991 and we were fortunate to have it&#8217;s history and salient points described to us by a  knowledgeable and enthusiastic [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 25 June: Milford to Godalming](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-25-june-milford-to-godalming/): This was nearly the perfect walk &#8211; beautiful countryside, three refreshment stops &amp;, apart from an hour after lunch, lovely weather. After an hour we stopped for a drink at the Merry Harriers at Hambledon, then we continued through pleasantly undulating woodland to the White Horse at Hascombe where there was a classic village green with large pond for the sandwich-eaters &amp; a wonderfully decorated church. After the lunch stop we were a little
- [Saturday 18 June: Icknield Way Stage 4 - Baldock to Royston (Herts)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-18-june-icknield-way-stage-4-baldock-to-royston-herts/): Thirteen walkers turned out for stage four of the Icknield Way on Saturday. I decided to skip a couple of miles of road walking from Letchworth and start at Baldock, so cutting the distance from 14 miles to a more manageable 12. The weather was coolish so good for walking, though a little chilly for sitting around. We started down Baldock&#8217;s impressive high street, passing an enormous Tesco with an unusual Art Deco façade. We headed north east on a gently undulating route through poppy fields, soon
- [Spring Bank Holiday in South West Ireland](https://polyramblers.org.uk/spring-bank-holiday-in-south-west-ireland/): An impressive 32 made their way to Killarney where we stayed in several B&amp;B&#8217;s. It&#8217;s a small town and, as the gateway to the ring of Kerry and the lakes, is  given over to  tourism. The main streets are very lively with dozens of bars and restaurants and throngs of visitors from all over the world. There&#8217;s music everywhere,  in bars and hotels and also from street performers. We particularly enjoyed a Scottish busker, complete with golden wig, who had a scurrilous song about Donald Trump to the tune of the Boxer. As usual there were two levels of walks arranged over [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 5 June: Capital Ring Sections 11 and 12 with the London Blind Ramblers](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-5-june-capital-ring-sections-11-and-12-with-the-london-blind-ramblers/): What a lovely day for a walk! After all that wintry weather we&#8217;d had in the previous week it was a joy to be out in the sunshine. All together we were 24 blind and sighted walkers and Paris, a black labrador.  Beforehand I was worried that the parks would be heaving with people but on the morning walk the parks, green spaces and woods as we wended our way along our route were not that busy apart from occasional tennis players, quite a few dogs and their owners and chatting pushchair couples.
- [Programme of events: June to September 2016](https://polyramblers.org.uk/programme-of-events-june-to-september-2016/): Click below to open the Summer programme: PR walks prog June &#8211; Sept 2016 (final amended)
- [Saturday 11th June. Around Maidenhead](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-11th-june-around-maidenhead/): A Social event organised by Christine, the Club&#8217;s President.  Christine was waiting for the Polyramblers at Maidenhead station and she took them for a walk through “The Gullet”, a local nature reserve, to her house for tea/coffee and biscuit on the patio.  Later, the group walked to town for a pub lunch and then to the Maidenhead Heritage Centre (which used to be a pub).   It has permanent exhibitions about the history of Maidenhead and the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) and a spitfire simulator. 
- [May 15th. Leigh to Sevenoaks](https://polyramblers.org.uk/may-15th-leigh-to-sevenoaks/): What a lovely day for a walk! The bluebells that were in amongst every clump of trees when we did the walkover two weeks ago had given way to wild garlic and the meadows are now full of buttercups. Horse chestnut trees are in full flower and their leaves luminously bright green despite attacks of leaf blotch in recent years. Lots of wisteria on the few houses and cottages we passed. We were blessed with warm sunshine but when the occasional cloud came over or when we were walking in the shade we could feel the icy wind still reminding [&hellip;]
- [May 14th. Rainham to Purfleet](https://polyramblers.org.uk/may-14th-rainham-to-purfleet/): &nbsp; Fourteen Poly Ramblers and two guests converged on Rainham, Essex on a sunny though chilly Saturday afternoon for the last 5 miles of the London Loop.  Some had spent the morning visiting Rainham Hall, others were in the pub and one or twovisited the reptile emporium.  We headed off across the level crossing towards the river, led by Martin and Anna, the latter carrying a large cardboard cake box.  After a mile we arrived at the banks of the Thames estuary, very industrial but not unattractive in a way. 
- [Sunday 8th May. Berwick to Eastbourne](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-8th-may-berwick-to-eastbourne/): Having just arrived from home my choir rehearsal the Tuesday before, I went to open my tablet to check something online, whereupon an email arrived from Gillian seeking a leader for this walk, as Jackie couldn’t do it due her recent ankle injury. I turned round to look at my bookshelf, and lo there was the “Time Out” book with the walk in it.  And such a lovely walk in a lovely area – it has to go ahead. 
- [April 23rd. East Grinstead](https://polyramblers.org.uk/april-25th-east-grinstead/): It was the perfect month to do this walk from East Grinstead and 14 of us discovered why the Bluebell Line is so named. They were in full bloom, along with primula and wood anemone. There were lots of new born lambs and enough sunshine to make it feel like Spring, contrary to the gloomy forecast of Arctic winds. We encountered several groups of laden youngsters doing the Duke of Edinburgh&#8217;s Award. We stopped to chat to one of the steam railway volunteers. He encouraged us to join them in  November for an 11 mile walk of the entire track [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 16 April: Icknield Way Streatley to Letchworth](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-16-april-icknield-way-stage-3-streatley-beds-to-letchworth-herts-linear/): After several days of warm sunshine mid-week, the weekend was heralded by a drop in temperature of at least 10 degrees and the steady rain was turning to sleet as twelve walkers waited for the bus from Luton to Streatley. We  spent a couple of hours trudging through the rain, including an unintentional 3/4 mile detour through Sainsburys carpark (thanks Geoffrey for guiding us out of there). As we crossed the county boundary from Bedfordshire into
- [Wednesday 13 April: Evening Walk in Shoreditch (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wednesday-13-april-evening-walk-in-shoreditch-circular/): Soon after starting the walk, we saw a giant hedgehog painted on a wall, a man doing acrobatics on top of a post-box and two men doing mock-fighting with sticks under a bandstand. Shoreditch is becoming trendy but is still a rough diamond. A record 21 Polyramblers came on this evening walk to explore Shoreditch, Columbia Road and Brick Lane. Rain threatened but, apart from a few drops, the evening remained dry. We went up Club Row before
- [Saturday 9 April: Loop Stage 15 - Harold Wood to Rainham (Essex) (Linear)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-9-april-loop-stage-15-harold-wood-to-rainham-essex-linear/): Thirteen walkers turned out on Saturday for the penultimate section of the London Loop, in spite of another unpromising weather forecast. After some drizzle as we left Harold Wood the clouds lifted and the rest of the day was punctuated with bursts of warm sunshine. This area of London was unfamiliar to most of us and as usual with the Loop we were pleasantly surprised as to how much of the walk was though parks, fields and woodlands rather than on roads. The first four miles took us through Harold Wood Park then a community woodland, crossing the Ingrebourne River [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 2nd April. Bentley to Alton](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-2nd-april-bentley-to-alton-2/): On a fine, sunny morning, 16 Polyramblers set out from Bentley station with a spring in our steps. We walked through open farmland and woodland, and carefully crossed the  railway line  just south of Froyle Mill by the river Wey. There were late daffodils, early bluebells, plenty of green shoots and very little mud. We encountered many animals &#8211; noisy geese, barking dogs, curious
- [27th March.  Oxford and Cambridge boat race](https://polyramblers.org.uk/27th-march-oxford-and-cambridge-boat-race/): The second walk of the Easter weekend saw nineteen members and Maria&#8217;s guide dog Bella set off from Hammersmith along the north bank of the Thames towards Putney. Previously a location for light industry, now upmarket flats predominate. On route, we admired an earth sculpture in the shape of a turtle and paid our respects to a statue of Johnny Haynes outside Fulham football ground. After crossing Putney Bridge to the south bank, the first of two spectacular hail showers courtesy of storm Katie sent us running for cover to a nearby pub. Unfortunately it was yet to open but [&hellip;]
- [Good Friday 25 March 2016: Watford to Croxley](https://polyramblers.org.uk/good-friday-25-march-2016-watford-to-croxley/): Eight of us met up at Watford Metropolitan Underground station, some arriving by car. After sorting difficulties with the station carpark ticket machine, we set off amongst the Betjemanesque 1930&#8217;s suburbia and soon entered Cassiobury Park. This was once the Home of the Earls of Essex, whose Mansion was dismantled in 1922. The grounds became the park. Crossing the Park in a westward direction we continued over the River Gade and Grand Union Canal, across a golf course and some fields via Redheath
- [Saturday 19 March: Circular Walk in Stonegate (East Sussex)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-19-march-circular-walk-in-stonegate-east-sussex/): After a truly depressingly muddy walkover, the conditions on Saturday were wonderful. We kept up a good pace which we needed to do as there were 2 necessary pub stops &amp; some people had engagements in London in the evening. That  part of Sussex is beautiful, not too hilly but pleasingly undulating &amp; the walk was a good mixture of wood &amp; field. We stopped for lunch at Burwash where most of us had sandwiches just outside the churchyard on handily placed benches with a fine view over the valley.
- [Friday 11 March - Sunday 13 March 2016: Lulworth YHA Weekend](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-11-march-sunday-13-march-2016-lulworth-yha-weekend/): This time, for its yearly hosteling weekend, the club had rented the  Youth Hostel in Lulworth, which forms part of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site (WHS) &#8211; it is also England&#8217;s first WHS awarded by UNESCO in December 2001.  There were 17 of us in the 34 bed hostel so there was plenty of room for everybody.   Andrew and Sandy had to cancel but we were joined on the walks by Mike and Heather, her sister and brother in law &#8211; who had rented a cottage down the road for a week&#8217;s holiday &#8211; and by Pam for her last [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 12th March, Battersea to Wandsworth Town.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-12th-march-battersea-to-wandsworth-town/): With 30 or so Polys on the club weekend at YHA Lulworth Cove, it was a select group of six on Rosie&#8217;s walk through Battersea. The early mist was clearing as we entered the park, and there were plenty of people enjoying a stroll in the weak sunshine. There were  encouraging signs of spring with banks of daffodils, vociferous ducks and geese, together with posing herons and screeching parakeets. We passed the Peace Temple and took in the view of Chelsea across the river. Our lunch stop was at the Source restaurant in Ransome&#8217;s dock where we were all accommodated on [&hellip;]
- [Sunday, March 6th. Berkhamsted circular.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-march-6th-berkhamsted-circular/): Just myself and Sandra accompanied Jackie on this lovely varied walk, the weather being bright but cold. Berkhamsted&#8217;s popular half marathon had just set off and it was some time before we could cross the road from the station. Jackie and Sandra set off at a cracking pace, with me struggling behind which was to be the pattern for the rest of the day. Steady climbing through woodland and grazing, took us to Berkhamsted Common, 150 years to the day from the  battle of that name. The landowner, Lord Brownlow, had put up a metal fence with a view to [&hellip;]
- [Friday 24 to Sunday 26 March 2017 - YHA Weekend, Portland](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-24-to-sunday-26-march-2017-yha-weekend-portland/): The annual YHA trip returns to Dorset for exhilarating coast walks on the Isle of Portland.  Estimated cost £75 including train/bus fares and in-house food.  Reserve a place for £30 by bank transfer or send a cheque made out to the Club to Danny Duffy. Photo by A-M-Jervis
- [Saturday 27th February. Woldingham to Oxted](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-27th-february-woldingham-to-oxted/): Twelve Polyramblers alighted from the train  on a bitterly cold but dry morning. We made our way down the lovely Marden valley towards Woldingham School, stopping to pass the time of day with a couple of extremely tame and needy deer. Passing Bay pond, we reached Godstone  and had lunch in the friendly Hare and Hounds. The service was less than brisk but there were no complaints from us as it was so good to be out of the wind. We were joined by Geoffrey, still not able to walk any distance but thankfully on the mend.
- [Saturday 20 February: Evening walk from Birchington to Herne Hill (Kent)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-20-february-evening-walk-from-birchington-to-herne-hill-kent/): I had not done a recce and left my map an information at home but how hard could it be to find the seaside!  Ten of us found it within 5 minutes of arriving in Birchington after following the aptly named Beach Road.  It was a windy, grey day and the guard on the train had warned us that the walk to Reculver was exposed and so it was.  We walked along the beach in Birchington and then on the sea wall battling against the strong wind with the Thames estuary on our right and flat countryside on the left.  We could [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 5th March. Annual General Meeting](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-5th-march-annual-general-meeting/): The AGM, which took place at the University of Westminster, was attended by 38 members, four more than last year.  This time, we were in a large room with nice blue chairs with wheels and we had plenty of space to accommodate everybody.    The AGM was attended by our long-lost mascot, Quintin, who had spent a few years in the attic of Gerald&#8217;s brother (for the record, Quintin was supposed to go home  with Danny after the meeting but Siew Tin offered to look after our mascot).  The formal business of the meeting included the minutes of last year&#8217;s AGM, the report of [&hellip;]
- [February 13th.  Berkhamstead to Tring](https://polyramblers.org.uk/february-13th-berkhamstead-to-tring/): Ten of us left Berkhamsted station in drizzly rain and walked past the remains of the 11th 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 [&hellip;]
- [Sunday February 7th. Chipstead Circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-february-7th-chipstead-circular/): 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, [&hellip;]
- [Good Friday. March 25th. Watford to Croxley.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/good-friday-march-26th-watford-to-croxley/): 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. &nbsp; photo of Almshouses, Church End Sarratt by Nigel Cox
- [LOOP 14 – CHIGWELL to HAROLD WOOD 30 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-30th-loop-14-chigwell-zone-4-central-line-to-harold-wood-zone-6-tfl-rail-linear/): A longish walking day for late January as we tackled two sections of the loop from Chigwell to Havering atte Bower and then on to Harold Wood, 10.3 miles in total. In spite of engineering work on the Central line and the threat of mud, fourteen members turned out. After a sharp shower at the start it was dry for the rest of the day but the mud persisted all day. This is one of the most rural sections of the loop with the first 6 miles taking us though open country, farmland and woods. We passed Hainault country park [&hellip;]
- [Snow-Walking Weekend in Bavaria](https://polyramblers.org.uk/snow-walking-weekend-friday-15-to-monday-18-january-2016/): Just back from a very enjoyable long weekend in Bavaria based in the town of Fussen, less than two hours by train from Munich. The snow was late in coming this year but there was a significant fall just in time for our arrival and more during our stay, so there was plenty for us enjoy,  All twelve of us stayed in a very modern, well appointed guesthouse only a few minutes walk from the station.
- [Programme of events: February to May 2016](https://polyramblers.org.uk/programme-of-events-february-to-may-2016/): Click here to access the current programme February to May 2016
- [INGATESTONE (Essex) (CIRCULAR): 24 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-24th-ingatestone-essex-circular/): The valiant walkers who turned up for the Ingatestone walk were rewarded with sunshine, skylarks and snowdrops, after a pleasant early lunch at the Prince of Wales in Mountnessing where we succumbed to the temptation of a delicious apple crumble! We were pleased to see Geoffrey at lunchtime but his ankle didn&#8217;t allow him to venture very far into the rolling green fields in the afternoon. It was just as well he turned back because the terrain continued to be very slippery on the muddy paths between the bright new shoots. We were on the domain of Lord Petre (pronounced [&hellip;]
- [﻿SATURDAY 2nd January. HOLLAND PARK to HORSEGUARDS.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/%ef%bb%bfsaturday-2nd-january-holland-park-to-horseguards/): The weather forecast was for heavy rain, Holland Park Station was closed for several months and the District and Circle Lines weren&#8217;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 [&hellip;]
- [WESTHUMBLE TO LEATHERHEAD - SATURDAY 9 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-9-january-westhumble-to-leatherhead/): I had been warned of thigh-high lakes of mud, the entire Mole valley being impassably under water &amp; dangerously slippery, steep chalk paths but, despite all these very inauspicious omens, the walk was lovely. We had to bypass the Stepping stones at the bottom of Box Hill as they were under water but there&#8217;s a perfectly good bridge not far off so we used that.
- [Sunday 27 December: Mad Bess Wood and Ruislip Lido (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-27-december-mad-bess-wood-and-ruislip-lido-circular/): Three long-established woods and a 19th canal reservoir, now a water-sporting lake. Lunch at the Waters Edge, Ruislip Lido.  Distance 6.5 miles.   Leader: Danny.    
- [Sunday 20 December 2015 - Windsor & Eton (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-20-december-2015-windsor-eton-circular/): Walk in Windsor and Eton with riverside meadows, the playing files of Eton and views of Windsor Castle followed by Evensong in St George&#8217;s Chapel at 5.15. Leader: Danny.           
- [Saturday 5th December Kew. A Cautionary Tail!](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-5th-december-kew-a-cautionary-tail/): 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&#8217;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 [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 13 December 2015: Club Christmas lunch Freemasons Arms](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-13th-club-christmas-lunch-freemasons-arms/): Another visit to this popular venue for our Christmas get-together.  A quite large group met at Monument station for a short pre-lunch Thames-side walk. The leader (Danny) was late!  It was grey and foggy but it remained dry during the walk, first along the north bank of the Thames to the Millenium Bridge which we crossed to walk back along the south bank.  We crossed the river again on the Hungerford Bridge and walked to the Freemasons Arms through Soho for a well-deserved Christmas lunch attended by 46 Polyramblers.    
- [Saturday 28th. Chiltern Hills](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-28th-chiltern-hills/): A slightly disappointing turnout on Saturday, not helped by the overly pessimistic weather forecast and perhaps the lure of Christmas shopping – most of the massive ticket queue at Marylebone were heading off to Bicester Village designer outlet.    Nonetheless we made it to double figures, thanks to new member Maggie (welcome Maggie!) and Stuart’s friend Eddie who lives locally.  A bus took us south from High Wycombe town centre, across the M40 and dropped us outside a recently closed pub. We walked north west, through Marlow Bottom and eventually to Moor End and the village of Frieth.  Much of the [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 14th April Rainham to Rainham Marshes](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-14th-april-rainham-to-rainham-marshes/): Despite so-called “planned” engineering works causing travel disruption both on the trains and the underground, 30 of us met up at Liverpool Street station, 10 Polyramblers and 14 London Blind Ramblers. It was just as well the LBRs had brought some sighted friends to help guide them! We paired up and set off. The path was mostly smooth. Robin and Maria set a good pace. Birds tweeted in the brambles. Was that a Cetti&#8217;s Warbler we heard? We passed a couple with a child examining a greenish eggshell beside the path. They thought it was a duck egg which a [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 7th April. Yalding to Borough Green](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-7th-april-yalding-to-borough-green/): Ten Polyramblers got off the train at Yalding, with unusually, equal numbers of women and men. It was somewhat misty but otherwise dry and mild.The club last visited Yalding a couple of years ago, when widespread flooding of the Medway had caused much damage to property and vehicles. Some expensive looking homes had been built overlooking the marina in the intervening period. We set off along the river, with me bringing up the rear as usual. After a few minutes, I found that I was alone, the rest of the group having turned
- [March 31st. Harlow to Bishops  Stortford](https://polyramblers.org.uk/march-31st-harlow-to-bishops-stortford/): There were just four of us who alighted at Harlow Town, other club members presumably having mothers&#8217; day responsibilities. The weather had turned colder overnight, with a northerly wind but it was thankfully dry. We followed the river Stort before turning north. our route taking us through woods and across pleasantly undulating farm land. There were reassuring signs of spring, with lots of birdsong and plenty of lambs and horses to lift the spirits. We remarked how few other walkers were out and about. There hadn&#8217;t been any rain for some time so what might have been muddy
- [Carshalton to morden  March 30th](https://polyramblers.org.uk/carshalton-to-morden-march-30th/): &nbsp; Rosie led twelve of us on this delightful leisurely walk from Carshalton Ponds and then beside the River Wandle in the spring sunshine, with cherry blossom,  blackthorn, daffodils, marsh marigolds in the shallow waters of the river, birds chirping and singing all the way. In places the water of the river was calm, in others there was a strong current and it was easy to imagine the 90 mills that were operating along the whole length of the river in its heyday.
- [Saturday 23 March 2019: Annual General Meeting](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-23-march-2019-annual-general-meeting/): 38 Polyramblers attended the AGM in a new venue in London Bankside.  Before starting with the serious business, Hilary, the Chair, presented Christine &#8211; who is stepping down as President &#8211; with a present and a card.  Apologies were received, including from our two Canadian members.  The minutes of the last meeting and the annual report were approved.   
- [Friday 15 to Sunday 17 March 2019: YHA Weekend in Beer (Devon)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-15-to-sunday-17-march-2019-yha-weekend-in-beer-devon/): On the Friday, travelling by car, train and bus, 27 Polyramblers made their way to Beer in Devon. 21 to stay in the youth hostel which the club had hired for the weekend and 6 in the Dolphin Hotel. The hostel is a beautiful stone country house located just outside the fishing village of Beer. Standing in its own grounds, it retains many original features, including stripped timber floors and leaded windows.
- [Saturday 9th March  Tadworth circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-9th-march-tadworth-circular/): A respectable total of 20 members and guests met at Tadworth station on a somewhat grey and overcast morning. We  passed through woodland with well trodden muddy paths before turning north and emerging into more open countryside and our first view of Epsom Downs and the racecourse. Horses is the main business in these parts and most of the farms are given over to  it. We reached the foot of the downs and made our way up across the training gallops to the course itself.  The sun finally made a showing and we
- [Saturday 2 March 2019: Watton at Stone (Herts.)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-2nd-march-watton-at-stone-herts-circular/): The weather forecast was not as good as last week&#8217;s so &#8216;only&#8217; 21 Polyramblers turned up for this walk in Hertfordshire. It stayed dry all day and, when it came out, the sun was quite warm.  We started the walk in Watton at Stone.  I was asked about the name of the village and Wikipedia says that the origin of &#8216;Watton&#8217; is uncertain; the suffix &#8216;at Stone&#8217; is thought to be referring to the Roman road (anciently described as a Stone Street) that ran from Verulamium (St Albans).  We crossed the river Beane and followed the
- [Walk from Holland Park to Horse Guards Parade Linear](https://polyramblers.org.uk/walk-from-holland-park-to-horse-guards-parade-linear/): This was a combined walk with Polyramblers and a club called Kaleidoscope. It was a beautiful sunny day for a stroll through Holland Park stopping for visit to St Mary Abbots Church designed by George Gilbert Scott the most famous and sought-after architect of his day. A few of the Polyramblers diverted off towards Kensington High Street at &nbsp;this point but managed to retrace their steps in time to see the church!
- [AMERSHAM, CHALFONT ST GILES AND LITTLE CHALFONT: 23 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-23rd-february-amersham-chalfont-st-giles-and-little-chalfont-linear/): Unseasonably warm, sunny weather for a 9 mile walk in the Oyster card zone promised a high turnout, but we weren&#8217;t expecting quite as many as the 31 Poly Ramblersand one dog who gathered at Amersham station on Saturday.   It was good to welcome back Lucy who hasn&#8217;t been out in a while.  The early morning mist had just cleared and we headed down through the woods to Old Amersham, passing through the Memorial Gardens where we saw the WW1
- [OTFORD TO EYNSFORD (KENT) 16 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-16-february-otford-to-eynsford-linear/): It was a mild but grey and misty day when 14 Polyramblers set out from the train station in the small quaint Kent town of Otford.  The sun didn’t show its face all day and the low cloud meant the normally spectacular views of the Darent Valley were covered in mist but at least it stayed dry. The walk out of Otford took us across flat and muddy fields until we reached a short but steep hill.  Our climb would normally have been
- [OXTED to WOLDINGHAM - 9th February](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-9th-oxted-to-woldingham-linear/): Warnings about hills, stiles and mud had probably put some people off, so it was 9 elite walkers that assembled at Oxted [a generous description for some of us! Editor]. We got mixed up at the station with another group of walkers who were also heading north, but they looked a good deal more determined than us so we let them go ahead. We made our way through Oxted, stopping to say hello to a large and friendly ginger cat. From there, it was over the M25 and
- [Limehouse to Greenwich 2nd February 2019](https://polyramblers.org.uk/limehouse-to-greenwich-2nd-february-2019/): We were lucky enough to be rewarded with sunshine and glorious views of London on our walk which took us along the northern bank of the Thames and then via Greenwich foot tunnel &nbsp;to Greenwich Observatory and Point Hill one of London’s best but least known viewpoints.
- [26th January, Fulwell to Mortlake](https://polyramblers.org.uk/26th-january-fulwell-to-mortlake/): An impressive 20 Polyramblers assembled at Fulwell Station on a cool day, with rain forecast for later. We were soon entering Bushy Park, second in size of London parks only to Richmond Park. Skirting Upper Lodge, built by Lord Halifax and occupied by the Admiralty after the 2nd World War we admired the recently restored water gardens at the rear. We then followed the Longford River along which a strip of  woodland has been created, the area being fenced off from the main park and its deer..  It was pleasant in January but would probably  be spectacular during the azalea season. [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 20th. Princes Risborough  Circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-20th-princes-risborough-circular-2/): A healthy turnout of 22 walkers started out from Princes Risborough station on a circular walk that followed sections of the Ridgeway and Chilterns Way. It was one of those rare bright sunny frosty January mornings that showed off the beautiful Chilterns at their best. We had an early stop for lunch at a pub where most walkers opted for the Sunday roast which was very slow in being served but was good food and worth the wait. After a long lunch break the cold was really noticeable when we got outside. We resumed the walk and there was a [&hellip;]
- [12th January. Eltham to Abbey Wood](https://polyramblers.org.uk/12th-january-eltham-to-abbey-wood/): Seventeen members + one non-member gathered at Eltham station to undertake this 6 mile ramble across SE London&#8217;s open spaces. On walking out of the station approach we crossed under the railway and over the road to Well Hall Pleasaunce a local park, where I showed the party the spot where an 18th century house once stood where lived the author Edith Nesbit. Here she wrote &#8220;The Railway Children&#8221;. We then continued along Dunvegan Road until we reached Eltham Park with views across to Crystal Palace. Then we crossed Shepherdleas Wood then onto Oxleas Wood. This led out to Oxleas [&hellip;]
- [Friday 11 to Monday 14 January 2019: Snow-walking in Tyrol](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-11-to-monday-14-january-2019-snow-walking-in-tyrol/): After a delayed flight, 2 trains and 2 buses, 8 Polyramblers finally arrived in Biberwier for a snow-walking weekend. And snow, there was &#8211; loads. After settling in gasthaus Panorama, we ate a lovely dinner in a nearby restaurant, Hotel Restaurant Alpina, which became our favourite watering hole.&nbsp; Some of us enjoyed their first apfelstrudel and others a few schnapps.
- [Saturday 2nd Limehouse to Greenwich (Linear)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-2nd-limehouse-to-greenwich-linear/): North Thames Path followed by circular walk exploring Greenwich and Greenwich Park. Leader will meet walkers at 10am at Limehouse station (zone 2) on DLR from Bank. Walk concludes at Greenwich stn.(zone 2/3). Stunning views of London from the Observatory and Pointer Hill. Suggested lunch at the Trafalgar Tavern, Greenwich. Distance 8 miles, EX 162. Leader Hilary
- [5th January London Water & Steam Museum. Walk to Hammersmith](https://polyramblers.org.uk/5th-january-london-water-steam-museum-walk-to-hammersmith/): Ten Polyramblers spent a very informative morning looking at the history of our water supplies and marvelling at the huge pump engines which were used to distribute water throughout London.Two of our ramblers also went to the musical museum next door for a guided tour!By the time we started the afternoon walk our numbers had expanded to 21 participants.
- [Postal Museum and Mail Rail visit](https://polyramblers.org.uk/postal-museum-visit/): On the Saturday after Christmas twenty Poly Ramblers were booked in for a ride on Mail Rail, the 6.5 mile underground railway which carried post between Paddington and Liverpool Street from 1927 to 2003. Thirteen of the group turned out early for a stroll around historic Clerkenwell.  This took us past a house that once belonged to Janet Street Porter and then to the medieval Gateway to the Priory of the Knights of St John. We crossed Clerkenwell Road to Clerkenwell
- [Walks Programme February to May 2019](https://polyramblers.org.uk/walks-programme-february-to-may-2019/): Click on the link below to download the latest walks programme PR walks prog Feb &#8211; May 2019    
- [Sunday 23 December 2018: London Cathedrals Walk and Carol Service](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-23-december-2018-london-cathedrals-walk-and-carol-service/): On a grey Sunday before Christmas, 13 Polyramblers met at Victoria tube station for&nbsp;a walk passing four cathedrals and attending a carol service at a fifth.&nbsp; The first was Westminster Cathedral, or the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ,&nbsp; the largest Catholic church building in England and Wales and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster.&nbsp;&nbsp;
- [SUNDAY 16th: CLUB XMAS LUNCH: FREEMASONS ARMS, COVENT GARDEN](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-16th-club-xmas-lunch-freemasons-arms-covent-garden/): It snowed the day before the Christmas lunch but, thankfully, this bad weather was in Scotland and the north of England and it did not reach the South East.  Around 20 Polyramblers met at Hyde Park Corner tube station for a pre-prandial walk.  We passed under Wellington Arch to go into Green Park, went to the Bomber Command monument and walked to Buckingham Palace.  Danny had ordered a band for us or perhaps we were there in time for the
- [Saturday 8 December 2018: Uxbridge, Grand Union Canal and Hillingdon Trail](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-8th-december-uxbridge-to-ruislip-linear/): Nine walkers met at Uxbridge station in the sunshine, sadly minus our main leader who had succumbed to the ‘flu, get well soon Sunita. We learnt that Valeria was still en route, and Gillian kindly decided to wait for her eventually catching us up just before the lunch stop. We walked through the crowds of Christmas shoppers and found our way to the Grand Union Canal tow path which we followed for around four miles. Various barges and locks were seen en route
- [SATURDAY 1st December: SAXON SHORE-WAY (3) ROCHESTER to GILLINGHAM (LINEAR](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-1st-december-saxon-shore-way-3-rochester-to-gillingham-linear/): Hilary and I had taken over the leading of this at short notice and we were pleased that we numbered 11 , despite the dire weather forecast. Rochester was holding a two day Dickens festival and  there were large numbers of people doggedly trudging along the historic but rain-swept High Street. We stopped off at the old Guildhall, now an interesting museum of local history. Hazel recalled that when she last visited, the fine  court chamber (see photo) was in use as a café. Sadly this had become a victim of austerity. On leaving, a traditional Punch and Judy show was [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 24th: WELWYN NORTH (CIRCULAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-24th-welwyn-north-circular/): It was grey and miserable but 15 Polyramblers turned up for this walk in the Hertfordshire countryside. We started the walk through woodland and stopped to see the Welwyn tunnels but no train came out. The sun tried to come out but was not successful.  We continued around Digswell through arable fields then went uphill, crossing Dawley Wood before arriving at the Plume of Feathers pub in Tewin just after it opened. The menu was varied and very good value. Suitably fed, we continued along fields to Burnham Green. It has a trig point on the green to mark one [&hellip;]
- [18th November.  Epping Forest and Forest Bathing](https://polyramblers.org.uk/18th-november-epping-forest-and-forest-bathing/): 21 walkers turned out for this unusual walk. Well, it was amazing weather! Sunshine all day, not too cold, no wind. What more could we have asked for! No clouds for Mike to explain to us! Most of the leaves had now fallen, so the forest was carpeted with gold and reddish-brown, soft underfoot as we climbed between the beech trees up to Loughton Camp, an Iron Age hill fort, (~500 BC), possibly used by the Trinovantes in defence against the Catuvellauni tribe. In those days there would have been none of the circles of tall pollarded trees all round [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 10th NOVEMBER: MARLOW and COOKHAM DEAN (CIRCULAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-10th-november-marlow-and-cookham-dean-circular/): A group of 16 Poly Ramblers and 3 guests gathered in Marlow on a mild and sunny November morning.  The sky was blue and the autumn colours were fantastic.  We knew that rain was forecast later but hoped we might avoid it.  We headed towards the river, pausing briefly to admire the larger than life statue of Olympic rower, Sir Steve Redgrave.  We crossed the town bridge and left the river behind, heading south across fields to cross a busy dual carriageway into Bisham Woods.  There we had a short stop to sample Stuart&#8217;s homemade Anzac biscuits &#8211; very appropriate [&hellip;]
- [Autumn Weekend in Ashbourne (Derbyshire)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-5-to-monday-8-october-2018-autumn-weekend-in-ashbourne-derbyshire/): Following on from the success of our previous weekend in Darwin Forest we booked lodges at Sandybrook Park in Ashbourne. On the Friday afternoon we settled into our lodges and prioritised party plans for the weekend to celebrate birthdays. Our orientation walk was via the Tissington trail to Ashbourne. We arrived at St Oswald’s church dating back to 1240 and home to many artefacts about local history. We were lucky enough to be shown around by the vicar who was happy to expand on the churches’ historical significance.
- [3rd November. Shiplake circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/3rd-november-shiplake-circular/): Fifteen Polyramblers met at Paddington to join the 0942 GWR train to Twyford.  This train gathered up 5 more members at Ealing and one more at West Drayton. At Twyford the 21 of us crossed the footbridge where we joined the little train to Shiplake.  From the unstaffed halt at Shiplake (actually at Lower Shiplake), I phoned our numbers through to the lunch pub.  Then we proceeded straight off the platform down a few steps onto a gravel path, then south down a lane and a path onto the Thames Path. Soon we were passing the rugby field pitches of [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 27th OCTOBER: LIPHOOK (CIRCULAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-27th-october-liphook-circular/): We had a beautiful walk on Saturday weaving our way between Hampshire &amp; West Sussex. It was mostly through light woodland &amp; on such a lovely sunny day, the sunlight filtering through golden leaves was very uplifting! We had a look at the curious Tuxlith chapel &amp; its more modern neighbour, St Luke&#8217;s, both appearing to be in the middle of the wood. The chapel was built in the twelfth  century &amp; is now considered &#8216;redundant&#8217;, presumably because it&#8217;s so small, but is &#8216;under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches.&#8217; St Luke&#8217;s is Victorian &amp; not so  romantic [&hellip;]
- [WEDNESDAY 24th OCTOBER: EVENING WALK IN MAYFAIR](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wednesday-24th-october-evening-walk-in-mayfair/): 12 Polyramblers on this walk, or 13 if you count Stuart who missed the beginning of the walk and only found us at the end. But there could have been 15 as Mary and Joyanna did not find the group and went exploring on their own. The Grosvenor family has owned 100 acres of Mayfair since 1677 when Sir Thomas Grosvenor married Mary Davies, heiress to part of the Manor of Ebury. This area took its name from the May Fair &#8211; an annual two week long fair of vice and impurities, held until well into the 19 century. The [&hellip;]
- [20th October. Manningtree](https://polyramblers.org.uk/20th-october-manningtree/): There were 15 on this  walk, led by Sandra, in the heart of Constable country on a beautiful, sunny autumn day. We followed the Essex Way through the countryside to the pretty village of Dedham where we had lunch. We had time to visit the church, which has a painting by Constable, and the art and craft centre. We continued along the river Stour and strayed into Suffolk up to East Bergholt, the birth place of Constable, where we stopped for a look at St Mary’s church and bell cage. Then it was off to Flatford Mill, previously owned by [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 13th OCTOBER: HEVER-COWDEN-HOATH CORNER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-13th-october-hever-cowden-hoath-corner-kent-circular/): Five intrepid walkers set off from London only to arrive at the start and find no leaders in sight.  We had been to the station, but had to park about ten minutes away. The five agreed to meet the leaders halfway.  We set out on a sultry day with the crows singing Enrico Morricone spaghetti western tunes, as the sweat poured out of the follicle challenged leader’s head. The walk took us through sunny autumnal scenes and a vista of surrounding hills, meadows and woodland. We also passed through the historic hamlet of Bassetts with several 16th century timbered buildings.  [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 6 October 2018: Hampton Court to Teddington and Richmond - Linear](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-6-october-2018-hampton-court-zone-6-to-teddington-zone-6-to-richmond-zone-4-linear/): Although it was rather wet, we had a pleasant short walk along the Thames from Hampton Wick, saw all the boats and had a nice lunch at &#8216;Tide End Cottage&#8217; next to the Anglers Pub. Solvig joined us for lunch, after which we continued on towards Richmond. It was a shame about the rail strike but despite all the difficulties we were able to enjoy each others company and get some much needed weekend exercise. Rob Photo by brian gillman, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54092578
- [Sunday 23 September 2018: Chess Valley - Rickmansworth to Chesham (Linear)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-23-september-2018-chess-valley-rickmansworth-zone-7-to-chesham-zone-9-linear/): Five intrepid walkers met at Marylebone station togged up for the dire wet weather which was forecast and which we had already experienced on our respective ways from home, not seriously expecting to meet any other Polyrambler at the station! However the sky lightened up as the train made its way to Rickmansworth where we met up with Gillian and Stuart. The morning was still wet but we made good headway along the Chess valley. The Chess was
- [Saturday 15 September 2018: WANBOROUGH to GODALMING (LINEAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-15th-wanborough-to-godalming-linear/): Because of a train strike, Wanborough station was shut, so 13 Polyramblers took the train to Guildford and the bus to Normandy (don&#8217;t know the origin of the name and Wikipedia is vague about it) and walked to the start of the ramble at Wanborough station. It was a lovely sunny day and, after following field hedges, we reached Wanborough great barn, built 630 years ago by the Cistercian monks of Waverley Abbey. It was heritage open day so we were able to visit the barn but no time to have coffee and cake in the lovely church. We walked uphill along [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 8 September 2018: Osterley (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-8th-osterley-circular-zone-4/): On a bright Saturday morning, with the promise of a coffee and toilet stop after 15 minutes, twelve Polyramblers set off from the station heading for Osterley Park. Shortly after entering the park the grand facade of the sixteenth century Osterley Park House came into view. Sadly, both the house and its tearoom were closed for filming of ‘The Crown’ but we were able to use the toilets. Leaving the park, a short walk through Norwood Green passing the
- [Saturday 1st September 2018: GREAT MISSENDEN (CIRCULAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-1st-september-gt-missenden-circular/): Sixteen walkers turned out on the first day of autumn on a beautiful sunny day for a walk from Great Missenden. We headed west along field edges and through woodland. It was good to see the landscape so green after the prolonged dry spell but the absence of mud was also very welcome. We picked hazelnuts and the last of the blackberries and watched the red kites overhead.  After a few miles we headed steeply downhill to reach our lunch stop, The Gate, in the village of Bryant&#8217;s Bottom, located, as the name suggests,  at the
- [SUNDAY 19th: MARGATE to RAMSGATE via BROADSTAIRS (LINEAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-19th-margate-to-ramsgate-via-broadstairs-linear/): The forecast was for a cloudy day but, in the end, we had sunshine for most of the day. After a pleasant journey on HS1, 15 Polyramblers alighted in Margate. We walked along or on top of low chalk cliffs passing Fulsam Rock, Walpole Rocks and Long Nose Spit and nice beaches with beautiful sand in Palm Bay, Botany Bay, Kingsgate Bay and its Castle and Joss Bay. We continued to Broadstairs &#8211; Charles Dickens’ favourite holiday spot – which was quite crowded.  We saw his house and ate in his pub. Some of us also had an ice cream [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 11th AUGUST:  BARNES BRIDGE to RICHMOND and TEDDINGTON](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-11th-august-shorter-walk-barnes-bridge-to-richmond-and-possibly-to-teddington/): After welcoming a newcomer Bev, we left Barnes station at about 11:00 for a gentle walk along the Thames to Richmond arriving at about 13:30, where we stopped for a drink and something to eat. The weather was sunny in the morning with many bicycle riders and marathon runners out. At Richmond some people returned home whilst the remainder continued to Teddington via Buccleuch Gardens and Petersham Meadows along the river. Rob
- [SATURDAY 11th AUGUST 2018: MERSEA  ISLAND (CIRCULAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-11th-august-longer-walk-mersea-island-circular/): After a long but smooth journey, 8 Polyramblers arrived in West Mersea to be met by Gini who was spending the weekend with a friend who lives on Mersea. It was sunny but not too hot and the tide was coming in when we started our walk clockwise out of the small town. We passed lovely houses and were soon on the sea wall. The first part of the walk was quiet with tidal flats on one side and farmland on the other. We had our picnic lunch facing the Pyefleet
- [Saturday 4th August. Chilworth to Guildford](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-4th-august-chilworth-to-guildford/): I had been  on the point of cancelling this walk as, on the day, South Western Railway were offering a much reduced service on account of a dispute with their drivers. I decided to chance it and was pleased I did as the journey down and back for our group of 8 was barely affected. From Guildford we took a bus to Chilworth and then headed east through pleasant though generally dry, farmland.  Turning north and east, we reached Shere, a pretty village on the river Tilling with two pubs, a cafe, an ice cream parlour, a couple of shops [&hellip;]
- [July 28th. East Dean to Eastbourne](https://polyramblers.org.uk/july-28th-east-dean-to-eastbourne/): After a 90 min train journey from London, 12 members assembled on the sunny concourse of Eastbourne station. I thus directed them outside across the road to the bus stop where we boarded the 12A bus to East Dean village. We started the walk from here in still sunshine but on proceeding south onto the downs beside Went Hill, the sea came into view and what seemed like a mild gale ensued! This subsided as we descended down to Birling Gap. It was noon so I asked the party whether they wanted lunch or just a coffee stop here. The [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 21st JULY: SHAWFORD (HANTS) (CIRCULAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-21st-july-shawford-hants-circular/): As I waited for the train from Waterloo, as leader of my &#8220;Annual Hampshire Walk&#8221;, I was looking forward to seeing who got off the train.  As the train slowed there were &#8220;waves&#8221; from some of the windows, and when the train stopped out came Sandra, Mike, Pam, Irene, Val and of course lastly Geoffrey!! Having greeted each other like long lost friends we made our way down to the &#8220;Itchen Navigation Canal&#8221; for the first part of the walk.
- [DOVER TO DEAL SATURDAY 14 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/dover-to-deal-saturday-14-july/): Sixteen members of the Polyramblers walked the Saxon Shore way from Dover to Deal. The numbers were impressive as it was also the final of the women’s Wimbledon tennis championships and the football third place playoff for the World Cup. We started with the Banksy graffiti art depicting Brexit. It was painted on a building due for demolition but luckily Dover Council agreed to keep it, as it provided much needed colour to a rather run-down area.
- [Tring to Berkhamsted: 7 July](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-7-july-2018-tring-to-berkhamsted-linear/): Despite soaring temperatures and the England world cup match, 9 polyramblers turned out for the walk.  The advantage of the conditions was that there were far fewer people on the Ridgeway than would be normal and the heat was made more bearable by a gentle breeze.   Lunch in the Valiant Trouper in the pretty old village of Aldbury was excellent and as it was a football-free zone (i.e. no TV) there weren&#8217;t many customers so we were very well taken care of.
- [GORING TO PANGBOURNE - 30 JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/goring-to-pangbourne-30-june/): It was a hot day to walk 13 miles with no pub until the end but that didn&#8217;t deter 11 Poly Ramblers. Led by Jackie, we started at Goring and were soon heading uphill through woods to arrive on a ridge.  Much of the walk was in woodland, which was just as well as the sun was roasting out in the open.  Stuart had intended to do a shorter, lower level walk but we kept bumping into him around every corner so in the end he stuck with us.  After a nervy encounter with a frisky group of young heifers [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 1st July. Watford to Rickmansworth](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-1st-july-watford-to-rickmansworth/): For the second walk on a hot and sunny weekend, thirteen ramblers gathered at Watford Tube Station for a &#8216;strollers&#8217; walk towards Rickmansworth. The length of five miles was immediately added to by a few hundred yards taken in the wrong direction by the leader before he realised his mistake! After the false start, we entered a busy Cassiobury Park and went towards the Grand Union Canal which runs through it. We joined the towpath and headed south. The promised kingfishers did not appear but we did see a moorhen and a dead carp!
- [Icknield Way stage 8 - Icklingham to Knettishall Heath](https://polyramblers.org.uk/icknield-way-stage-8-icklingham-to-knettishall-heath/): Twelve Poly Ramblers convened at Liverpool Street last Saturday, a last minute change of terminus after we discovered the day before that the train we had intended to catch from Kings Cross had been deleted from the timetable. All went smoothly en route other than a jobs-worth ticket inspector giving some of our group a ticking off for having tickets that were only valid on the Cambridge route.
- [Saturday 23 June 2018: Saxon Shore Way (1) - Gravesend to High Halstow (Linear)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-23-may-2018-saxon-shore-way-1-gravesend-to-high-halstow-linear/): Nine Polyramblers for this Kent walk on a hot and sunny day. After leaving Gravesend and its industrial estate, we walked along the Thames and marshlands described in the map as « danger area ». But Martin reassured us by saying that the army range is only used during the week. It was quiet and we only met a couple of fishermen and hordes of horses with their foals. We passed a fort built by General Gordon before Higham Creek.  The path near Cliffe Fort was quite overgrown. We turned inland along Cliffe Creek and Cliffe Pools RSPB Nature Reserve [&hellip;]
- [Wednesday 20 June 2018: Evening walk in Clerkenwell](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wednesday-20-june-2018-evening-walk-in-clerkenwell/): 17 walkers for this London walk on a lovely summer evening starting from Farringdon, one of the earliest stations to be completed (1863). We made our way to the Clerk’s Well which was rediscovered in 1924 during building work. The walk then took us to the Sessions House &#8211; which is now a Masonic Hall, the Marx Memorial Library (it was originally an 18th century school for poor Welsh children and later was the home of &#8217;20th Century Press&#8217; where Lenin published), the old Hugh Myddleton School (named
- [Saturday 9 June 2018 : PLUMPTON to HASSOCKS (LINEAR).](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-june-9th-plumpton-to-hassocks-linear/): Saturday&#8217;s walk was beautiful, combining flat paths through summer meadows with the glories of the South downs. We were well rewarded after our two mighty slogs up onto the South Downs Way by views either side &amp; lark song, then lovely chalk paths down to the valleys &amp; refreshment stops. The tea shop in Ditchling will be forever remembered as the place where Sunita gave the tea 10/10. This has always seemed an academic number, no tea could ever be that good, but she stood firm so Ditchling is a place to remember &amp; return to. It seemed a shame [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 2nd June. Penshurst area (Kent)  circular.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-2nd-june-penshurst-area-kent-circular/): 13 Polyramblers for this 10 mile walk on a cloudy day which became brighter and quite hot as the day progressed. We started with a gentle slope to reach the ridge which we followed to Stone Cross and continued along the Wealdway path to Fordcombe. We resisted the temptation to stop in the pub for an early drink. We momentarily lost 3 ramblers but found them again. We walked through meadows to reach the river Medway which we followed for a while until we crossed it. We then walked along a farm track and up a steep hill at the [&hellip;]
- [Spring Bank Holiday 2018: Bad Reichenhall (Bavaria)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-25-tuesday-29-may-2018-bad-reichenhall-bavaria/): On Friday night, 25 Polyramblers met at the Wieninger Schwabenbrau restaurant in Bad Reichenhall for a nice dinner after travelling there by different means. The main party had reached Salzburg at lunchtime and, after a pleasant bus trip, arrived in Bad Reichenhall. After settling in our room in the Vier Jahreszeiten (4 seasons) hotel, we had lunch at Cafe Reber where the cakes are to die for. Then some of us visited the old salt works while others went to the spa. We met late afternoon for a tour of the very nice town. We went to the Royal Spa [&hellip;]
- [13th May. Saunderton circular via West Wycombe](https://polyramblers.org.uk/13th-may-saunderton-circular-via-west-wycombe/): On a greyish but dry morning 8 Polys met at Marylebone station and 3 more joined them at Saunderton, having driven. We set off and encountered a few muddy sections but the weather improved as we progressed. After navigating, with a little difficulty as the path was partly water logged, through the woods on Naphill Hill common, we reached Hughendon Manor (where Disraeli had lived). Some picnicked in the pretty gardens while others partook of the home made dishes served in the cafe.
- [EPPING FOREST (CIRCULAR)  with the LONDON BLIND RAMBLERS 22 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-22nd-april-epping-forest-circular-with-the-london-blind-ramblers/): Twenty-seven  excited,  noisy, uncontrollable  walkers  met (eventually) at the station at Theydon Bois (according to the Oxford Dictionary of British Place Names &#8220;Probably &#8220;valley where thatching materials are got&#8221; plus manorial suffix from the &#8220;de Bosco&#8221; or &#8220;Boys&#8221; family, here in the 12th century&#8221;) for what turned out to be a delightful walk in the warm summery April sunshine. Just a light breeze to keep us cool. Once we had negotiated a narrow path beside a treacherous ditch and our only steep although not very long climb and crossing the M25 (thoughts of Gerald) we were soon in the dappled [&hellip;]
- [ICKNIELD WAY STAGE SEVEN: DULLINGHAM to ICKLINGHAM](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-sunday-28-29th-icknield-way-stage-seven-dullingham-to-icklingham-linear/): Eleven of the Icknield Way stalwarts gathered at Kings Cross for the journey to Dullingham via Cambridge and Newmarket. We were sorry to be missing Mike who had a knee injury and Mary and Anna who had other commitments.  We managed to alight the train without leaving any personal belongings behind and set off at pace to retrace our steps for over a mile to the point where we left the path last June. The weather forecast was so awful that we were thankful that it was only drizzling, but many of us wore gloves. We arrived in the village [&hellip;]
- [A  LIVERY HALLS EVENING WALK - 18TH APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wednesday-18th-april-evening-a-livery-halls-walk-linear/): 15 Polyramblers started from Blackfriars station on a warm, sunny evening, more like summer than April. There are 110 livery companies of the City of London and 39 of them maintain their sometimes elaborate and historic halls.  Many were destroyed in the Great London Fire of 1666 and during the Blitz and have been rebuilt 2 or 3 times.  We took in some of the halls starting with the Apothecaries, the Stationers and Newspaper Makers (Grade 1 listed building), Cutlers – with a frieze depicting the work of a cutler &#8211; and Haberdashers. We walked along streets with interesting names [&hellip;]
- [HENLEY ON THAMES CIRCULAR:14 April](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-14th-april-shiplake-and-sonning-berks-oxon-borderscircular/): Having to abandon my Shiplake ramble, where I was told by a local that the river path was under 6 inches of water, and seeing a whole school playing field submerged, I found an old favourite walk in the area which I could take &#8220;off the peg&#8221;.  As I set out on the day it was quite cool and overcast, but after a first mile of travel a hazy sun gradually appeared. At Paddington station I was greeted in dribs and drabs by 11 other Polyramblers, and we all boarded the 0942 train for Twyford. This is one of the [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 7th April. East Grinstead circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-7th-april-east-grinstead-circular/): I’ve led this walk in the past and did a walkover in February expecting it to be straightforward. Unfortunately a combination of a wet winter and construction traffic for a new water main meant that large sections of the afternoon walk were verging on the impassable. I devised some slightly less glutinous deviations and hoped for  drier weather in the intervening weeks. No such luck. A respectable 15 of us got off the train at East Grinstead on a dry morning with promise of occasional sunshine later. Passing through the town centre with its interesting mix of historic buildings, we [&hellip;]
- [Easter Saturday: Black Park and Langley Park (Berkshire)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/easter-saturday-31-march-2018-black-park-and-langley-park-berkshire/): Danny kept up his usual standard for Easter Saturday, attracting a crowd of 24 walkers to Langley in spite of very uninviting weather.  After a short walk along the canal we headed into the vast Langley Park Estate, once home to the Duke of Marlborough, with a lake designed by Capability Brown, an arboretum and rhododendron gardens. Admittedly it wasn&#8217;t the best type of day to appreciate these features but the weather gradually improved and the walking was easy with only muddy paths to contend with.  After five miles we left the park and headed for lunch at the Crooked [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 24 March 2018: Berkhamsted (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-24-march-2018-berkhamsted-circular/): Our first Spring walk was foggy and felt quite autumnal but at least it stayed dry.  The walk was in the Chilterns, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and in Hertfordshire,  the county of opportunity.  After leaving the station, 9 Polyramblers were soon in the countryside, walking in a valley before crossing Frithsden Beeches and reaching the Golden Valley in the Ashridge Estate, well named
- [Friday 16 to Sunday 18 March 2018: YHA Weekend, Street, Somerset](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-16-to-sunday-18-february-2018-yha-weekend-street-somerset/): After a train and bus/coach journey, we arrived at the Street youth hostel, the oldest hostel in the South West opened in 1931.  It is an alpine style chalet on the brow of a hill overlooking Glastonbury Tor and the Somerset Levels.  Geoffrey had baked banana cakes so we had tea and cake while waiting for our food delivery and then went to explore Street.  There was a bread shortage at Ocado but,
- [Saturday 10th March. Walthamstow village and wetlands. Linear.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-10th-march-walthamstow-village-and-wetlands-linear/): It was a grey day that threatened rain but 17 Polyramblers turned up. We started our walk in the conservation area, stopping briefly in the Vestry House museum before continuing through Walthamstow village and its pretty shops. We passed the Nag’s Head and the Ancient House before going in St Mary’s church where we had a nice welcome and were told about the history of the church. We saw the
- [Saturday 3rd March: Annual General Meeting](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-3rd-march-annual-general-meeting/): Despite the bad weather the week before the AGM, there was a good attendance at this event.  Mike chaired the meeting as Christine, our President, could not be present because of a bad cold.  There was a minute silence to honour two Polyramblers who passed away  recently: Margaret Lanham, one of our Vice-Presidents, and Pat House.  The minutes of the previous AGM were approved and there was an update on matters arising.  The Committee had
- [24th February. Hampstead Heath](https://polyramblers.org.uk/24th-february-hampstead-heath/): On a sunny, chilly winter morning 4 of us went on a circular walk around Hampstead Heath. The weather was great for this time of the year. Blue sky with a few wisps of clouds, and gentle wind blowing. The air was cold, but comfortable to walk. We passed part of the village, then Hampstead Ponds, Parliament Hill, Highgate Ponds before we stopped for lunch at Kenwood House, and visited
- [Saturday 24th February: Haslemere circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-24th-longer-walk-haslemere-circular/): It was a  lovely sunny morning as 12 of us assembled at Haslemere Station. The train journey down had been busy with  groups of  walkers, runners and cyclists taking advantage of one of the few days of good weather that 2018 has given us. We set off in a south-westerly direction , looping round to Fernhurst via  attractive wood and heathland. Here we lunched well at the Red Lion, an attractive
- [Saturday 17th February, Gillingham (Kent) to Rainham.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-17th-february-gillingham-kent-to-rainham/): There were 15 of us on the train to Gillingham, much heartened by there being a blue sky and even a weak sun, the first time on a walk for many weeks. Heading north from the station, we crossed over the disused railway line that leads down to Brompton Barracks and Chatham Dockyard. Shortly after our first glimpse of the Medway, we passed  the lovely parish church of St Mary Magdalene, set in an
- [Saturday 10th February. Gerrards Cross circular.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-10th-february-gerrards-cross-circular-2/): It was supposed to rain only in the afternoon, but it rained all day. It was however not as muddy as it could have been, compared with other recent walks. The pub was nice, and the scenery was very pleasant for a walk so close to London. On the way back through Bulstrode Park, we were greeted by a large herd of horses.
- [Saturday 3rd February. Woldingham to Oxted](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-3rd-february-woldingham-to-oxted/): Remarkably, 17 brave souls and 1 dog turned out on a wet day for a walk from Woldingham with an absolute guarantee of mud. I had altered the morning route to avoid some of the worst of it, and this involved some lane walking. At the North Downs Way viewpoint, high above the M25, we encountered an even larger group from the Southbank Ramblers who were doing a similar walk and stopping in the same pub. We sped on and arrived before them, only to find that they were short staffed in the kitchen and some dishes arrived late. However, [&hellip;]
- [ST. MARGARET'S (Herts.) (CIRCULAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-27th-january-st-margarets-herts-circular/): Despite the grey weather and the bus replacement service, 11 Polyramblers turned up for this Hertfordshire walk. We went along the river Lee navigation and stopped to watch birds on the reservoir, then followed farm tracks along fields, passing Morley Hall, its moat and impressive treehouse. We reached Wareside for lunch where we had a warm welcome and lovely home-cooked food served in generous portions in the White Horse pub. Joyanna joined us as we
- [Leith Hill circular in the mist and mud](https://polyramblers.org.uk/leith-hill-circular-in-the-mud/): Nine Polyramblers reached the very nice Plough Inn for lunch, although three arrived before the rest after an email malfunction!  I decided after the walkover to start an hour later, but Harriet, Irene and Valeria never received the email notifying members about the change. The nine of us left the nice and warm pub to face the mud, rain and gathering mist, which made for a walk in the woods more akin to a Hammer horror film than walking up to Leith Hill.
- [SNOW-WALKING WEEKEND  IN BAVARIA](https://polyramblers.org.uk/snow-walking-weekend-in-bavaria-12-15-january-2018/): After flying to Munich and a smooth train journey to Fischen, 12 Polyramblers arrived in gastehaus Luitz-Kennerknecht where we received a very warm welcome. Instead of doing a walk around Fischen, we drank beer in the lounge with our hosts (Katja, Alex and their parents) and had a lovely glass of apricot schnapps. We had a nice dinner in Beim Kreuzwirt (booked by our hosts) accompanied by a musician and his accordion. Back at the guesthouse, a few of us had a nightcap while the rest went to bed after a long day of travel.
- [HENLEY CIRCULAR WALK: SUNDAY 7 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/henley-circular-walk-sunday-7-january/): Report by Susan. Photos by Pam Two ramblers and I set off on the 9.15 train from Paddington and were joined by 3 more polys and Teddy the dog at Ealing Broadway. Geoffrey, who had driven, joined us at Henley-on-Thames station. After walking a few minutes along the river, we branched off through the town and then onto the Oxfordshire Way footpath. We were lucky as although the wind was sometimes a little bracing, it was sunny all day. After a gentle climb we made our way along the
- [Saturday 30 December 2017: Stanmore to Pinner (Linear)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-30-december-2017-stanmore-to-pinner-linear/): Thirteen Poly Ramblers gathered at Stanmore on a mild and breezy Saturday morning to try to walk off the Christmas excess.   We headed up Stanmore Hill, passing some impressive properties, and then across Stanmore common, the Bentley Priory nature reserve where we saw deer in the enclosure, and on to Harrow Weald Common. We walked through the grounds of the Grimsdyke Hotel
- [Saturday 16 December 2017: St Albans Cathedral and  Carols](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-10-december-2017-st-albans-with-cathedral-visit-and-possible-carols/): The day started with sunshine and 19 Polyramblers. A few of us reminisced about the walk we did in St Albans in December 2010, led by Danny, when snow started falling when we went into the pub for lunch and, when we came out everything was white and magical.  A photo taken by Stuart that day ended up as one of the Club&#8217;s Christmas cards.  But, this year, the snow that had fallen the
- [Sunday 10th, Club Christmas lunch, Freemasons Arms, Covent Garden](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-10th-club-christmas-lunch-freemasons-arms-covent-garden/): Back to the old favourite after a less than successful change of venue last year.   15 Polyramblers met at Tower Hill for a short pre-lunch walk on a very cold and snowy day.   It was a slushy and slidy walk over Tower Bridge, along the South Bank to the Millenium Bridge and through Middle Temple and Lincoln&#8217;s Inn Fields to Long Acre.  Then 37 Polyramblers met at the Freemasons Arms for the annual Club Christmas lunch.
- [Saturday 2 December 2017: East Finchley to the Woodberry Weltlands Centre](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-2-december-2017-east-finchley-to-the-woodberry-weltlands-centre/): It was a grey but mild and dry morning when we set out from East Finchley tube station. We had a good turnout – there were 18 of us including late arrival Danny. Our gentle stroll started out through two pretty woods, Cherry Tree and Highgate woods and then proceeded along a disused railway line, the Parkland Walk Way, a very popular footpath with local families, dog walkers and joggers. The walkway
- [BEACONSFIELD CIRCULAR - SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/beaconsfield-circular-saturday-25-november/): A perfect late autumn  morning in the Chilterns with blue sky and sunshine and frost on the ground attracted 11 Poly Ramblers on Saturday. The walk was surprisingly level and took us through woods and field edge paths east from Beaconsfield to the village of Seer Green and then north to the 250 acre Hodgemoor Woods. It is easy to get lost in woods and Stuart and I almost managed it, having taken the wrong fork early on. But we managed to retrieve the situation with help from the GPS and were soon back on track heading down to the [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 18th November, Boxhill to Dorking](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-18th-november-boxhill-to-dorking/): Another fine autumn walk enjoyed by 8 Polyramblers on a day which remained mild and misty, with only the odd spot of rain. At Box Hill and West Humble station, there was a very large walking party assembling but we set off and never saw them again. We walked through Denbies vineyard and up onto Ranmore Common with great views over Dorking and Box Hill. The trees were a glorious colour and we had a carpet of autumn leaves underfoot. Dropping down into the valley, we passed Milton Court, a Grade II listed 17thC house, now the UK HQ of [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 11th November. Epping Forest](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-11th-november-epping-forest/): Twelve Polyramblers braved the drizzle, coming from near and far to meet on the edge of Epping Forest.  We were lucky with the weather. The drizzle dried up and we even had some sunshine later in the day. We kept gasping at the stunning autumn colours as we puffed up and down the promised undulations! I didn&#8217;t see any sloes and only a few bracket fungi and one cluster of possible false death caps (?) but we decided the other fungi must be covered with the thick carpet of copper-coloured leaves (beech, hornbeam, oak etc.). We did see two tree-loads [&hellip;]
- [SWANLEY CIRCULAR WALK - 4 NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/swanley-circular-walk-4-november/): Eight Poly Ramblers turned out on a wet and murky Saturday morning for a walk on the borders of Kent and South East London. By the time we alighted the train at Swanley the rain had subsided to a drizzle and we headed off led by Peter along quiet lanes and across muddy fields. After 3 miles we arrived at the Five Bells in Chelsfield where the staff were very friendly and five of us enjoyed a good meal. After lunch Sandy and Nigel decided to call it a day and we left
- [Friday 6 to Monday 9 October 2017: Weekend in Barmouth (Wales)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-6-to-monday-9-october-2017-weekend-in-barmouth-wales/): Friday: After a long but scenic train journey, 18 Polyramblers arrived in Barmouth on a sunny afternoon for our autumn weekend. After settling in our different B&amp;Bs, we did an orientation walk that was more challenging than usual, especially for the Strollers. We walked up to St John&#8217;s church then up a steep hill to Dinas Oleu, the first land donated to the National Trust and up again to the Frenchman&#8217; grave. We came down through the little alleyways of
- [SATURDAY 28th: BISHOP'S STORTFORD to HARLOW MILL (LINEAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-28th-bishops-stortford-to-harlow-mill-linear/): 15 Polyramblers on this pleasant walk along the Stort Navigation. The day started a bit nippy but soon turned warmer, if a bit cloudy. Within 5 minutes of leaving the station, we were along the canal. After the first lock, the walk became more rural, passing Rush Mead Nature Reserve. The canal was busy with fishermen and narrow boats whose owners were getting their boats ready for the winter or enjoying a warm autumn day. We stopped to admire some Highland cattle in a field. We continued along the canal, passing a few more locks until we reached Sawbridgeworth with [&hellip;]
- [Thursday 26 October 2017 - Evening walk in Pimlico](https://polyramblers.org.uk/thursday-26-october-2017-evening-walk-in-pimlico/): It was drizzling and dark so I thought nobody would turn up for the walk. I should have known better! Nothing stops the Polyramblers! There were 11 of us on the walk. We crossed Vauxhall Bridge without seeing the bronze statues on both sides, passed the Tyburn River outfall, Pimlico Garden with the statue of William Huskinsson MP, who was run down by George Stephenson’s Rocket, and St
- [Saturday 21st  October. Barbara's Hampstead Heath walk](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-23rd-october-hampstead-heath/): On the sunny, windy autumn day 11 of us went on the circular Hampstead Heath walk. The walk was repeated on the request of walkers participating in this &#8216;adventure&#8217; on August 5th. The route was almost the same, but the scenery was very much different. It was Autumn spectacle! The leaves of deciduous trees and some shrubs were changing its original colour to a glorious shades of gold,
- [SATURDAY 21st OCTOBER:  BENTLEY to FARNHAM](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-21st-longer-walk-bentley-to-farnham-linear/): Despite dire warnings of pouring rain, weather bombs, storm Brian etc, 9 of us + one small dog screwed up our courage &amp; went on the walk. As it  happened there was very little rain &amp; what there was came mostly at lunch time which hardly mattered. The terrifying gale &amp; flying trees didn&#8217;t happen either which was fortunate as the walk was mostly in woodland; there was just the pleasant sound of
- [HOVE TO BRIGHTON WALK - 7 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-7th-short-walk-hove-to-brighton/): A Day of Contrasts! Rob, Rosie Anna and Solvig set off for Hove &#8211; 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&#8217;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!
- [Friday 25 to Tuesday 29 August 2017 - Bank holiday walking weekend based in Exeter](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-25-to-tuesday-29-august-2017-bank-holiday-walking-weekend-based-in-exeter/): Friday 25 August 2017 40 Polyramblers for this weekend in sunny Devon. After a train journey to Exeter St Davids, we took taxis to our accommodation in Holland Hall at the University of Exeter. We did an orientation walk on the campus and took the bus to central Exeter for a walk to the cathedral and the Quayside area then went back to our lodgings by bus. We had a nice evening meal in Holland Hall dining room and went to bed looking forward to 3 daily walk options.
- [Saturday 30 September 2017: Chorleywood (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-30-september-2017-chorleywood-circular/): 13 Polyramblers and Daisy the dog on this lovely 8.5 mile walk on the edge of the Chilterns. The weather was sunny despite the forecast for clouds and rain. We headed through Chorleywood Common and walked through woodland and countryside before crossing the M25.   Before joining the Colne Valley Regional Park, we passed an antique shop selling an elephant and a giraffe.  We
- [Walks Programme - October 2017 to January 2018](https://polyramblers.org.uk/walks-programme-october-2017-to-january-2018/): Click on the link below to download the latest walks programme PR walks prog Oct 2017 &#8211; Jan 2018
- [Saturday 23rd September. Holmwood circular via Leith Hill](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-23rd-september-holmwood-circular-via-leith-hill/): Five polyramblers met up at Victoria for the 9.31 train which left on time.  An hour later we all alignted at Holmwood station, an unstaffed halt, situated in the village of Beare Green. I had to warn the party that the last train back to Victoria was 18.19, however with the walk being down as less than 7 miles, it should be OK without resorting to contingency. 
- [SUNDAY 24th September: Balcombe circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-24th-september-balcombe-circular/): Eight Polyramblers for a lovely walk in Sussex on a nice Indian summer day.  The walk was undulating through fields and woodlands to Nymans, a National Trust property.  We did not see the Japanese pavilion mentioned in the walk description &#8211; it was perhaps hidden behind the trees.  We reached Handcross and stopped for a drink in the Royal Oak Inn
- [SUNDAY 10 SEPTEMBER: KNOCKHOLT CIRCULAR WITH LONDON BLIND RAMBLERS](https://polyramblers.org.uk/circular-walk-from-knockholt-with-london-blind-ramblers/): Our second walk with the London Blind Ramblers this year, this time  the &#8216;elite&#8217; 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
- [Saturday August 5th, Hampstead circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-august-5th-hampstead-circular/): On a  sunny morning 9 of us started the Circular walk from Hampstead tube station. We walked through Hampstead Village, attractive woodlands, Heath Ponds ascending the summit of Parliament Hill. In spite of a gentle mist and drizzle on the hill, we still had a magnificent panorama view over Central London. We continued the leisurely walk along Highgate Ponds before reaching Kenwood House for lunch. At this point Hazel departed from the group. After lunch and visit to Art Collection in Kenwood House, we headed towards Barbara Hepworth&#8217;s and Henry Moore&#8217;s sculptures. Then onwards to the Wood Pond in the valley [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 5th August. Alton circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-5th-august-alton-circular/): With the rival attraction of Barbara and Hazel&#8217;s walk, I was pleased that 8 of us turned up at Waterloo Station. It was the first day of the major upgrade of the station, involving closing 10 platforms. The normally fast trains to Alton were making additional stops so it was well after 11.00 am by the time we started our walk. The weather was dry and pleasantly warm but rain was forecast for later. A short climb from the station soon brought us to a fine view to the south, from where  our route took us to West Worldam and towards [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 29th July. Amersham circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-29th-july-amersham-circular/): 16 Polyramblers set out from Amersham station on what was a sunny morning, but with heavy rain forecast for later in the day.  We walked downhill through woods to Old Amersham and from there across wheat fields to the village of Coleshill.  Unfortunately, lack of concentration on my part meant  that we took the wrong path but thanks to Stuart’s local knowledge we got back on track and rejoined our path outside the village of Winchmore Hill.  From here we walked through woods and more beautiful rolling wheat fields which I think show off the Chilterns at its best and [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 22 JULY: MANNINGTREE to WRABNESS (ESSEX) (LINEAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-22-july-manningtree-to-wrabness-essex-linear/): 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 &#8211; passing old oaks including Old Knobbley &#8211; and wheat fields. We had our picnic lunch
- [SATURDAY 15th JULY: CHIGWELL to ENFIELD LOCK (LINEAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-15th-july-chigwell-to-enfield-lock-linear-loop-18-19/): 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&#8217;s Royal Hunting Lodge, built for King Henry VIII in 1543.
- [BERKHAMSTED CIRCULAR - 22 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/berkhamsted-circular-22-may/): A very pleasant walk, starting with time to explore the ruins of Berkhamsted Castle, a Norman motte and bailey castle.  We headed up on to Berkhamsted Common and then into woods, passing a WW1 trench.  A picnic lunch on logs on the edge of the impressive Ashridge College.  We got rather chilly but were rewarded with hot drinks and cake at the delightful Courtyard Cafe in the college grounds.   Any sort of eating out is a treat after so many months of lockdown.  The last part of the walk took us through Frithsden Beeches, a lovely woodland conservation area.  Eventually [&hellip;]
- [ACTON TOWN TO BOSTON MANOR - 29 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/acton-town-to-boston-manor-29-may/): Eleven Polyramblers set off from Acton Town Station on a dry, sunny day and quickly reached Gunnersbury Park recognised by English Heritage as one of the most important in the country. Both the grounds and buildings are Grade 11 listed and frequently used for filming including on the day we visited. We were told it was for series 2 of The Serpent. We strolled through the Italian Garden, past the Classical Arch, Gunnersbury House, Gothic Tower and Ruins, Orangery and through the nature reserve. Walking through Carville Hill Park and the Brentford Towers Estate took us to the Thames Path [&hellip;]
- [HARLOW TO ROYDON - 23 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/harlow-to-roydon-23-may/): Nine of us started with a short walk along the Stort navigation. Turning right we went off down a lane and across large fields of young wheat and rape seed, seas of yellow! Our boots got caked in mud but got lighter again as we went through woods with bluebells and lots of birdsong. We arrived for lunch at the pretty village of Hunsdon with typical Essex white weather boarded houses, old style water pump and lamp post.  Here we stopped for lunch at The Crown, eating our sandwiches in the pub garden.  The heavens opened soon after we left [&hellip;]
- [WELWYN NORTH TO KNEBWORTH - 15 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/welwyn-north-to-knebworth-15-may/): I was joined by eight Poly Ramblers at King’s Cross to get the 10.27 Cambridge train. We were joined at Welwyn North by two walkers who had got on at Finsbury Park and one who had parked his car at Knebworth and travelled one stop down the line. We set off from Welwyn North through the village of Digswell, and I at least was wondering when the forecast heavy rain would start. Turning off the road we went up a track beside the quaintly named River Mimram, which was hidden by trees and bushes. I had decided to shorten the [&hellip;]
- [NORTHWOOD AND RUISLIP WOODS - 16 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/northwood-and-ruislip-woods-16-may/): Fourteen Poly Ramblers and Daisy the dog set off from Northwood on Sunday morning faced with an very unpromising weather forecast.  The question was not if it would rain but for how long the rain would hold off.  My weather app suggested that an hour in the dry was the best we could hope for.  Crossing the A404 we entered the woods and then skirted Haste Hill golf course before taking a path behind some impressive properties.  In Copse Wood there were bluebells and we took a gently uphill path eventually taking us to Ducks Hill Road where we crossed [&hellip;]
- [HADLEY WOOD TO BROOKMANS PARK - 8 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hadley-wood-to-brookmans-park-8-may/): The weather forecast was for heavy rain until midday and when 10 Polyramblers set off at Hadley Wood station it was absolutely tipping it down.  I was impressed that everyone had turned up and no one had cried off because of the weather.  It goes to show just how tough we Polyramblers are.   It takes more than a drop of rain to deter us.  The footpath from the station took us into the village of Hadley Wood where we came out on to a road lined with neat and individual homes built to look like miniature palaces which I had [&hellip;]
- [EPPING FOREST CIRCULAR - 2 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/epping-forest-circular-2-may/): As anyone who has walked in a forest knows, every time is different. It depends on the weather, the time of year. The paths can be different, the trees, the birds, the ground, the sky, the traffic in the background, the planes flying overhead. This time the leaves were just coming out &#8211; that special springtime green. The birds were singing to each other. It hadn&#8217;t rained for ages so the ground was cracked and baked hard like concrete and the beech leaves looked less colourful than in autumn. We paused in Loughton Camp, the dip in the crest of [&hellip;]
- [HAMPTON COURT TO OXSHOTT - 3 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hampton-court-to-oxshott-3-may/): Ten Polys and the leader set off from Hampton Court station on a bank holiday Monday which promised gales and rain! The leader was so busy chatting that we missed a turning but quickly returned on our tracks and passed the quaint Bell Inn (1550) with its crooked architecture. The first part of the walk took us along the Mole and Ember rivers and across Molesey Heath. Here we missed some steps but we were helped by Stephen&#8217;s OS map app which saved the leader from having to get the paper version out! By the time we arrived at West [&hellip;]
- [HERTFORD AND WARE TOWNS - 1 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hertford-and-ware-towns-1-may/): The leader met a few members of the group on the train, but Danny was conspicuous by his absence.  I told them that it was his birthday the previous day and they said: “ Say no more!”.  But he got off the train in Hertford North and, after the obligatory loo stop and briefing, 10 Polyramblers set off towards Hertford town.  We walked through the castle grounds; only the gatehouse of the Royal Castle remains but it is quite impressive.  The route then visited several of Hertford’s other sights: Parliament Square, Shire Hall, the Salisbury Arms and the blue-coat Christ’s [&hellip;]
- [JULY TO SEPTEMBER WALKS PROGRAMME](https://polyramblers.org.uk/july-to-september-programme-coming-soon/): July to September walks programme web version No booking required!
- [RICKMANSWORTH CIRCULAR - 24  APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/rickmansworth-circular-24-april/): On a bright sunny morning, fourteen Polyramblers met up at Rickmansworth railway station. Following the mandatory safety briefing, the group walked round Batchworth and Bury lakes to cross the Grand Union Canal at Stockers Lock for Stockers Farm. This is where not only Black Beauty the ITV series of the early seventies was filmed but bits of Midsomer Murders, Withnail and I, Bridget Jones The Edge Of Reason, etc, as the leader then did not know. Up and down the first of the promised gentle ascents and descents, the group made its way to the outskirts of Harefield, where an enterprising [&hellip;]
- [Guildford Circular 17th April 2021](https://polyramblers.org.uk/guildford-circular-17th-april-2021/): This was the first walk since lock down in December &amp; it was a gorgeous reminder of why we would get up early on a Saturday. As we left Guildford we gazed at the curious sight of a huge hedge, sprayed with pink paint &amp; chained to the ground. Hedging being much in demand &amp; supply being short, hedge theft is big business now in Surrey &amp; householders with large front gardens take what steps they can to deter persons who come in the night with forks &amp; spades. An old sunken path took us out into fields where, being fairly flat, we saw [&hellip;]
- [chiswick and Hammersmith Circular Walk 13th Dec. 2020](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chiswick-and-hammersmaith-circular-walk-13th-dec-2020/): Ten Poly Ramblers met at Turnham Green station to begin our walk with a tour of the Bedford Park estate. (Norman Shaw architecture) A number of artists and poets lived here including WB Yeats. We then went onto Stamford Brook and into Ravenscourt Park a very traditional London Park with a lake and gardens and a tennis court. Both Danny and Sandy attended schools in the locality and shared memories of their escapades in the park. We continued to a café and toilets where at this point three of our walkers diverted into a local garden centre café whilst the [&hellip;]
- [KEW GARDENS TOUR - 19 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/kew-gardens-tour-19-december/): Jennifer, a volunteer guide at Kew Gardens, gave 4 Poly Ramblers a tour of this arboretum with its royal history.  Two stunning examples of Eucalyptus met us in the Australian section.  From Argentine, we were equally impressed by a handsome Monkey Puzzle tree. These are either male or female, known as dioecious, and this species have existing since the age of the dinosaurs.  The rugged bark of a Spanish Cork Oak was admired and the method of harvesting the cork regrowth every 10 years.  In the Californian section, there were some young Redwoods, not a patch on the natives in [&hellip;]
- [CLAPHAM COMMON TO TOOTING BEC - 12 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/clapham-common-to-tooting-bec-12-december/): Five Polys set off from Clapham Common station for a gentle walk taking in three South London commons. Two members were waiting at the wrong Clapham station, there are five altogether, but fortunately they contacted the leader who directed them to the correct one! We set off across Clapham Common passing Holy Trinity Church where William Wilberforce and his friends in the ‘Clapham Sect’, who lived around Clapham Common, worshipped while campaigning for the abolition of slavery and the moral reformation of the nation. In Broomwood Road we admired the beautiful decorative tiles in the porches of all the houses [&hellip;]
- [Nine Elms advent windows walk - 7 December](https://polyramblers.org.uk/nine-elms-advent-windows-walk-7-december/): Eight Polys met outside Battersea Park station for a stroll around the local area taking in some of the Giant Advent Calendar windows, created by local artists and organised by the Nine Elms Arts Ministry. We particularly admired the first window at The Free Masons pub opposite the station. We made our way round the Battersea Exchange development and into the Doddington Rollo estate. Here the window near the community hub stood out for its clever combination of traditional nativity scene and local aspects, including a 344 bus, created in a three dimensional cut out.  After passing the windows at [&hellip;]
- [CHESHAM/ ASHLEY GREEN CIRCULAR - SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chesham-ashley-green-circular-saturday-5-december/): Emerging from the second lockdown, 9 Polys assembled outside Chesham tube station &#8211; a 10th confirmed booking was a no-show due to a defunct clutch on the A1 &#8211; in winter sunshine (a pleasant surprise after the heavy snow briefly forecast earlier in the week) to listen to the neophyte leader’s safety briefing. He concentrated on one particular piece of road with no footways. Not sure whether he should have mentioned anything else (no &#8211; it was absolutely fine &#8211; Editor). We set off on the prescribed route, starting with a mile or so past the alleged site of a [&hellip;]
- [SUNDAY 1 NOVEMBER: UPPER WANBOROUGH TO HAYES](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-1-november-upper-wanborough-to-hayes/): Eleven polys made their way in small groups to Upper Warlingham in  Surrey. Where was the 12th member of the party? The second leader had missed the train, due to the closure of the district line and was on the next one arriving in 30 minutes! While we used the facilities at the station one at a time, we regrouped and I set off with 5 members, leaving some &#8216;faster&#8217; walkers behind to wait for their leader. After a fairly short steep climb up some earth steps we made our way through woods and farmland and after a while the [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 24 October 2020: Bayford Circular Walk (Hertfordshire)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-24-october-2020-bayford-circular-walk-hertfordshire/): From Bayford station, we walked to the lovely village of Brickendon and followed a wooded footpath northward; we then went south east through Monks Green Farm where a shooting party was getting ready. We entered Broxbourne Woods, Hertfordshire’s only National Nature Reserve, walking along a wide path until we joined the Hertfordshire Way. The woods became a pine forest where we saw lots of different mushrooms. After negotiating a quite muddy path, we stopped for a picnic lunch. We then reached the dinosaurs;
- [Leek 9 to 12 October Hikers   report](https://polyramblers.org.uk/leek-9-to-12-october/): Friday 9th October Orientation walk around Leek Staffordshire on the architectural trail. The walking trail around the town revealed the Victorian influence, many of the buildings were in the Arts and Crafts style. William Morris had an influence, spending long periods of time here as the town was a centre of silk textile industry, there is still the Leek school of embroidery here. We started our walk at the Nicholson War Memorial 90 ft high and made of Portland stone one of the highest in the country. We then explored the graveyard of St Nicholas Church where there are the [&hellip;]
- [10th October Saxon Shoreway](https://polyramblers.org.uk/10th-october-saxon-shoreway/): I was joined, alphabetically, on the walk by Anna; Harriet; Irene &amp; Les. Having taken a very slow train out of Victoria changing at Sittingbourne, we set off from Swale station with a scramble down a bank onto the fore-shore of The Swale. A drowned valley, which in Roman times would have been twice as wide, separating the Isle of Sheppey from the mainland. A cable Ferry operated for centuries from here. We were treated to the sight of the 1960 road/rail vertical lift bridge being raised to allow the passage of a yacht, and
- [GORDON HILL CIRCULAR - SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/gordon-hill-circular-saturday-26-september/): Fifteen Polyramblers, in two socially isolated groups with the Ramblers rules for outdoor physical activity events in place, set off for a 17km circular walk. Our gently undulating morning route took us through woods and open pastures, including Hillyfields Park and Whitewebbs Wood, to the medieval St Mary’s Church in the old part of the Hertfordshire town of Cheshunt. Our steepest climb was over a bridge crossing the M25 from which, despite a light shower, we had views of the Shard and Canary Wharf and spied our other group in the distance.
- [SURREY HILLS CIRCULAR - SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/surrey-hills-circular-sunday-20-september/): On one of the best days of this strange year, 12 of us set out from Box Hill &amp; Westhumble station into the gorgeous early autumn. Geoffrey &amp; his 5 walkers took a slightly more leisurely approach &amp; Harriet&#8217;s group went off first &amp; bit more swiftly so as to keep an appropriate distance. It was a beautiful morning with a slightly autumnal smell in the air but still hot enough to feel that the world wasn&#8217;t yet closing down for winter. We were seduced by a refreshment van at Ranmore Common, the feeling being that we
- [REGENTS PARK CIRCULAR - SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/regents-park-circular-saturday-12-september/): Leaders: Gillian Williams and Cathy Morrisroe. We left Regents Park Tube Station in 2 groups of six with a staggered start. Turning left we admired Park Crescent which was originally planned by Nash and was renovated in the 1960’s. The walk was varied and had some special moments, such as hearing about the “Nannie’s Tunnel” running under The Marylebone Road connecting Park Crescent with Park Square.
- [OTFORD CIRCULAR - SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/otford-circular-saturday-5-september/): 12 Polyramblers set off from Otford station and after the leader missed the turning (she was talking) they found the correct path and ascended fairly steeply up to the North Downs. After passing through the woods we were able to admire some beautiful views over the valley below. Later in the day we were able to see over to Canary Wharf. The sun came out in time for our picnic in a field fortunately devoid of cattle, despite the warning sign that animals could be present. We continued up and down through woods and
- [CHARTRIDGE HILLS AND VALES - 22 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chartridge-hills-and-vales-22-august/): As the title suggests, this walk involved a number of ascents and descents in and out of the valleys to the west of Chesham.  At the station the ten walkers split into two groups with a leader each and we headed off.  Within five minutes Stuart&#8217;s group were no longer in sight, lost in the not very socially distanced Saturday market,  and phone calls were needed to re-establish contact.  Once on the right route we were soon out of the crowds and passing Bury Farm.  Then on a single track. country lane that had been quiet on the walkover
- [Hampton Court to Fullwell](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hampton-court-to-fullwell/): Seven Polys plus leaders Sandra and myself  met at Hampton Court station. A surprising number of people got off the train, this due to a bank holiday fair in the palace grounds. We hadn’t seen each other in person for 6 months and comparing notes, we all seemed to be in the cautious category regarding the Virus.It was a touch autumnal and crossing the Thames bridge towards the palace, some of us already wished we had brought our gloves. Turning down the towpath towards Kingston, we were amazed to see 3 women swimming in the river. They were towing orange [&hellip;]
- [Circular Canal walk from West Drayton via Little Britain Lake and Uxbridge](https://polyramblers.org.uk/circular-canal-walk-from-west-drayton-via-little-britain-lake-and-uxbridge/): Five Polyramblers met at West Drayton Station with our organiser Val who lead the way down Drayton High street to Trout Lane and onto the canal. I was saddened to see the significant amount of rubbish in this area, however this did not detract from the interest of the canal. There were large numbers of narrow boats, and lots of coots and swans with their youngsters. We walked along to the Packet Boat bridge to detour onto the Little Britain lake. We wandered around the lake where there were a number of people fishing and it was lovely to watch [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 15th August Little Chalfont to Latimer 9 miles circular walk](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-15th-august-little-chalfont-to-latimer-9-miles-circular-walk/): Twelve ramblers met at Little Chalfont and Latimer station to begin our walk. It had rained the night before so unusually there was some mud underfoot.We walked through some woods and then followed the waymarked path over fields until we reached the river Chess. We admired a view of the tall gables of  Latimer House on route. We followed the Chess path stopping to admire a cormorant before stopping for some elevenses at Latimer village Green. Carol had thoughtfully made some ginger flapjacks for us. We continued to the Water Cress farm and climbed the one moderately steep hill of [&hellip;]
- [BARNES BRIDGE CIRCULAR SATURDAY 15 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/barnes-bridge-circular-walk-saturday-15-august/): On a rather muggy, grey day 12 Polys set off from Barnes Bridge station in two groups of six. The south Thames path was unusually quiet and there weren&#8217;t too many cyclists and joggers for once. The second group with Susan caught up with the first group lead by Danny at Hammersmith Bridge ( we later learnt that they had detoured to the Leg of Mutton reservoir). We passed  the Harrods Furniture Depository, now a residential complex, before reaching the boathouses at Putney. There was some discussion between a few of us as to which geese we were observing, Canada, [&hellip;]
- [News from Grazalema](https://polyramblers.org.uk/news-from-grazalema/): As most of you know, the club had a trip here in June 2015 and this is where our web master Clive lives. I’ve been in touch with him on and off since March. At the beginning, it seemed that the village was isolated from the virus, although there were cases in Ronda. Things have become progressively gloomier over the last 6 months and here’s his latest on how things are in the village. Businesses over here are dropping like flies… I think now the penny has dropped exactly how much they relied on the UK, German and US visitors… [&hellip;]
- [2nd August ChiltERNs Walk the Ridgeway South of Wendover](https://polyramblers.org.uk/2nd-august-chiltons-walk-the-ridgeway-south-of-wendover/): Ten ramblers led by two walkers at specified distances started from Wendover station. We wended our way up Balcombe Hill and arrived at the Coombe Hill Memorial built in commemoration of the Boer War. It was a very clear day and we had a really good view of the surrounding area including a glimpse of Chequers. We were relieved to move out of the sun and walk through an ancient Chilterns beech wood following the Ridgeway signage until we emerged into open fields reaching the outskirts of Little Hampden
- [DOWNE CIRCULAR - SATURDAY 8 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/downe-circular-saturday-8-august/): Six Polys arrived in Downe by various means.  The most privileged being Melida who was chauffeured by her daughter. We set off from Downe going past the unseasonably named Xmas Tree Farm and on through Downe Bank nature reserve. The walk had a quite variable in terrain with a mixture of undulating meadows and woods.  We continued to our picnic stop at the 11th century Knockholt church being constantly buzzed by two Spitfires flying out from the nearby Biggin Hill aerodrome.
- [Saturday 8 August 2020: Brookmans Park Circular (Hertfordshire)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-8-august-2020-brookmans-park-circular-hertfordshire/): Ten Polyramblers and two leaders met at Brookmans Park station on a very hot day. Ladies were quite envious of Dolly who turned up in a long floaty dress. After a safety briefing and a warning that we would cross the A1 twice (over a bridge), one group led by Tony (roped in to help) left and the second group led by Dominique left five minutes later. We headed west towards the back of the Royal Veterinary College mostly under the cover of hedgerows which shielded us from the heat. We crossed Mimmshall Brook and the A1
- [WENDOVER CIRCULAR - 2 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wendover-circular-2-august/): A perfect day for walking last Sunday when ten Poly Ramblers gathered (in a socially distanced way) at Wendover station.  Hilary split us into two groups and we set off with Rochelle’s group following a short distance behind.  A gentle climb up Coombe Hill rewarded us with great views over the Vale of Aylesbury. We paused at the Boer War monument at the top and we noted that the dates referred to the second Boer War which featured in the previous
- [HAMMERSMITH/CHISWICK CIRCULAR - 1 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hammersmith-chiswick-circular-1-august/): Twelve Poly Ramblers met at Hammersmith station for a circular walk along both banks of the Thames. We split into two groups and agreed to walk in opposite directions meeting for a socially distanced lunch at Barnes Pond.   Team Danny set off along the north bank of the river past the fine, mainly eighteenth century, buildings of Hammersmith and Chiswick Malls to arrive at Chiswick Parish Church with its medieval tower. After visiting the church and Hogarth’s grave the river was left to explore the classical gardens of Chiswick House. Returning to the river a short walk along the promenade [&hellip;]
- [COWDEN CIRCULAR 26 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/cowden-circular-26-july/): The leaders arrived at Cowden station where they met Geoffrey who had driven from his sister’s home in Eastbourne.  The train arrived on time and after the necessary socialising we headed off on the walk.   A few minutes into the walk, cows from Cowden blocked our way on the other side of a stile.  Fortunately, they were of good manners and moved out of the way.
- [PRE-BOOKED SMALL GROUP WALKS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/we-are-currently-running-pre-booked-small-group-walks/): October November walks programme redacted
- [AMERSHAM/CHESHAM CIRCULAR 25 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/amersham-chesham-circular-25-july/): The weather forecast for our first small group walk, post-lockdown was not encouraging &#8211; heavy rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon. In spite of this the full complement of 12 pre-booked walkers turned up at Amersham.  In line with government guidelines we split into two groups of six and set off, initially on tree lined streets and then woodland paths with views across the Chess Valley. One walker turned back at this point but the rest continued down into the valley and back up the other side on a narrow lane. We passed some attractive farm properties at the top. [&hellip;]
- [East Grinstead circular   Virtual walk at the end  of April](https://polyramblers.org.uk/east-grinstead-circular-virtual-walk-at-the-end-of-april/): Our 10 mile walk starts through the normally busy Saturday streets of the town but we have an opportunity to socially distance ourselves from the high street and detour past the pretty church. Outside Sackville College, a Jacobean Almshouse, where all residents are currently self-isolating, we pass the statue to the NZ surgeon Archibald McIndoe who pioneered plastic surgery for WWII airmen at the local hospital. Finally, we leave the town behind and set off across mixed farm and wood land where we are bound to see bluebells at this time of year.
- [EASTER SATURDAY 2019 PERIVALE WOODS AND HORSENDEN HILL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/easter-saturday-2019-perivale-woods-and-horsenden-hill/): Thirty five polyramblers joined this lovely outer London walk, Perivale woods being the main attraction, for the blue- bells. We made our way to the Grand Union Canal.  A cyclist said to us to look out for turtles, however, couple of polyramblers confirmed that we were looking at pink ear terrapins. We arrived at Perivale Woods soon after. The blue bells were in full bloom and you could miss fragrant floral smell. We saw plenty of bird boxes and a hide. A great spot to listen to the birds, we heard wrens, blue tits, great tits, wood packer and chiffchaffe. [&hellip;]
- [EASTER SATURDAY 2018 BLACK PARK AND LANGLEY PARK](https://polyramblers.org.uk/easter-saturday-2018-black-park-and-langley-park/): Danny kept up his usual standard for Easter Saturday, attracting a crowd of 24 walkers to Langley in spite of very uninviting weather.  After a short walk along the canal we headed into the vast Langley Park Estate, once home to the Duke of Marlborough, with a lake designed by Capability Brown, an arboretum and rhododendron gardens. Admittedly it wasn&#8217;t the best type of day to appreciate these features but the weather gradually improved and the walking was easy with only muddy paths to contend with.  After five miles we left the park and headed for lunch at the Crooked [&hellip;]
- [APRIL 2019 CHRISTS HOSPITAL WEST SUSSEX](https://polyramblers.org.uk/our-programme-is-suspended/): For the second Club outing of a weather-blessed Easter weekend, seventeen ramblers alighted at Christs Hospital station for a sunny walk through bucolic Sussex countryside. First we entered a sylvan glade with the nascent River Arun running through it and ubiquitous wild garlic. Fields of bluebells then followed before we reached the old Shoreham to Guildford railway line, now a foot &amp; cycle path called the Downs Link. Fringed with dandelions in places and with views of the Low Weald, this took us to the old station house at Slinfold where we walked into the village and stopped at the [&hellip;]
- [AGM 14 March 2020](https://polyramblers.org.uk/agm-14-march-2020/): On Saturday 14 March, just ahead of the more stringent advice on social distancing, the Club held its AGM at Better Bankside.   With the increasing threat of coronavirus, the organisers had thought long and hard about whether to go ahead and email reminders had been sent out about the importance of hand washing, so I was expecting a much reduced attendance. In the event 36 members turned out, only two down on last year, and this in spite of a few older members sensibly deciding to stay at home to reduce their risk of infection. Perhaps we all had an [&hellip;]
- [BALCOMBE CIRCULAR - 7 MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/balcombe-circular-7-march/): Fifteen of us set off from Balcombe station, prepared for a day of mud. We knew what to expect &amp; were prepared, we are not fair weather walkers nor dilettantes but, thankfully, the worst was over. No one fell over, slipped into a river or had to be pulled out of a mud lake with ropes, in fact it was a lovely day! A lot of the walk was in woodland with little two-plank bridges over streams but there was some lovely meadow land too.  We also passed a gorgeous and super friendly grey tabby who got a lot of [&hellip;]
- [APRIL 2018 EAST GRINSTEAD](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-27th-to-sunday-29th-march-yha-weekend-swanage-dorset/): I’ve led this walk in the past and did a walkover in February expecting it to be straightforward. Unfortunately a combination of a wet winter and construction traffic for a new water main meant that large sections of the afternoon walk were verging on the impassable. I devised some slightly less glutinous deviations and hoped for  drier weather in the intervening weeks. No such luck. A respectable 15 of us got off the train at East Grinstead on a dry morning with promise of occasional sunshine later. Passing through the town centre with its interesting mix of historic buildings, we [&hellip;]
- [GERRARDS CROSS AND HEDGERLEY CIRCULAR - 29 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/gerrards-cross-and-hedgerley-circular-29-february/): In spite of mud and bog warnings and heavy rain for the past 24 hours, ten Poly Ramblers still turned up at Gerrards Cross on Saturday morning in sunshine punctuated by heavy showers.  We crossed the common, passing some impressive properties (including one that Andew remembered visiting),  and paused to view an Iron Age hill fort, not much to look at, I admit.
- [Sat 15 Feb - Euston to Angel](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sat-15-feb-euston-to-angel/): Saturday 15th February. 15 of us braved the weather to undertake a linear 5 mile London based walk from Euston to Angel. The walk took us round Somers Town at the back of Euston, St Pancras and Kings Cross. There are several remarkable buildings in this area, notable because of their residents, or architecture, or historical significance. They included the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, The Polygon/Oakshott Court where Dickens lived and Mary
- [Saturday 22 February 2020: Wendover (Bucks) (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-22-february-2020-wendover-bucks-circular/): 15 Polyramblers assembled at Wendover Station to join this ramble. I decided to shorten the morning&#8217;s route by 1 mile to enable us to reach the lunch pub by 2pm, and more importantly to complete the ramble in good daylight. This also gave the party time to admire the new gate donated by the club, which is a short walk down a track very close to Wendover Station approach. So instead of taking extremely muddy paths via Dunsmore and little Hampden, we took
- [Saturday 8th. Benfleet to Southend-on-sea](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-8th-benfleet-to-southend-on-sea/): I was delighted that 17 walkers turned up for this walk although I wasn’t certain they had all taken in what I had said about the mud! Some of them had been rather derogatory on the train about the Essex landscape &#8211; riverside flood plain – so they may have been surprised to see the steep street as we left the station! The footpath continued uphill through Benfleet Downs and Hadleigh Country Park, part of which was used for the Olympic Games mountain bike
- [Tuesday 4th  February Evening walk :Battersea Power Station's First Light Festival](https://polyramblers.org.uk/tuesday-4-th-february-evening-walk-battersea-power-stations-first-light-festival/): 17 Polyramblers for this evening walk starting from Sloane Square. We passed the Duke of York’s Headquarters, built to provide a home for children of soldiers’ widows, which is now the home of the Saatchi Gallery and where the Tutankhamun exhibition is taking place. Then we continued to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, built by Christopher Wren. None of the Polyramblers meet the criteria to live there. There are carol services in the Wren Chapel in December
- [1st February Guildford circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/1st-february-guildford-circular/): After a week of damp and dull weather, some improvement had been forecast and 16 of us stepped off the train into watery sunshine. A number of us hadn&#8217;t been to Guildford and were surprised to see the remains of the castle and it&#8217;s well manicured grounds, virtually in the town centre. (Yes, it is town, despite having a cathedral. City status is apparently granted by the monarch, and although applications have been made in the past,  they have been unsuccessful.)  We headed steadily uphill past increasing larger and desirable houses emerging onto Pewsey Downs. By this time the sun [&hellip;]
- [25th January Box Hill to Leatherhead](https://polyramblers.org.uk/25th-january-box-hill-to-leatherhead/): A walk of two halves on Saturday.  Fifteen Poly Ramblers, led by Harriet, alighted at Box Hill and Westhumble station along with several other walking groups.  We headed towards the stepping stones over the River Mole, but only Stuart and Chris were game to cross them as the river was quite high, the rest of the group opting for the bridge.  Then we had to tackle Box Hill itself, a long series of steep steps.  At the top we were rewarded by &#8230;&#8230;. zero visibility due to the mist.  A little later we tackled White Hill, a long series of [&hellip;]
- [17th-20th January. Snow walking in Scharnitz Austria](https://polyramblers.org.uk/tuesday-10-december-2019-evening-walk-illuminated-river/): Friday.  A small and bijou group this year with only 6 participants. We flew to Innsbruck with BA and took a bus to the station. After some dithering about lunch in Innsbruck or Scharnitz, we decided to take the train and make our way to Scharnitz. This train journey is very scenic. We checked in our B&amp;B, Gastehaus Frankenhof, and then had lunch in Gasthof Risserhof, where we received a warm welcome from the owner. She told us snow was expected during the night. We did a short walk around Scharnitz and went back to the B&amp;B for a rest. [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 11th. New Addington circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-11th-new-addington-circular-2/): A large group of 24 walkers assembled at New Addington, a further 2 having failed to make it to the tram in time. The weather was unpromising, with plenty of moisture in the air, but we were soon out into open country and grappling with paths churned up by horses and bikes. Heading south we skirted Farleigh Court golf course, passed Farleigh Court manor house with its small 11thC church. Our route then took us round Great Park estate, a large private gated development built on the site of the now demolish
- [Sat 4th January Wimbledon to Putney Heath](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sat-4th-january-wimbledon-to-putney-heath/): Twenty-six Poly Ramblers assembled at Wimbledon Station having overcome a number of problems with train cancellations. Our walk took us on a zigzag route through Wimbledon and on to Wimbledon Common. We wandered across the common following a fenced path until we reached woodland. We clambered over logs and skirted around some very muddy patches before reaching Warren Farm. After a further walk through woodland we progressed along the bank of the fast-flowing Beverley Brook. We followed the Capital
- [CHIPSTEAD CIRCULAR - 28 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chipstead-circular-28-december/): Saturday’s walk was completed under leaden skies with little or no sign of the sun, but thankfully it remained dry.  Twenty Poly Ramblers convened at Chipstead station, most looking to walk off the excesses of the previous few days.  We walked downhill past the parade of shops in the village and passed a coffee shop /wine bar which Stuart and Lorna had already discovered.  We were invited by the owner to return for lunch or afternoon tea.
- [EYNSFORD/SHOREHAM WALK AND CAROLS - 22 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/eynsford-shoreham-walk-and-carols-22-december/): On a fine morning, twelve ramblers got off the train at Eynsford and commenced a walk along the Darenth Valley. The river was in flood but fortunately the footpath was mainly clear. We saw horses &amp; highland cattle enroute and stopped at Lullingstone Roman Villa &amp; the Castle for a peak.
- [CLUB XMAS LUNCH AND WALK - 15 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/7723-2/): Twenty two Poly Ramblers gathered at Leicester Square for a walk to whet our appetites for Christmas lunch. It was not raining for a change though it was quite chilly.  Danny had planned a walk &#8216; in the footsteps of&#8217; Karl Marx, an interesting choice in the light of the  week&#8217;s events.   Marx spent the second half of his life in London and died there in 1883.
- [ILLUMINATED RIVER EVENING WALK - 10 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/illuminated-river-evening-walk-10-december/): A small group of seven  Poly Ramblers braved the wind and rain on Tuesday evening for a walk along the Thames to see the Illuminated River. Sadly, our leader was unable to join us due to a painful foot, but she provided instructions and information on the bridges and Illuminated River and sent us on our way. 
- [CHORLEYWOOD TO CHESHAM - 7 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chorleywood-to-chesham-7-december/): By the time the complete party assembled at Chorleywood station, there were 18 of us.  Although cloudy, it was a mild day and most importantly it stayed dry.  The walk first of all took us through the Chorley wood where weeks of heavy rain had turned the footpath into thick slippery mud and this was how it was for most of the walk.  In one place, there was a puddle that stretched the full width of the road, which we had to wade through.   Our route took us through the pretty medieval village of Chenies and across the front of [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 30 November 2019: Borough Green (Kent) (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-30-november-2019-borough-green-kent-circular/): Surprisingly, considering the weather on some walks this November and the forecast earlier in the week, we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day, once the fog had burned off. The ground was squelchy in parts but carpeted with brown and orange leaves. We kept up a good pace in order to get back to the station before nightfall. Sadly two of our star walkers were not able to join us for different reasons, so we were 13!
- [Saturday 23 November 2019: Hertford North (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-23-november-2019-hertford-north-circular/): A grey day with some drizzle for this walk in the Hertfordshire countryside and woodland.  At one point, there were 20 walkers on this ramble but numbers varied during the day.  As I was walking to Cuffley station, I saw Martin outside Costa.  I went to buy my ticket and expected Martin to turn up but he did not board the train.  Therefore I was a bit puzzled when I jointed 13 Polyramblers on the train.  With three more waiting at Hertford North Station, we walked up to Thieves Lane and entered Panshanger Park which, in
- [Saturday 16 November 2019: Effingham, Great Ridings, Little Bookham (Circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-16-november-2019-effingham-great-ridings-little-bookham-circular/): Fifteen walkers set out from Effingham Junction station on a cold, but initially sunny day. The group passed the 16th century Norwood Farm, a nice fungal fairy ring and a herd of alpacas before walking through Great Mornshill Wood.  We then walked down a long bridleway before reaching the village of Little Bookham and along the main street to see a 15th century cottage, which looked as though it was about to fall down!
- [SATURDAY 9th: HYDE HEATH AND CHESHAM (CIRCULAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-9th-hyde-heath-and-chesham-circular/): Another walk full of autumn colours but this time we didn&#8217;t manage to escape the rain. Starting from Amersham in dry conditions and high cloud, 16 Poly Ramblers, led by Stuart, set off down tree lined residential streets and through woods. At one point we had to cross a recently ploughed field &#8211; very muddy. We reached the village of Hyde Heath where the village shop was open but not the pub. Continuing on woodland paths we eventually reached a fairly busy B road which took us into Chesham. By this time the forecast rain was
- [Sunday 3 November: Deepdene, Brockham and Betchworth Castle](https://polyramblers.org.uk/november-sunday-3rd-deepdene-brockham-and-betchworth-castle/): Sunday walks are unusual for the Polyramblers these days but on this weekend it was fortuitous as the weather was so much better on Sunday than on Saturday. We enjoyed mainly blue skies, sunshine and hardly a breath of wind for a lovely walk in the Surrey Hills. Fourteen Poly Ramblers, including a rare appearance from the Honorary Treasurer, set off from Dorking station. We started on the busy A25 but soon reached the sanctuary of the prosperous lanes of residential Deepdene. An uphill walk took us to the Deepdene estate and its Terrace, the highest point on the walk [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 26th October: Horsham circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-26th-horsham-circular/): Despite the poor weather forecast and the rival claim of England v New Zealand in the comfort of one&#8217;s home,  a very  respectable 13 of us assembled at Horsham station. We walked though Horsham&#8217;s large public park and then the town centre, arriving at the attractive St Mary&#8217;s parish church. Outside was a volunteer cleaning lady, listing to the rugger on her mobile phone. We were fortunate to hear the final whistle and England&#8217;s historic victory. Buoyed up by this, we headed south, through grazing and woodland to Deene Park. This was formerly a medieval deer park, with an imposing [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 19 October 2019 Northwood to Rickmansworth](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-19-october-2019-northwood-to-rickmansworth/): Saturday 19 October 2019 Northwood to Rickmansworth (Linear) Fifteen walkers joined the 9.5 miles walk, on a glorious, sunny day. We made a prompt start from Northwood Station past the golf course and on to Ruislip Woods. Jennifer and I had done the walkover but on the day I, inadvertently, took a different path, fortunately we did not get lost. At the start of Mad Bess Woods we were able to gather sweet chestnuts. We saw serval several varieties of fungi including toadstools and ink-pen mushrooms and appreciate the autumnal trees and foliage. Then we dropped down to St Mary’s [&hellip;]
- [13th October. Saxon Shore Way 6. Bloors Wharf - Kingsferry Bridge](https://polyramblers.org.uk/13th-october-saxon-shore-way-6-bloors-wharf-kingsferry-bridge/): .Well a day of ups &amp; downs especially by the leader.We set off from Rainham, Kent station at 10.36 and within the first two miles the leader was to be found sprawled on his back on the muddy ground. His fall from grace having been cushioned by the First Aid kit stowed in his rucksack. We passed near to Upchurch, here Sir Francis Drake grew up his father was Rector of St Mary&#8217;s church.The morning was dry despite heavy overnight rain and hardly a breath of wind. With three dogs barking and challenging us as we passed a stables.We had [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 6th October, Chingford circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-6th-october-chingford-circular-2/): It didn’t look promising early on Sunday morning with rain tapping impatiently on my window pane and a weather warning glowering at me from the safety of my ipad.   But it turned out to be a fine breezy autumnal day in the end with plenty of sunshine and no rain.   Four of us met at Walthamstow and waited and waited for a rail replacement bus to Chingford which grudgingly appeared and then as if to make up for the delay whisked us off to Chingford fairly rapidly.   We started on our walk though Epping Forest around 11am,  [&hellip;]
- [NUNHEAD CIRCULAR - 28 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/nunhead-circular/): Following a summer of beautiful walks in the countryside 16 Polyramblers set off on an urban walk celebrating S.E. London’s green spaces in many of its guises.  We started with a circuit of Nunhead Cemetery, one of the”Magnificent Seven” Victorian Cemeteries and now a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Wildlife, home to songbirds,  woodpeckers and tawny owls. We paused to view several monuments, some elaborate, some poignant and most ravaged by nature and vandalism.
- [EPPING TO CHINGFORD: SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/epping-to-chingford-saturday-21-september/): Epping Forest was acquired by the City of London in 1882, and previously in the 1800s many trees were felled for the Navy. Twelve Polyramblers assembled at Epping station, some having been affected by a little tube outage from the northwest and west! Even I was met with a taped off Met line platform at Farringdon and suddenly returned into my Thameslink train, rejoining the tube at the brand new entrance of Bank station.
- [Saturday 14th September: Witley circular via hascombe](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-14th-witley-circular-via-hascombe/): 12 members plus Teddy set off from Witley station on a circular walk through the wooded hills of SW Surrey.  At several parts of the walk we traversed the Greensand Way.  We also walked on part of the Octavia Hill Trail named after the founder of the National Trust and passed an avenue of houses owned by millionaires.  The gardens were so large you couldn’t see the houses! We took our lunch break in Hascombe village at the lovely White Horse pub, which served some great beer and lovely, if slightly expensive, food or picnicked by the picturesque village pond [&hellip;]
- [Barnes Bridge to Richmond and Teddington - Saturday 7 September](https://polyramblers.org.uk/barnes-bridge-to-richmond-and-teddington-saturday-7-september/): We enjoyed a leisurely walk along the river from Barnes Bridge to Richmond and then Richmond to Teddington. Although it was somewhat overcast it cleared up later in the afternoon.  Fifteen members started the walk, a good mixture of hikers and strollers for a change.  It was busy on the towpath with many cyclists and runners to dodge.  Part way along we had a call from Danny to say he was waiting for Sarah and Rosie who had been delayed en route.   Along the walk we were able to enjoy attractive views into Kew Gardens,
- [31st August Lewes Circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/31st-august-lewes-circular/): If I&#8217;m ever asked why on earth anyone would want to get up early on a weekend, put on heavy boots &amp; walk up &amp; down steep hills in high temperatures, Saturday&#8217;s walk provided the answer &#8211; because it&#8217;s wonderful! We had perfect weather, apart from the last hour, &amp; the South Downs are beautiful. Amazingly sculpted chalk hills with steep escarpments &amp; views to the sea from the top. The expenditure of energy required for us to get up &amp; down three times was well
- [Bank Holiday Weekend - Lancaster](https://polyramblers.org.uk/bank-holiday-weekend-lancaster/): Friday 23rd August. 37 Polyramblers descended on Lancaster University for a long weekend of walking and sightseeing. The university complex is extensive so the first test on arrival was finding reception and accommodation, luckily Hilary’s sister Janet was on hand to assist as buses arrived. Janet and Hilary led an orientation walk around the older part of the city centre including Lancaster Castle and the Judges Lodgings and a number of historical pubs before we descended down to St Georges Quay’s  walking along the Lancaster end of the river Lune to the Wagon and Horses where we had an excellent [&hellip;]
- [AMERSHAM /HAZLEMERE CIRCULAR 17 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/amersham-hazlemere-circular-17-august/): This was very much Stuart’s walk which had mapped out himself. But he had been called away to Melbourne following a family bereavement and I was left as stand in leader, not having done a walk over.  Luckily there are better map readers than me in the group.  Twenty one Poly Ramblers started out from Amersham on a sunny Saturday morning.  At one point I thought there were 22 in the group but I must have miscounted.  The walk started downhill
- [10th August Sevenoaks Circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/10th-august-sevenoaks-circular/): The weather forecast  was for strong winds  leading to travel disruption so it was a pretty decent turnout of 16 who assembled at Sevenoaks station. We made out way up the hill and headed for Knole Park, stopping to admire a tree carving. I had previously found the park to be closed during strong winds and my heart sank as we approached the gate  and saw a park employee fixing a sign to it.   Fortunately, it was just a warning . Knole House is one of the largest houses in the country, and surrounded by a large deer park. Skirting [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY August 3rd: SOUTHMINSTER to N. FAMBRIDGE (Essex) (LINEAR)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-august-3rd-southminster-to-n-fambridge-essex-linear/): Sun and cloud on this lovely summer day for a walk in the Essex countryside for 15 Polyramblers. We left Southminster on a country lane where we pilfered some cherry plums along the way. We negotiated some decrepit stiles, crossed two fields full of nettles and braved paths with warnings of adders but we also saw some interesting rowing boats being prepared for a crossing of the Atlantic. After 4 miles, we arrived in Burnham-on-Crouch, known within sailing circles as the &#8216;Cowes of the East Coast, for an early
- [Sunday 28th July Victoria Park Jazz](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-28th-july-victoria-park-jazz/): Nine Polyamblers met at Stratford, despite the drop in temperature and pessimistic weather forecast, for the stroll across the Olympic Park, past the stadium where Danny was watching athletics the week before, and along the thoughtfully renamed Greenway (formerly the Northern Outfall Sewer Cycleway!) to Victoria Park, met by a flock of mini-cyclists wearing yellow high-vis jackets and then through the Old English Garden, past the East Lake and the massive Burdett-Coutts Drinking Fountain to the grassy expanse of the East Park.
- [Saturday 27th July. Cookham to Maidenhead](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-27th-july-cookham-to-maidenhead-2/): On a rather dull and drizzly morning I turned up at Paddington station and found no Polys waiting for me. As I was making my way to the platform, one turned up and another found us on the train. By the next stop our select group had become four and was joined by five who were already in Cookham. We set off, passing the house where the painter Stanley Spencer lived and worked for 15 years until his death in 1959, through Cookham Dene. We passed a large free-range turkey farm, but still being some time to Christmas, or maybe [&hellip;]
- [linear walk from hever to tonbridge 2oth july](https://polyramblers.org.uk/linear-walk-from-hever-to-tonbridge-2oth-july/): A small but select group of five walkers started our walk on a warm muggy day from Hever Station. We soon reached Hever Castle which was built in 1453 by the Mayor of London, Jeffrey Boleigne. How things have changed, now we are having modular homes built! We walked through the beautiful Kent countryside through fields and some woodland until we arrived at our second castle of the day, Chiddingstone Castle near Edenbridge, the ancestral home of the Streetfield family. The castle itself dates back from the early 19th century incorporating elements of earlier buildings on the same site.
- [Wednesday 17th; Evening Walk in Kennington & vauxhall](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wednesday-17th-evening-kennington-vauxhall/): 11 Polyramblers met at Oval and crossed the old Roman road of Stane Street to enter Kennington Park. We passed the Tinworth Fountain, the standing stone air raid memorial and the Prince Consort’s Model Lodge before going into the lovely flower garden. We walked around St Mark’s Church, one of the Waterloo churches, and continued to Vauxhall’s Park along quiet roads. The lavender was in full bloom in the Park and smelt lovely. We passed the model
- [Saturday 13th. Coulsdon circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-13th-coulsdon-circular/): Nineteen Polyramblers set off from Coulsdon South station in search of real countryside in zone 6. Within minutes we reached a path through ancient yew trees along which we walked for almost a mile before entering Happy Valley. We climbed uphill and followed a terrace enjoying impressive views and the wild flowers before dropping back down into the valley bottom and continuing to Coulsdon Common. Crossing from Greater London into Surrey brought us to the North Downs Way and the Surrey Hills. We
- [Saturday 6th. Chessington circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-6th-chessington-circular/): The promise of various wild life appeared to attract a goodly number of the nineteen participants to the Chessington walk last Saturday. However the peregrine falcon turned out to be a wooden sculpture, the beetle seen was not so rare and there was no sign of any badgers! However the sight of a dromedary camel and some antelope provided reasonable compensation, I think.We started with a short climb to Winey Hill for extensive views of south-west
- [Tring circular 9mls 29.06.19](https://polyramblers.org.uk/tring-circular-9mls-29-06-19/): The walk will go down in the Polyramblers history as taking place on the hottest day of the year with a temperature of over 30 degrees.A further challenge became apparent at Euston station when our train for Tring was cancelled owing to a shortage of drivers.Undaunted Jennifer and I caught the train to Watford Junction where we met up with Peter Tarl our walk leader and Andrew one of our ramblers in time to catch the train to Tring. Unfortunately, Chris another of
- [Peddars Way, Stage one: Knettishall Heath to Swaffham 21-23 June](https://polyramblers.org.uk/friday-21-to-sunday-23-june-2019-peddars-way-stage-one-thetford-to-swaffham/): The Peddar&#8217;s Way begins at Knettishall Heath in Suffolk and runs for 46 miles north to finish at Holme-next-the-sea on the north Norfolk coast. The path is characterised by being very straight and of course pretty flat.  In this trip I aimed to get us half way to the coast. Thetford is the nearest town to the start point but is severely lacking in affordable accommodation. For this reason most of the group stayed at the Best Western in Bury st Edmunds, while Geoffrey and Harriet stayed in the only B&amp;B in Thetford.  The Bury st Edmunds group enjoyed an [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 15 June 2019: Ockley to Warnham (Linear)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-15-june-2019-ockley-to-warnham-linear/): This is indeed “a beautiful walk through an unspoilt countryside of fields, woods and gentle hills,” as captioned and explained in detail by the excellent Time Out Book I / Saturday Walkers Club. In my group survey of the members on the walk, Geoffrey described it as “An exhilarating walk through woods and fields on the Surrey/Sussex border”.
- [Monday 17 June 2019: Angels Costume Tour (Hendon)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/monday-17-june-2019-angels-costume-tour-hendon/): My chosen rendez-vous point for the Angels Tour, the Midland Hotel, was in the right spot but sadly was not offering lunchtime food on the day. They were very apologetic and allowed us to bring in sandwiches from nearby, which some of us did, while others went to the KooKoo Cafe recommended by Rosie. Suitably refreshed, 16 of us gathered in Angels reception, to be met by our guide Mark who informed and entertained us for the next 2 hours. We started in
- [﻿SPRING BANK HOLIDAY 2019, WALKING IN THE DOLOMITES](https://polyramblers.org.uk/%ef%bb%bfspring-bank-holiday-walking-in-the-dolomites-friday-24th-to-tuesday-28th-may/): The first day of the Dolomite weekend (25th May 2019) by Pam We started the day with a substantial breakfast in the Hotel Vajolet. The ever-attentive Signora dressed in local traditional dress greeted us and indicated the spread. I chose muesli, a slice of peach, yoghurt, a boiled egg, a slice of rustic bread, ham and cheese, to get me started for the first walk. I had to resist the temptation to eat croissants and cake as well or I wouldn&#8217;t have been able to make it up the mountain!
- [SUNDAY 9th June: GORING to PANGBOURNE (LINEAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-9th-june-goring-to-pangbourne-linear/): Back in the Chilterns for an undulating 12 mile walk (although Jackie admitted it was more likely to be 13 miles) through woodlands and fields. Only 6 Polyramblers despite it being a sunny day but the lack of pub might have deterred people.  We soon left Goring, going up to Wroxhills Wood, accompanied by red kites mewing above us.  We skirted Woodcote and went through Common Wood. At one point, we lost Pam and Andrew but we found them again.  We had decided on a place to have lunch but we got lost in a wood and, as it
- [Sunday 2 June 2019:  Wendover/Coombe Hill Circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/2-june-wendover-coombe-hill-circular/): Eighteen walkers met at Wendover Station to begin our walk along the ridgeway joining the Icknield way and culminating in lunch at the Go Apes café in the depths of Wendover Woods. Wendover Woods is the habitat of the rare Firecrest the smallest bird in Europe which nest in the Norway Spruce. It is also the highest point in the Chilterns (265 m). We left Wendover High street to walk through a park alongside a stream past a church and on to the Ridgeway National Trail. We toiled our way up a long hill through woodland
- [MONDAY 20th MAY: EVENING WALK – CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW FOR THE POOR (Chelsea in bloom)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/monday-20th-evening-walk-chelsea-flower-show-for-the-poor-chelsea-in-bloom/): This is an annual festival of floral art in shops, restaurants and hotels in the neighbourhood of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The theme this year is ‘Under the Sea’. Approximately 20 Polyramblers and guests met at Sloane Square tube station to do a walk to see as many floral displays as possible. We went up and down Sloane Street, Pavilion Road where we met Lorna and her mum doing the same as us, up and down King’s Road and Duke of York Square. We were all very impressed by the beautiful displays. The winner of Chelsea in Bloom 2019 [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 18th may: WIVELSFIELD to HASSOCKS (LINEAR):](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-18th-may-wivelsfield-to-hassocks-linear/): A grey start to the day but it soon brightened up for 17 Polyramblers for this lovely walk in Sussex. We left Wivelsfield and were soon in the countryside. We followed the Sussex Border Path through woodlands and fields, passing a farm with a massive field full of free range hens.  We reached the pretty village of Ditchling where we split to have lunch at the excellent Nutmeg Tea Rooms, pub or the churchyard. After lunch, we started a gentle climb to
- [BETCHWORTH (CIRCULAR) 11 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-11th-may-betchworth-circular-via-walton-on-the-hill-and-headley/): The weather forecast for the day was one of storm and tempest, but apart from a few spots of rain the weather was pleasant with sunny intervals. The actual walk was one of two halves!  Eleven of us sent off towards the hamlet of Mogador (to see some hobbits!) from Betchworth. This initial part of the walk was to include a steep climb up to the top of the North Downs Way, but a deliberate mistake(!) by the leader led to a more easy ascent with views of the Weald and South Downs in the distance.  With some further adjustments [&hellip;]
- [May Bank Holiday weekend 2018: Tower Hill to Greenwich](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-6th-may-tower-hill-to-greenwich/): On a very hot Mayday bank holiday weekend, 29 Polys gathered at Tower Hill for Dan&#8217;s 70th birthday walk to Blackheath. Pushing our way through the crowds of tourists, we walked round the Tower of London, and through St Katherine&#8217;s Dock and on to Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse. By the time we reached Millwall Dock on the Isle of Dogs, it was a very hot and thirsty party of walkers that enjoyed a birthday drink courtesy of our leader &#8211; thanks, Dan!. The rest of the walk took us through Mudchute Park and City Farm
- [MAY BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND 2019: ST ALBANS to WATFORD](https://polyramblers.org.uk/may-b-h-saturday-4th-st-albans-to-watford-met-line-linear-11-or-7-5-miles/): Nineteen Polyramblers gathered at St Albans City station. I led them towards the Cathedral in the city centre, then put it to the vote whether to take coffee at the cathedral refectory. I did not need to use my casting vote as like the Brexit referendum the noes favoured the ayes by 1 more vote out of 19 and the noes had it! We thus proceeded through the 14th cent. Abbey gateway, down Abbey Mill Lane, over the Ver and across Verulamium Park. The footpath
- [27th April Great Missenden to Amersham](https://polyramblers.org.uk/27th-april-great-missenden-to-amersham/): There were only five of us on the train at Marylebone so we were somewhat relieved to see another five waiting at Great Missenden. It was misty but dry and mild  as we set off through pleasant rolling country with  open views. We crossed the railway to reach the old village of Little Missenden, stopping to admire the 13th century wall painting in the church of St John the Baptist. Continuing, we were soon in Penn Wood part of one of the Chilterns ancient woodlands. Chairmaking, centred on High Wycombe  flourished  from the mid 18th century  and Penn Wood was [&hellip;]
- [Easter Monday 22nd April. Christ's Hospital West Sussex](https://polyramblers.org.uk/easter-monday-15th-april-christs-hospital-west-sussex/): For the second Club outing of a weather-blessed Easter weekend, seventeen ramblers alighted at Christs Hospital station for a sunny walk through bucolic Sussex countryside. First we entered a sylvan glade with the nascent River Arun running through it and ubiquitous wild garlic. Fields of bluebells then followed before we reached the old Shoreham to Guildford railway line, now a foot &amp; cycle path called the Downs Link. Fringed with dandelions in places and with views of the Low Weald, this took us to the old station house at Slinfold where we walked into the village and stopped at the [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 20 April 2019: Greenford to Harrow- on-the Hill](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-20-april-2019-greenford-to-harrow-on-the-hill/): Thirty five polyramblers joined this lovely outer London walk, Perivale woods being the main attraction, for the blue- bells. We made our way to the Grand Union Canal.  A cyclist said to us to look out for turtles, however, couple of polyramblers confirmed that we were looking at pink ear terrapins. We arrived at Perivale Woods soon after. The blue bells were in full bloom and you could miss fragrant floral smell. We saw plenty of bird boxes and a hide. A great spot to listen to the birds, we heard wrens, blue tits, great tits, wood packer and chiffchaffe. [&hellip;]
- [Borough Green to Sevenoaks - 29th October](https://polyramblers.org.uk/borough-green-to-sevenoaks-29th-october/): Poly Ramblers put the last day of summer-time to good use! We were very lucky with the trains and the weather! It wasn&#8217;t far after leaving Borough Green station before we were strolling purposefully along a woodland path, enjoying the beneficial boost to our immune systems and normalising our cortisol levels amongst the trees. Soon after that we walked through an orchard where some of us stooped to pick up windfalls &#8211; some very large apples that were still perfectly edible. When we did the walkover in mid-September there were of course more medium sized apples which had fallen on [&hellip;]
- [Claygate circular Sat November 12](https://polyramblers.org.uk/claygate-circular-sat-november-12/): 18 Poly Ramblers met at Claygate station. We were fortunate to have a warm sunny day for our autumnal walk. We began through the woods of Claygate along a rather narrow bridleway, luckily not too many horses to avoid, before crossing the A3 to climb Winey Hill to reach a large memorial cairn on top with wonderful views all around. We continued around the perimeter of Chessington World of adventures. Chessington began as a zoo in 1931 it is still a major part of the resort with Gorillas, Sumatran Tigers and a sea life centre and a number of other [&hellip;]
- [AUTUMN WEEKEND IN FORT WILLIAM - SEPT/OCT 2022](https://polyramblers.org.uk/autumn-weekend-in-fort-william-sept-oct-2022/): By some lovely twist of fate, I spent seven weeks of the first lockdown in 2020 marooned in youth hostel at Loch Ossian in Corrour, where my friend is the manager. During my sojourn I grew to appreciate what a special place it was wanted to share it with my fellow Polyramblers, hence the idea for this trip was born. The facilities in the Loch Ossian hostel are rudimentary and not to everyone’s taste, so it was decided to base the weekend in Fort William, with access to a variety of hiking and sightseeing options, not least Ben Nevis and [&hellip;]
- [Victorian parks and medieval marshes – Finsbury Park to Cambridge Heath - 6 November](https://polyramblers.org.uk/victorian-parks-and-medieval-marshes-finsbury-park-to-cambridge-heath-6-november/): We were due to walk the fourth and final part of the Thames Estuary Path that day but a train strike (which was cancelled) and engineering work forced me to rearrange the walk. I had bought a book about the Green London Way in the early 90’s but never used it. I thought a couple of the short walks from the book could provide a good alternative as they start and terminate at TFL stations. The green London Way is a hundred mile walk that circles the capital through its canal tow paths, commons and woodlands. It is similar – [&hellip;]
- [Petts Wood to Chislehurst and Chislehurst Caves - 24 September](https://polyramblers.org.uk/petts-wood-to-chislehurst-and-chislehurst-caves-24-september/): Thirty Poly Ramblers and 3 guests gathered at Petts Wood station for the shortish walk to Chislehurst at the end of September. We followed the London Loop for the first mile or so, then veered off slightly uphill along country lanes until we emerged onto Chislehurst Common which was surrounded by a surprising number of pubs. We paused to view the old cock pit and visited St Nicholas Church. In the graveyard were buried Sir Malcom Campbell, the racing motorist and setter of land speed records, and Sir William Willett who invented the concept of British Summer Time. Continuing through [&hellip;]
- [TONBRIDGE VIA TUDELEY CIRCULAR 15 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/12051-2/): Thirteen ramblers arrived in Tudeley on a beautiful sunny morning, despite a train cancellation and delayed bus. They were met by another three who had travelled by car. We set off across fields towards the Norman St.T homas a Becket church in Capel. This grade 1 listed building is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is no longer used for regular services but is still consacrated. We admired the 13th century wall paintings which were discovered in 1927. As there were a large number of benches in the churchyard, we decided to stop for our picnic. On [&hellip;]
- [Section 1 Vanguard Way Sunday 18th September](https://polyramblers.org.uk/section-1-vanguard-way-sunday-18th-september/): The 66 mile Vanguard Way links East Croydon in Surrey with Newhaven on the south coast. It was devised in 1980 by members of the Vanguards Rambling Club, which was based in Croydon and begins at East Croydon railway station. 14 Poly Ramblers set off from East Croydon station to cross the many tram lines to walk through the residential outskirts of Croydon and reach the open space of Lloyd Park. We passed some strange gadgets consisting of a metal basket on a pole with a ring of chains and yellow band for flying disc golf. At this point we [&hellip;]
- [HARROW ON THE HILL WALK - 3 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/harrow-on-the-hill-walk-3-september/): The walk was well subscribed &#8211; seventeen members plus Daisy (the spaniel) showed up at West Harrow station. We set off to West Harrow Park just after 11am in weather that seemed promising. The Park cafe was a welcome comfort and refreshment stop as facilities at the Station were closed!  From the Park we headed up Whitmore Road viewing the distant church spire of our destination Harrow on the Hill. The steep ascent began on Roxborough Park, Sarah pointing out an impressive house she used to live in. We had a few facts and figures and photographs were taken at [&hellip;]
- [MOORGATE TO TOWER HILL - 2ND AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/moorgate-to-tower-hill-2nd-august/): It was a nice summer evening for this walk through some of the City’s gardens. There were 19 of us &#8211; we could have been 20 but Danny was doing his washing. Our first stop was Finsbury Circus which was originally part of the Finsbury Manor Estate. The garden was shut for a number of years as the centre of the site was used as an access shaft for Crossrail. Next was the small garden of All Hallows on the Wall and the larger garden of St Botolph without Bishopsgate with one of the abstract sculptures from the City Trail. [&hellip;]
- [OCTOBER TO JANUARY PROGRAMME](https://polyramblers.org.uk/october-to-january-programme/): Click on the link below to download our programme for October 2022 to January 2023 programme oct 22-jan23 V2 redacted
- [Saturday 20th August London walk](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-20th-august-pulborough-to-amberley-10miles/): This was a rearranged walk, the planned one from Pulborough to Amberley  being cancelled due to lack of trains. Thirteen of us  started from St James’s Park station then  through St James’s Park, Green Park and Hyde Park.  With the exception of one or two  areas of formal planting, the Royal Parks were all looking pretty brown though it was interesting to see what plants had done better in the long hot spell. The Canadian water feature in Green Park was turned off. Reaching Kensington Gardens, we turned south, down the side of the former Derry and Toms department store. [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 2 July: Thames Valley Estuary Path part 3 – Stanford le Hope to Pitsea (Essex)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-2-july-thames-valley-estuary-path-part-3-stanford-le-hope-to-pitsea-essex/): As we made our way to Mucking and though the Stanford Warren Nature Reserve to the sluice gate on Mucking Creek, some of the 12 walkers who were on the walk on this sunny day had an impression of deja-vu which caused some confusion. I explained that we did this bit in reverse last April and we had to do it again to join the walk where we left it. Reassured they were not going mad, the group continued along the sea wall above Mucking Flats and Stanford le Hope marshes with views of the London Gateway container port in [&hellip;]
- [London Loop: Chigwell to Harold Wood walk - 7th August.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/london-loop-chigwell-to-harold-hill-walk-on-sunday-7th-august/):  Six of us set out from Chigwell station. The weather was beautiful,  though as the day went on we were glad to escape into the trees now and then as a break from the sun. Lunch was taken at a cafe by the lake in Hainault Forest Country Park. After that we skirted the park and,  with the help of Geoffrey&#8217;s gps, managed to cross a golf course. Loop signs, when visible, were directing us into bushes and along overgrown paths. Going southeast we reached and crossed Havering Country park. Members commented on how the walk felt more like a countryside walk rather than [&hellip;]
- [Lewes circular via Rodmell, Southease and Glynde, 23rd July](https://polyramblers.org.uk/lewes-circular-via-rodmell-southease-and-glynde-23rd-july/): Sorry for the delay in writing this walk up. The trouble is that it was devised, planned and walked over many times by Harriet until it was perfect but ten days before the due date Harriet had a minor misstep at home and fractured her patella! So I have taken time to pluck up the courage to tell you, those of you who were not on the walk, that it went really well and turned out to be the best walk I can remember! Yes, it was hot (25°C) and there are three steep slopes to be climbed, but there [&hellip;]
- [SHOREHAM CIRCULAR VIA LULLINGSTONE 16 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/shoreham-circular-via-lullingstone-16-july/): Eleven ramblers set off in the heat to walk the environs of Shoreham. A welcomed break was taken at Castle Farm where everything lavender was being sold including ice cream! We left the lilac coloured fields walking along the River Darent and pass Lullingstone Country Park, trekking through parched fields getting some relief from the sun with tall hedgerows conveniently being in the right place and shady woodland where we picnicked. The descent back into Shoreham brought much needed refreshment at the Samuel Palmer albeit a tad expensive. Kim. Photos by Siew Kee and Nita
- [3 July: Walk with London Blind Ramblers to Mayfield Lavender Farm and the Oaks Park](https://polyramblers.org.uk/3-july-walk-with-london-blind-ramblers-to-mayfield-lavender-farm-and-the-oaks-park/): Thanks to the Polyramblers and their friends who came to help guide the London Blind Ramblers to and from Mayfield Lavender Farm and the Oaks Park on 3rd July 2022. Here are some comments from some of our team. &#8220;It was lovely to spend the day with the London Blind Ramblers on Sunday. The walk itself wound through some beautiful meadows while overhead we heard the piping of swifts darting about in the blue sky above our heads. We could sometimes see in the far distance glimpses of London’s vertical towers glinting in the sunshine but apart from that I [&hellip;]
- [31st July, Joydon's wood, Bexley](https://polyramblers.org.uk/31st-july-joydons-wood-bexley/): For third time in a week, I headed to Bexley to undertake a circular walk via Joyden&#8217;s Wood and alongside the River Cray. The previous two visits were for walkovers but on the first I got lost so I was unable to complete the circuit! The second was more successful after I downloaded an excellent map of the Woods showing all the paths. Still a bit apprehensive, I met up with nineteen members at the station and then we proceeded through the attractive village High Street, past some fine houses and the church with its unusual cone &amp; pyramid spire. [&hellip;]
- [BOX HILL - SATURDAY 9 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/box-hill-saturday-9-july/): “They had a very fine day for Box Hill” &#8211; Jane Austen &#8211; Emma. As did 15 Polyramblers arriving at Dorking station and heading for the pretty village of Pixham and its Castle Mill. We crossed the millstream and admired the fast flowing weir on the River Mole before tackling the southern flank of Box Hill. The final short steep climb of which brought us to the iconic Salomons Memorial with its panoramic views across the woodlands and fields of Surrey. We took an unscheduled stop at the National Trust cafe to meet up with a member who had missed [&hellip;]
- [BLACKHEATH/ GREENWICH - 26 JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/blackheath-greenwich-26-june/): On a bright &amp; breezy Sunday morning, sixteen members found their way to Blackheath Station for the start of a walk around an historic part of London. Ignoring the delights of a farmer&#8217;s market in the station car park, the group climbed away from the village centre which was rudely called the Dowager&#8217;s Bottom in the 18th Century! Passing fine villas, including one named Pagoda House because of its distinctive roof, we reached the heath itself, a treeless plateau 125 ft above sea level. Wat Tyler &amp; his rebels assembled here to meet Richard 11 during the Peasant&#8217;s Revolt in [&hellip;]
- [SEAFORD TO BERWICK  - SATURDAY 18 JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/seaford-to-berwick-saturday-18-june/): A select band of 9 Poly Ramblers undeterred by the heat and distance from London, turned out for a spectacular varied walk along the east sussex coast and inland through the beautiful south downs national park. We started with a briefing on the Seaford seafront and then began the walk up the steep ascent of Seaford Head. Once on the top the walk was relatively flat and the sea breezes made the heat bearable. In the distance we could see the unmistakable chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters. At Cuckmere Haven we turned inland, still on the Vanguard Way, until [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 11th June Berkhamsted to Tring](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-11th-june-berkhamsted-to-tring/): I arrived at Euston early and Geoffrey did too so we were able to have a chat about railways while waiting.  We were a bit late arriving at Berkhamsted, having been held up by a slow train ahead of us.  12 of us set off from Berko, after a further delay while I fiddled with my new pole.  I had been worried about a narrow muddy path on one section of the walk.  However what was muddy in March was bone dry in June and I didn’t need to use my steep alternative route. We started the steady climb to [&hellip;]
- [Kew Gardens May 22nd.  Walk with blind ramblers](https://polyramblers.org.uk/kew-gardens-may-22nd-walk-with-blind-ramblers/): Fifteen blind ramblers and helpers and nine Polyramblers enjoyed a wonderful day in Kew Gardens. We started by ascending to the Temple of Aeolus, the god of wind, who thankfully was not active that day. In fact it was beautifully sunny between the clouds! Walking back through plant evolution in the Evolution Garden we reached the colourful Rock Garden where we listened to the waterfall before passing through the Alpine House, describing the insectivorous plants in the pond on the way. We smelled crushed fallen leaves of the Eucalyptus trees before experiencing the different climatic zones of the Princess of [&hellip;]
- [THE LINE WALK: STRATFORD TO NORTH GREENWICH - 15 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/11478-2/): On a rather grey Sunday morning, a very respectable turn-out of twenty-five members met at Stratford Station for the walk with a further two joining enroute. The Line is London&#8217;s first dedicated public art walk. It starts in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and that&#8217;s where the group joined it, alongside the Waterworks River. The first of twenty exhibits was the AccelorMittal Orbit by Anish Kapoor, then its slide by Carsten Holler followed by a series of Madge Gill works under a railway bridge. Soon after, we reached the Greenway with a distinct aroma signalling the Northern Outfall Sewer beneath! [&hellip;]
- [HASLEMERE DOUBLE LOOP TO BLACKDOWN AND HINDHEAD - 21 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/haslemere-double-loop-to-blackdown-and-hindhead-21-may/): Fourteen Poly Ramblers undertook the challenge of a strenuous 13 mile/22k figure of 8 walk from Haslemere. The weather was perfect for walking, partly sunny with good visibility. We walked through Haslemere which has been decked out in 70th Jubilee bunting, and then ascended up towards Black Down following the Serpent’s way (a well signposted trail). The terrain was varied, walking through fields then shady woods until we got to the Down. The hill was kind, spreading out the ascent and everyone made it comfortably. On the Down there was a magnificent view to the west, although there were not [&hellip;]
- [EAST GRINSTEAD CIRCULAR - 14 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/east-grinstead-circular-14-may/): On a truly beautiful morning, 9 of us arrived at East Grinstead. The first bit of the walk almost took us back in time, beginning with tarmac pavement by a noisy road, then a quiet road, then a path, a track &amp; eventually the slightly trodden grasses across a field which told us that other beings had been there. We had several lovely sightings of Weir Wood reservoir sparkling in the morning light, we passed a farm where they were preparing for a wedding celebration &amp; someone warned us of a swarm of bees nearby &amp; then we skirted the [&hellip;]
- [WEST DRAYTON AND CRANFORD COUNTRY PARK RETURN - 7 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/west-drayton-and-cranford-country-park-return-7-may/): There was a group of 6 Poly Ramblers and myself who met outside West Drayton station on the day leaving around 10.15am. Unfortunately it was a wet and dismal day but nevertheless we did the walk there and back, rain not being so heavy although it did not brighten up until we finished it and ended up at my house for tea. One of the walkers cut the walk short at Hayes to get his train back but the rest of us continued to the end. The walk was largely uneventful but I gave the background to the park which [&hellip;]
- [JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 2022 PROGRAMME](https://polyramblers.org.uk/june-to-september-programme/): Click below to download the current programme &#8211; June to September 2022 programme june to september 2022 
- [Isabella Plantation and Historic Houses - 30 April](https://polyramblers.org.uk/isabella-plantation-and-historic-houses-30/): Twenty four Poly Ramblers met at Richmond station and crossed the Green to reach the first of our historic houses, the remains of Richmond Palace. Sandy recounted that Elizabeth 1 died here necessitating a courtier to ride to Scotland to inform the future James I of her demise and consequently the union of the Scottish and English crowns. We then followed the Thames towpath upstream through Petersham Meadows, entered Richmond Park and walked onward to the Isabella Plantation. It is a gamble to choose the date of a walk based on seeing flowers but we were lucky and the rhododendrons [&hellip;]
- [MAY 2nd Bank Holiday Monday, Box Hill and Westhumble to Dorking, plus Dorking loop](https://polyramblers.org.uk/may-2nd-bank-holiday-monday-box-hill-and-westhumble-to-dorking-plus-dorking-loop/): 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 &#8211; 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 [&hellip;]
- [NOTTING HILL EVENING WALK - 27 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/notting-hill-evening-walk-27-april/): What was the Hippodrome Racecourse , potteries and piggeries in a notorious slum area, is now a world-known neighbourhood with beautiful and colourful houses alongside council estates.  Notting Hill Gate is known for its carnival, Hugh Grant film and the Portobello Road market which began in the 1860/70s.  Ten of us set off from Notting Hill Gate tube station to explore the area.  From Pembridge Gardens, we went to Portobello Road.  The beginning of the road is lined with very pretty, colourful houses with nice front gardens.  We passed a few mews, but their entrance was not as impressive as [&hellip;]
- [PEDDARS WAY  STAGE 2 SWAFFHAM TO HOLME NEXT THE SEA - 22-24 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/peddars-way-stage-2-swaffham-to-holme-next-the-sea-22-24-april/): Our weekend adventure formally began in Marriott’s Warehouse, on the historic waterfront of King’s Lynn. My husband Neil’s first introduction to the world of polyrambling at the evening meal was a jolly affair and everyone made him feel welcome as we ate dinner together to fortify us for the challenge ahead. We had arrived into the town earlier in the day and the Russet House hotel looked comfortable and in a great position near the park. We spent a lovely afternoon exploring the medieval streets and old buildings near the Quay. We popped into the museum to see the Bronze [&hellip;]
- [PADDINGTON TO KINGS CROSS vIa REGENTS CANAL - 24 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/paddington-to-kings-cross-via-regents-canal-24-april/): It was a lovely Sunny Sunday with a bit of a breeze. An opportunity for a shortish city walk to counterbalance the Peddars way challenge. We followed the Regent&#8217;s Canal from Paddington Basin to Kings Cross with a detour thought Regent&#8217;s park and Parliament hill. Vicky and Meng brought friends who enjoyed Polyrambler hospitality. We went via Little Venice. The canal dives into a tunnel at Edgware road so had to go across the top. At Regents Park we detoured round the lake and had a hospitality stop at the Tennis Courts. Then to Regents Park Zoo, outside which found [&hellip;]
- [ST PAULS TO WAPPING AND LIMEHOUSE - EASTER MONDAY 18 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/st-pauls-to-wapping-and-limehouse-easter-monday-18-april/): Unusually this walk began with a visit to the roof terrace of One New Change shopping centre next to St Pauls, which opened in 2010.  The purpose was to contrast the current London skyline with that in Dickens&#8217; time, dominated by church spires blackened by soot. I was surprised to find that most of the group had never been up there before.  Having viewed , 23 Poly Ramblers set of at a leisurely pace through the city and alongside the river, taking in some of the sites associated with Dickens era. We headed down Cheapside towards the Bank of England, [&hellip;]
- [Easter Saturday April 16th Dartford to Farningham](https://polyramblers.org.uk/easter-saturday-april-16th-dartford-to-farningham/): On a warm and sunny Easter Saturday, twenty members met at Dartford Station for a seven mile walk alongside the River Darenth to Farningham. Before leaving the station, we looked at the plaque on Platform 2 which commemorates the meeting there of Mick Jagger &amp; Keith Richard in October 1961 which led to the formation of the Rolling Stones. We then joined the river for a short distance before wending our way through the town centre to the Wat Tyler pub where the Peasant&#8217;s Revolt leader drank during his march on London in 1381. A stroll then through the pleasant [&hellip;]
- [HOLLINGBOURNE TO BEARSTED - 9 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hollingbourne-to-bearsted-9-april/): Wonderful blue sky, light breeze, not as much mud as we had encountered, especially on the first walkover, a jolly chatty crowd (19 in all, including 3 friends lured along by Kim and Siew Kee), up the hillside, past the cattle having their elevenses in a barn, glorious rolling views of Kent, woodland and wild boars, to the North Downs Way and dip down to the pub. We made good time to the Hook and Hatchet at Hucking. Picnickers munched their lunch in the adjacent field and then came in for refreshment. Pre-ordered cooked food arrived promptly. Walkers were chomping [&hellip;]
- [BERKHAMSTED WATERWAYS CIRCULAR - 2 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/berkhamsted-waterways-circular-2-april/): This was a substitute walk I had volunteered to lead at the last minute as the original leader was out of action due to COVID. Not having done a walkover I was hoping that the route was as straightforward as the Chilterns AONB leaflet suggested. On a sunny but chilly morning 15 Polys headed east out of the town on the Grand Union canal with the River Bulbourne, a chalk stream, flowing alongside. There were a few canal boats negotiating the locks but the towpath was quiet with little cycle traffic. After a couple of miles we left the canal [&hellip;]
- [THAMES ESTUARY PATH: EAST TILBURY TO STANFORD LE HOPE - 26 MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/thames-estuary-path-east-tilbury-to-stanford-le-hope-26-march/): We started where we left off on 19 February. But what a difference! Today we had a bright sunshine and it was warm when it had been cold, windy and wet. 23 Poly Ramblers met at East Tilbury station. We went through Gobbions Park, along a path running down the side of houses before reaching the stile to allow us to enter into Thurrock Thameside nature park. The nature park was opened in May 2013 by David Attenborough. The area was the site of a Saxon village but was occupied as far back as the Stone Age. Gravel was extracted [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 19th March 2022 Sunningdale to Windsor -11 miles](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-19th-march-2022-sunningdale-to-windsor-11-miles/): Twelve Poly Ramblers met at Sunningdale Station on a lovely warm day to begin our hike, a thirteenth member of the group joined us at our lunch stop at the Saville Garden restaurant having missed the rail replacement bus. We quickly encountered obstacles from a fallen tree at the start of our walk, negotiated with difficulty. After a pleasant walk though Cowarth Park we entered Windsor Great Park and made our way to Virginia Water Lake where we stopped for a tea break at a refreshment kiosk. We followed the sign posting to reach the Valley Gardens where we wended [&hellip;]
- [CROWBOROUGH CIRCULAR - 5 MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/crowborough-circular-5-march/): Fifteen Polys set off from Crowborough station for a circular walk taking in fields and woodland on the High Weald. Two members had missed the train and departed one hour later, aiming to meet us at the lunch stop. Soon we crossed one of the many ghylls found in this area. Ghylls, with their steep sided valleys, create a microclimate with high humidity and low levels of frost. They support rare flora including ferns, mosses and liverworts. The leader was keen to miss an extremely waterlogged section, which was managed after consulting the map, and we stopped in a field [&hellip;]
- [RICKMANSWORTH AND CROXLEY GREEN CIRCULAR - 27 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/rickmansworth-and-croxley-green-circular-27-february/): Twenty one Poly Ramblers gathered at Rickmansworth station on a glorious sunny Sunday morning in late February. We started by picking up the Chess Valley path and enjoyed a short stroll along the lovely River Chess at Scotsbridge before crossing the river and leaving it to head uphill towards Croxley Green, passing fields of sheep. From there the route took us uphill towards Chandlers Cross. This section caused some problems on the walkover but today the route seemed obvious and we easily picked up the right path towards Oak Farm and Harrocks Wood.
- [Saturday 19 February 2022 – Thames Valley Estuary Path Part 1: Tilbury Town to East Tilbury](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-19-february-2022-thames-valley-estuary-path-part-1-tilbury-town-to-east-tilbury/): 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 [&hellip;]
- [12 February, Chesham Circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/12-february-chesham-circular/): 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 [&hellip;]
- [HEVER CIRCULAR - 5 FEBRUARY - A walk to be remembered](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hever-circular-5-february-a-walk-to-be-remembered/): Despite the walk coming with a warning of unusual amounts of mud &amp; waterlogging, 24 walkers gathered off the hourly &#8211; remember this detail- train, in the sun at Hever station, which is a long way from Hever village &amp; is completely un-manned &#8211; remember this too!  I had the timings nicely worked out with time for a sandwich at Chiddingstone &amp; a swift half in Bough Beech &amp; back in time to catch the 16.05 train. However, we have a few prescient or maybe sensibly suspicious members who had checked &amp; seen that the 16.05 train was cancelled so, [&hellip;]
- [INGREBOURNE VALLEY CIRCULAR - 29 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/ingrebourne-valley-circular-29-january/): I arrived at Hornchurch around 9.50am on a glorious sunny morning. I did not see any Poly Ramblers; however it was not a surprise as there were issues with the Tube. I went for a stroll when Harriet called out from a café, The Sip House, that served speciality coffee. I was ready to sit down and enjoy the coffee when I remembered that we should meet the rest of the group at the station and was glad I had my drink in a take away container so I was able to enjoy my beverage. On my return to the [&hellip;]
- [BELOW WINDSOR CASTLE - 22 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/below-windsor-castle-22-january/): I met a group of Polyramblers including a new member, at Paddington station. We boarded the 1013 train, run by TfL, to the delight of freedompass holders who could enjoy a free ride to Slough. The train gathered up more of us en route, and outside the main entrance of Slough station, we all assembled with even more in the group who had travelled by other means. So we eventually set off with as many as 28 in the party. It was quite a cold day. Our route took us across through several pedestrian crossings over the busy A4, then [&hellip;]
- [CHORLEYWOOD TO CHESHAM - SUNDAY16 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chorleywood-to-chesham-sunday16-january/): Twenty one Poly Ramblers gathered at Chorleywood on a cold but sunny Sunday morning. We headed through the village and then uphill through woods, under the railway and along a long sunken muddy path to reach the busy A404. Crossing safely we reached the 12th century village of Chenies and paused to admire the Grade I listed manor house, visited by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
- [OTFORD TO EYNSFORD - 8 JANUARY 2022](https://polyramblers.org.uk/otford-to-eynsford-8-january-2022/): The weather forecast was for heavy rain all day but that didn’t stop 14  Poly Ramblers from meeting outside Otford station for a ramble through the Kent countryside. I was reminded that Poly Ramblers are hardy souls and are very committed to their weekly ramble whatever the weather. It also brought back memories of another occasion years ago when I led the same walk when the snow was falling thick and fast and this didn’t stop the walk from going ahead either. After a briefing from the walk leader, we set out through a churchyard to the centre of the [&hellip;]
- [CHARLES DICKENS' LONDON - WESTMINSTER TO FARRINGDON 2 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/charles-dickens-london-westminster-to-farringdon-2-january/): I was surprised and slightly alarmed when 30 people (23 Poly Ramblers and 7 guests) turned up at Westminster for my Charles Dickens walk on a mild but slightly drizzly Sunday morning.  Luckily the combination of Covid and the New Year weekend meant that London was quieter than usual and hopefully the large group was able to hear at least some of what I said. The start of the walk at Westminster marked Dickens&#8217; burial place in Poets Corner at Westminster Abbey in 1870 and one of his early jobs as a parliamentary reporter. We strolled up the north bank [&hellip;]
- [Monday 27th December  Osterley Park Circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/monday-27th-december-osterley-park-circular/): Despite the inclement weather and disrupted transport, a reasonable respectable eight members were in attendance for the post-Xmas ramble around Osterley Park and its environs. After meeting up at the temporarily closed Osterley Station, we headed past the permanently closed original station which is now a second-hand bookshop. Entering the park, we walked up to the redbrick Osterley Park House which was built for Thomas Gresham, the founder of the Royal Exchange in the City of London. Continuing over the M4 motorway and across a field with early signs of growing wheat, we reached Norwood Green. The aroma of mulled [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 19th December Vauxhall to Kings Cross](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-19th-december-vauxhall-to-kings-cross/): Ten Poly Ramblers met at Vauxhall Station on a cold day for the last walk of the year. We started in Vauxhall Pleasure gardens where, with the opening of Westminster Bridge in 1750, the aristocracy delighted in the musical temple orchestra and lamplit walks. We continued to the end of the gardens, continuing on the Vauxhall Walk turning into Lambeth High Street and crossing over the Lambeth Road to the Garden Museum housed in the former St Mary’s church. The museum has an abundance of garden memorabilia and a café which sadly was closed owing to staff sickness. The secretive [&hellip;]
- [Sunday 12th December Christmas Lunch](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-12th-december-christmas-lunch/): Twenty-six members were in attendance at Westminster station for the start of a pre-Xmas Lunch walk on . We headed across Westminster Bridge and joined the Thames Path by the old County Hall building. We avoided the temptations of fairground rides and mulled wine stalls as we walked in an easterly direction to the Millenium footbridge, now no longer wobbly. Crossing to the north bank of the Thames, we made for Blackfriars Bridge where we left the riverside to walk to the Middle Temple. However, the plan to go through the gardens to Fleet Street was thwarted because the exit [&hellip;]
- [SUNDAY 5th DECEMBER BRIXTON to CRYSTAL PALACE (Linear) 10.5 miles](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-5th-december-brixton-to-crystal-palace-linear-10-5-miles/): We made our way from Brixton tube, crossing Electric Avenue, to Brockwell Park. We visited the walled garden, where we had an interesting chat with a volunteer and bought jams which are made from the fruit grown in the orchard. After passing the Triton clock tower and Brockwell Hall we crossed the road to Herne Hill station. Despite having told the participants we did not have time to stop at the Sunday market outside the station, the leader and several others succumbed to a delicious jam doughnut. Our next green space was John Ruskin Park, named after the famous writer, [&hellip;]
- [GREAT WELLS AT GREAT AMWELL - 27 NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/great-wells-at-great-amwell-27-november/): I was surprised to see that 14 people had joined me for my walk on such a windy, chilly and wet day.  We started the walk from St Margarets in Hertfordshire (County of Opportunity) and headed uphill, then following the path through fields and up a pasture before reaching the A10 roundabout.  We then entered the grounds of Haileybury College – opened in 1809 &#8211; where Stephen used to go to school.  He told us how he used to climb down the drainpipe to go and have a drink at The Goat Pub.  Stuart also went to Haileybury College but [&hellip;]
- [BERKHAMSTED TO TRING - 20 NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/berkhamsted-to-tring-20-november/): Seven Polyramblers travelled from a busy Euston station to Berkhamsted, where we were joined by three more people. Before starting along the canal we stopped to look at the paintings on a bridge showing scenes connected with the history of the Grand Union Canal. We walked along the canal for a couple of miles and noticed that it was not nearly as busy as the Regent’s Canal the previous week. We passed a heron which was very interested in something in the reeds, perhaps a frog. Herons are quite common on the canal but you don’t see many dragons. We [&hellip;]
- [LONDON LOOP - COCKFOSTERS TO TURKEY STREET - 14 NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/10399-2/): Geoffrey, Pam, Jennifer, Harriet, Chris, Les, Ian and myself headed off from Cockfosters Underground station shortly after 10am. It was our first part of the London loop, going clockwise. On the walk we went through Trent Country Park, past 17th century Forty Hall (we carried on, leaving the museum visit for another time) and Albany Park. The landscape was easy walking, and not too muddy, so we were able to enjoy the beautiful autumn colours and smells.  A light shower led us to shelter under some trees for a while though most of the day was dry and mild. Although the [&hellip;]
- [GODALMING CIRCULAR VIA WATTS CHAPEL - 23 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/godalming-circular-via-watts-chapel-23-october/): 15 hikers set out from Godalming Station on a mild and dry Saturday. The route started along the River Wey going upstream. This was a pleasant walk along the riverbank with plenty of wildlife including a brace of pheasant and a Muntjac deer. We then turned away from the river through woodland to Hurtmore and then through Compton Village to The Watts Memorial Chapel. This is a stunning piece of Arts and Crafts grade one listed chapel in extremely good condition. Sad to say we could not stay long enough do it justice. We then went on to the Watts [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 13 November 2021 Angel to Limehouse](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-13-november-2021-angel-to-limehouse/): Twenty-two Poly ramblers met at the Angel station Islington, to begin our walk along the Regents Canal covering parts of North and East London. The Regent’s Canal is 8.6mls long and was completed in 1820, dozens of day trip boats, narrow boats and water cafes line this stretch of the canal. The towpath also proved to be very popular with cyclists and joggers just two of the potential hazards on our walk. Our route started with the Hanging Gardens of Islington, as the canal emerged from the tunnel under Islington. After about 5Km the towpath went alongside the edge of [&hellip;]
- [RICHMOND TO OSTERLEY - 6 NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/richmond-to-osterley-6-november/): Twenty six Poly Ramblers turned up to the walk despite revised, longer length route. We set off from Richmond Station and soon hit our first alleyway with blue badge building &#8211; Suffield House (Hogarth House) on Paradise Road, where Virginia Woolf once lived. We walked through the narrow Vineyard Passage towards the gothic style St. Matthias Church (designed by Sir George G. Scott) before arriving at Richmond Hill Village. The group enjoyed a fine view from the top of the Richmond Hill which is famously captured by Turner in his paintings. On way down to the Thames path, the Statue [&hellip;]
- [STANMORE CIRCULAR - 30 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/stanmore-circular-30-october/): Twenty four walkers and  Daisy the dog set off from Stanmore station towards Stanmore Country Park. We welcomed four new walkers.  Considering the weather at the start of the day, we were delighted that the sun shone &amp; blue skies drifted overhead as we set off on the walk.  Entering the country park, we took the Eastern route and followed the Nature trail to Spring Meadows. After a steady climb to viewpoint, we were rewarded with spectacular panoramic view of the capital. Clearly visible were Canary Wharf, The Shard, BT tower, Wembley Stadium to name a few.
- [WESTHUMBLE TO GOMSHALL VIA SHERE - 16 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/westhumble-to-gomshall-via-shere-16-october/): The weather forecast hadn&#8217;t been promising but that sort of thing doesn&#8217;t put us off, so 13 walkers assembled at Box Hill &amp; West Humble station on what turned out to be a beautiful autumn morning. There was almost no dull road-walking so we were immediately  surrounded by beautiful trees, red &amp; gold leaves &amp; the sort of fungi you hope to see at this time of year. That stretch of the North Downs Way is especially lovely &amp;, despite being mostly in woodland, there was a beautiful quality of light with many gaps in the trees giving views of Leith Hill &amp; further. [&hellip;]
- [SWANAGE MONDAY WALK - DURLSTON COUNTRY PARK](https://polyramblers.org.uk/swanage-monday-morning-durlston-country-park/): On Monday morning most of the group gathered at the town square in warm sunshine for a final walk along the coast to Durlston Country Park, led by Sandy.  We passed the pier and headed uphill, passing the Portland Stone Ionic columns dating from the early 19th century.  We headed uphill, pausing at the Coast Watch station on Peverill Point.  Later we entered Durlston Country Park.  After a mile or so walking through woodland along the coast we came to Durlston Castle with it&#8217;s cafe and globe.  The great globe is one of the largest stone spheres in the world, [&hellip;]
- [SWANAGE - SUNDAY STROLLERS WALK - CORFE CASTLE TO SWANAGE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/swanage-sunday-strollers-walk-corfe-castle-to-swanage/): The Strollers walked from Corfe Castle to Swanage along Nine Barrow Down. Nine Barrow Down is described as “an elongated hill” stretching for about 4 miles, according to my OS Maps app. We travelled to Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway and our train was hauled by a Bulleid Pacific locomotive, 34028 Eddystone. This locomotive was recently overhauled at a cost of £350,000 and at one time worked from London Waterloo to Bournemouth and Weymouth. On arriving at Corfe we spent some time looking round the village. I went to the bus stop to see if anyone had decided to [&hellip;]
- [SWANAGE - SUNDAY HIKERS WALK - LANGTON MATRAVERS CIRCULAR](https://polyramblers.org.uk/swanage-sunday-hikers-walk-langton-matravers-circular/): Eighteen hikers took the bus from Swanage to Langton Matravers on what promised to be another glorious, mild, sunny day. We made our way to Spyway Barn a listed building which is said to have been used by smugglers in the 19th century. Continuing down to the coast we soon arrived at the steps down to Dancing Ledge. This was a Purbeck limestone quarry and the platform by the sea left from the quarrying gets its name due to it being a similar size to a ballroom and the waves ‘dancing’ over it. One member found one of the many [&hellip;]
- [SWANAGE STROLLERS WALK - BALLARD DOWN - SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/swanage-strollers-walk-ballard-down-saturday-9-october/): The Strollers met at Swanage bus station to catch the no 50 to the stop at the foot of Ballard Down. After getting off the bus we crossed the road to start the climb up to the flat, grassy ridge which is Ballard Down. At the start of the ridge there is an obelisk, erected in 1892 , which commemorates the new supply of drinking water to Swanage. For the next 2.5 miles we walked along the ridge. The fine, sunny weather had brought many people out, many with their dogs and we met a pair of poodles with unusual [&hellip;]
- [HIKERS WALK - CORFE, STUDLAND AN OLD HARRY ROCKS - SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hikers-walk-corfe-studland-an-old-harry-rocks-saturday-9-october/): Geoffrey had the honour of leading a walk on his birthday! Some 17 Poly Ramblers gathered at Swanage bus station to catch the 10am bus to Corfe Castle village. The weather was bright overcast. We all alighted in East Street and walked towards the centre of the village, passing a square beside a church with a view of the castle on a green mound behind. Continuing downhill where the main road continues through a narrow gap, we took a right turn Eastwards along a narrow lane passing under the Swanage railway, where we started to go uphill. At this point [&hellip;]
- [SWANAGE WEEKEND - FRIDAY 8 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/swanage-weekend-friday-8-october/): Twenty seven Poly Ramblers gathered in Swanage on the beautiful Jurassic coast at the start of a weekend with a promise of warm sunny weather.  The majority of the group were staying  the Youth Hostel situated at one of the highest points in the town with views of Studland bay.  Sandy used his local knowledge to lead a recce of town, before we all dispersed to eat,  many opting for fish and chips of course. Photos from Ida and Stuart
- [EPPING FOREST CIRCULAR - 9 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/epping-forest-circular-9-october/): Meng writes: Eleven Poly Ramblers had a lovely calm walk with Pam today.  Epping Forest is amazing with beautiful trees, tree roots, fungi, and we also came across a few shy longhorns.  As some of us got closer they began to wander off.  Shame! I have never been to Epping Forest before so it was a real treat.   A thoroughly enjoyable walk which was then topped off by our visit to The Wagon Boulangerie. Pam adds that there were also mandarin ducks and an interestingly huge green caterpillar. Thanks to everyone for joining in with the spirit of the walk. [&hellip;]
- [ANGEL TO FARRINGDON - 5 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/angel-to-farringdon-5-october/): It had rained on and off all day and it was a blustery evening, so I did not expect many customers for my walk, but 7 stalwart Polyramblers, including Danny, turned up. We started by going north to trendy Islington High Street and Camden Passage, then turned right and right again to walk in gardens on top of the New River. After busy Pentonville Road, we turned into Claremont Square with the large mount of Claremont Square Reservoir in the middle to store water brought from Hertfordshire via the New River. We walked along Myddelton Square with its beautiful Georgian [&hellip;]
- [CHORLEYWOOD CIRCULAR - 2 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chorleywood-circular-2-october/): Eight Poly Ramblers assembled at Chorleywood railway station on the morning of a Saturday for which heavy rain was forecast.  And all too soon we would be only seven because Sunita had to withdraw with her slow-healing leg injury.  After descending through the common we climbed back up to the noisy M25 and a footbridge across, only to cross back a mile or so later. At this time it was still sunny and we were enjoying the southern view of the motorway when we noticed the northbound traffic being slowed up by some vehicles, not police cars but Lamborghinis! as [&hellip;]
- [PRINCES RISBOROUGH CIRCULAR - 25 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/princes-risborough-circular-25-september/): Fifteen walkers and Teddy (the dog) gathered in the Chiltern market town of Princes Risborough on a grey but warm and humid Saturday.  Princes Risborough has medieval origins and my guidebook told me that the under the car park we were standing in was the foundations of the 14th century manor house of Edward the Black Prince.  Disappointingly the group didn’t seem that impressed by this fact.  The first park of the walk took us south through meadows to the hamlets of Horsenden and Saunderton. We diverted to look at the 15th century churchyard in Horsenden.
- [Maidenhead to Marlow.  Saturday 11 September.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/maidenhead-to-marlow-saturday-11-september/): Eighteen Poly Ramblers met at Maidenhead station and made their way to the River Thames by Brunel’s famous rail bridge. It is the widest brick arch ever built and features in Turner’s 1844 painting ‘Rail, Steam and Speed’ viewed by Mick and Dolly just a few days earlier in the National Gallery. We then followed the Thames Path to Cookham passing Boulter’s Lock described in Jerome K. Jerome’s 1889 novel Three Men in a Boat and the Cliveden Estate centre of the notorious Profumo scandal of 1963. Six members ended their walk in Cookham whilst the rest of us, after [&hellip;]
- [Debden Lambourne Theydon Bois - 19 September](https://polyramblers.org.uk/debden-lambourne-theydon-bois-19-september/): Danny having been incapacitated by a leg injury, I volunteered to stand in for him to lead this walk. I went on a walkover the Sunday before. Just as well. There were places on the walk description (printed in 1994) that were rather elliptical not to say misleading, starting with inclusion of the word &#8220;stroll&#8221;! It all went fairly smoothly at the beginning. I stopped in the village of Abridge for a lime and soda and chat to a customer about local history, discovering that the spirit of Dick Turpin is alive and kicking! The description matched the reality, despite [&hellip;]
- [Henley Circular 18th September 2021](https://polyramblers.org.uk/henley-circular-18th-september-2021/): Thirteen Poly Ramblers took an early train from Paddington to reach Henley on Thames. The earlier time meant that we avoided a thronging high street whilst crossing busy roads to reach the start of our walk on the Oxfordshire way. We enjoyed stunning views in sunshine as we walked through Henley Park part of the Culdon Faw Estate. After walking up a narrow lane we entered a large field with a narrow path leading eventually to an access road. Sadly, we did not spy the very tame White Peacock that I came across during &nbsp;my walk over. On reaching Dobson’s [&hellip;]
- [NORTH FAMBRIDGE TO BURNHAM ON CROUCH - 4 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/north-fambridge-to-burnham-on-crouch-4-september/): Eleven polys arrived at Fambridge North on the Dengie Peninsula on a rather grey but mild morning. We soon arrived at the sea wall on the River Crouch. We walked along the meandering river with its several creeks, remarking on the tranquillity of our surroundings and the beautiful views on both sides. Being tidal, the river attracts various wading birds. We were a little too early in the year for those which winter in the area but we did see some geese in flight. It was quite windy at times, so we were pleased to find a sheltered spot just [&hellip;]
- [CHESTER TRIP - TUESDAY.  CITY WALLS WALK](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chester-trip-tuesday-city-walls-walk/): We gathered at the Northgate to walk the almost 2 mile circuit, the most complete town walls in Britain. After the Civil War they were no longer required to be fortified for defence and were developed as a recreational walkway. We walked anti-clockwise and the first section gave us a good view of the racecourse. This is the oldest one in the country, dating back to 1539. It is on the site of the port of Chester which was bustling in Roman times but the River Dee had silted up here by the 1500s and changed its course. We were [&hellip;]
- [CHESTER TRIP - MONDAY NIGHT MEAL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chester-trip-monday-night-meal/): Ida&#8217;s photos from our last night group meal at Little Owl. &nbsp;
- [CHESTER: MONDAY STROLLER AND HIKERS WALKS](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chester-monday-stroller-and-hikers-walks/): Strollers walk led by Judy &#8211; Chester outskirts On Monday 30th August, the strollers set out to follow one of the walks in Danny’s book. The walk started at the stone cross in the centre of Chester, which marked the centre of the Roman fortress. We then proceeded down Bridge St and Lower Bridge St till we came to the river Dee. Turning right we walked along beside it and on to a part of the city walls. We came to Grosvenor Road and crossed the river on the Grosvenor  Bridge. It was, on construction, the longest single span stone [&hellip;]
- [CHESTER - SUNDAY HIKERS WALK - MOSTYN TO PRESTATYN](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chester-sunday-hikers-walk-mostyn-to-prestatyn/): Twenty five participants took the 9.51 train to Flint in Wales. Here one Poly, unaware that we had arrived at the destination, was still in the toilet. The conductor very kindly kept the train waiting while we managed to call her and she got off just in time! We were met by two minibuses to take us to the start of our walk just before Mostyn. We were to follow the Wales Coast Path to Prestatyn. We climbed up through woods and after crossing a few fields descended through a pretty woodland gorge to Ffynnongroyw. We struggled with the pronunciation [&hellip;]
- [CHESTER SUNDAY STROLLERS WALK - DELAMERE FOREST CIRCULAR 10.5K](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chester-sunday-strollers-walk-delamere-forest-circular-10-5k/): Danny was originally going to lead but had to drop out due to injury. Sandy did a magnificent job, picking up the reins at the last minute.  The route also had to be changed. Naturally we started by sampling the local ice cream, then for some serious strolling.  The weather was perfect partly sunny with a breeze.  We passed under Go Ape.  Alas there were no takers.  Past the lake with a circular walk ending up at the visitor centre for lunch. By all accounts the the ice cream here was up to scratch.  We had an hour to kill [&hellip;]
- [CHESTER - SATURDAY STROLLERS WALK  - WIRRAL WAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chester-saturday-strollers-walk-wirral-way/): I had the privilege of leading this walk because Danny was injured. We caught a bus to the village of Neston where we joined the Wirral Way. After a few minutes working out which direction to take, we set off along the tree-lined embankments and cuttings of this disused railway line. We walked for a couple of miles and met many dogs and cyclists and then turned left down a road to the village of Parkgate on the Dee estuary. Parkgate was once a port but silt in the Dee estuary made it unusable, as with Chester itself. During its [&hellip;]
- [CHESTER - SATURDAY HIKERS WALK - FRODSHAM TO DELAMERE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chester-saturday-hikers-walk-frodsham-to-delamere/): The Hikers group followed the Sandstone way starting from the bustling town of Frodsham. We were soon climbing above the town wending our way up a dry path making the ascent easier. We paused at the war memorial at the top where the views over the Mersey Estuary were spectacular. Much of this section of the Sandstone way meanders around outcrops of sandstone through birch and oak woodland. We followed the waymarks along the edge of the hill pausing to look for the lettering carved into the rocks many thought to have been written by Edwardian women. The path dropped [&hellip;]
- [CHESTER WEEKEND - FRIDAY - ARRIVAL AND CITY WALK](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chester-weekend-friday-arrival-and-city-walk/): Twenty one Polys travelled to Chester from London to join the 20 who had preceded them on Thursday. After settling into the accommodation at Chester University and visiting the nearby Aldi for provisions, we met up for the tour of the city. We were able to admire the ancient walls built by the Romans and later fortified by the Saxons to defend the city. We passed numerous black and white timbered buildings dating back to medieval times and other more recent ones built during the Victorian Revival period. The Rows which are covered walkways above the shops, unique to Chester, [&hellip;]
- [FEBRUARY TO MAY 2022 WALKS PROGRAMME](https://polyramblers.org.uk/october-21-to-january-22-walks-programme/): Click on the link below to download our current programme programme-feb-may-22-updated-FINAL-web-version &nbsp;
- [JOHN RAY WALK - BRAINTREE TO WITHAM ESSEX - 21 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/john-ray-walk-braintree-to-witham-essex-21-august/): John Ray played a significant role in the field of botany, and he is now widely regarded as the father of British Natural History. The John Ray Walk was devised to celebrate his life and achievements and passes through the Brain Valley, the birthplace and home of John Ray. After meandering through Braintree’s new housing estates and leaving the noise of the busy A120, we crossed newly harvested fields and reached the church of St Peter and St Paul in Black Notley where John Ray is buried.
- [HITCHIN OUTER LOOP - 22 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hitchin-outer-loop-22-august/): A small band of sisters and one brother met on Sunday &#8211; gathering at Hitchin library which is more or less where this walk starts. The ‘HOOP’, seemingly named after a 70s rock band, is apparently part of a group of walks, including the ‘STOOP’ (around Stevenage) and the ‘LOOP’ (around Luton). As it was my first attempt at co- leading a walk perhaps it was a good thing it was a small and forgiving group of veterans. The weather was pretty good for walking on the whole although sharp but heavy showers along the way resulted in much putting [&hellip;]
- [WIMBLEDON to RICHMOND (LINEAR): 14 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wimbledon-to-richmond-linear-14-august/): Twenty one Polyramblers arrived at Wimbledon Park Station despite the problems on several tube lines. After a short walk up hill we were in Wimbledon Park and went past a water feature in the children’s play area and past the pond. There were lots of ducks and geese here. After leaving the park we walked through a residential area on our way to Wimbledon Common. Jennifer and I had seen a friendly lady when we did the recce and we were again greeted by the same lady, Farida. She was originally  from Indonesia, a winner of several gold and silver [&hellip;]
- [HEVER, COWDEN AND MARKBEECH CIRCULAR - 7 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hever-cowden-and-markbeech-circular-7-august/): Twelve walkers gathered at Hever station where minutes before the leader had managed to drop his map on the railway line. Siew Kee gallantly threw herself onto the tracks to rescue said map (I&#8217;m sure that&#8217;s not in line with our H&amp;S policy &#8211; Editor!) and somehow Siew Tin and leader managed to pull her back up onto the platform! The first section of the walk was very wet and the heavens opened several times before leaving us with a relatively dry day. We passed the picturesque Christmas Mill pond and headed up a gradual slope to Dry Hill, the [&hellip;]
- [SHOREHAM CIRCULAR VIA LULLINGSTONE - 25 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/9397-2/): Disappointingly only two ramblers, Jennifer and Sarah, turned up for the walk on what proved to be a very nice day, defying the BBC weather forecast of storm and tempest. We proceeded alongside the River Darent stopping at Castle Farm for some lavender ice cream. We passed lavender coloured fields and Lullingstone Castle, heading into farmland and woodland and at times close to a golf course. We twice passed colourful flower meadows giving me the chance to pick a few yellow rattle seed pods for my own tiny back garden meadow. On the walkover the second meadow was covered in [&hellip;]
- [LEWES CIRCULAR - 31 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/lewes-circular-14-5-miles-31-july/): After being banged up &amp; restricted for so long, 14 and a half miles might seem a bit of a challenge but on such a perfect day and in such a beautiful place it could also seem not long enough. Just for a change, the train to Lewes ran on time with no problems along the way, which is unusual at the moment and an auspicious start. We walked through a very nice, quiet part of Lewes &amp; up one of those lovely old chalk paths onto the Downs. The sea is easily visible from up there and the wonderful [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 17th July 2021 West Drayton Circular](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-17th-july-2021-west-drayton-circular/): A walk along the Grand Union Canal starting from Val’s in West Drayton. It was one of the hottest days of the year, however we were fortunate to be rewarded by plenty of shade from trees planted along the canal. This part of the Grand Union Canal is quite varied, we passed Packet Boat Marina (from which Clive and I later hired a narrowboat with the family!). It is situated on the Slough Arm of the canal and near to the Little Britain Lake following the London Loop signs. At our half way mark we had lunch at the General [&hellip;]
- [Evening walk in Belgravia - 27 July](https://polyramblers.org.uk/evening-walk-in-belgravia-27-july/): The weather stayed dry for 18 Polyramblers during our evening walk in Belgravia, a 200 acres area owned by the Grosvenor family since 1677. At that time, it was known at the Five Fields – a mix of swamp, pasture, orchards, a few scattered houses and much of it the haunt of highwaymen. How things have changed! It is now one of the most fashionable and desirable residential areas of central London and the largest and best-preserved urban Regency estate. After leaving the bustle of Sloane Square, we were soon in quiet Bourne Street where we had a sneaky look [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 24th July  West Harrow/Harrow-on-the-Hill. Distance: 3.5 miles](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-24th-july-west-harrow-harrow-on-the-hill-distance-3-5-miles/): Despite the rail and tube travel disruption and threats of stormy weather, sixteen hardy polyramblers were waiting for us when we arrived at West Harrow station at 1:30pm for our West Harrow and Harrow on the Hill walk. We set off through the tree lined streets of West Harrow, passing through West Harrow Park, past the many school owned cricket fields and the former semi-mansion home of Clare Raynor before embarking on the steep ascent of the hill through the graveyard to St Mary’s church. We looked at the Peachy grave, Byron’s favourite place during his time at Harrow school. [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 10th July A grand day out](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-10th-july-a-grand-day-out/): On a drizzly Saturday 10th July 25 polyramblers and guests assembled at Epping station and took the Green Heritage Bus number 339 to North Weald Station. The bus conductor was very friendly and gave a commentary on the journey and we were all issued authentic tickets from his Gibson ticket machine ( Danny is this the right one?). It took many of us back a few years to our younger days. At North Weald we seemed to enter the world of historic re-enactment with all the volunteer officials in period costume, resonant of Wallace and Gromit or Thomas the Tank [&hellip;]
- [FOLKESTONE TO DOVER - 4 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/folkestone-to-dover-4-july/): A  different group (including myself) of Polyramblers originally walked this ramble back in October 1985, a photo of which captures that event on the front cover of the club&#8217;s history book &#8216;Walking through the Years&#8217;.  By popular demand I was asked to repeat this walk. So I chose a Sunday with no apparent trackwork on the rail timetable. This time I walked into my local station (then unstaffed)at 0740, to leave plenty of time to meet Polyramblers at St Pancras for the 0937 to Folkestone. A man rushed out of the barriers saying there were NO TRAINS!   Indeed the [&hellip;]
- [AMERSHAM CIRCULAR - 3 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/amersham-circular-3-july/): Twelve Poly Ramblers and Daisy the dog met at Amersham on a warm and humid Saturday morning.  Rain looked on the cards and there was a yellow warning for thunderstorms.  After a mile or so of suburban streets we headed up to the outskirts of Stanley Hill cemetery and then to Jubilee wood, planted for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012.  We crossed fields in the direction of Chalfont, passing Beele House where the film star Dirk Bogarde once lived.  Eventually we arrived at the edge of Harewood Downs golf course,  identified by Yvonne as the main hazard of the walk, [&hellip;]
- [WOOLWICH TO BELVEDERE - 26 JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/woolwich-to-belvedere-26-june/): On a reasonably warm and sunny morning, seventeen members met up at Woolwich Arsenal station to commence our Thameside walk. First was a stroll through the Royal Arsenal complex with its many attractive old buildings and expensive-looking new flats. A sculpture of sixteen bronze figures, reminiscent of an Anthony Gormley, welcomed us to the Thames Path along which we headed east. After a short while, we detoured into a park to climb Gallions Hill ,constructed from rubble and soil excavated during construction of a nearby housing estate. There were a few grumbles that a flat walk had been promised but [&hellip;]
- [Faversham to Whitstable June 20th 2021](https://polyramblers.org.uk/faversham-to-whitstable-june-20th-2021/): This was a ten mile walk from Faversham to Whitstable following both the Saxon Shore way and the England Coast path. We were advised in advance to remember our swimming costumes, however, the overcast weather didn’t quite live up to our expectations. We started our walk at Faversham the oldest market town in Kent an important seaport and a centre for brewing. The Shepherd Neame Brewery is still an important industry. We wondered through some old fishing huts now used as a craft and antiques centre before reaching the estuary with a number of fishing boats moored up. Our route [&hellip;]
- [TADWORTH CIRCULAR  - 12 JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/tadworth-circular-12-june/): 16 Polys met at Tadworth Station, including one potential new member. The forecast was fine and we set off hopefully in search of the official start of the hike, at Walton on the Hill. After passing the little secluded Bell Inn, known locally as the Rat – nobody knows why. We encountered the first of 3 Coal Posts. Andrew explained that they represented tithe points to tax Londoners for coal brought in from outside town. The posts stated details of the date of the parliamentary act which introduced the tax.  There are still 250 of these posts in existence. We [&hellip;]
- [Cockfosters to Turkey Street 5th June 2021](https://polyramblers.org.uk/cockfosters-to-turkey-street-5th-june-2021/): This walk was section 17 of the London Loop. It is a long rural section through Trent Country Park, the farmland of Enfield Chase, Hilly Fields and finishing up at Forty Hall. Fifteen Poly Ramblers joined me at Cockfosters Station. The sixteenth Poly Rambler caught up with us at Trent Country Park which has some lovely wooded sections including a large lake. We passed Camelot Moat thought to have been the Seat of Geoffrey de Mandeville during the reign of William the Conqueror. We continued our walk following Salmon Brook and eventually stopped for a picnic at Hilly fields under [&hellip;]
- [PETTS WOOD CIRCULAR - 31 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/petts-wood-circular-31-may/): On what promised to be a beautiful, hot sunny day 15 Polys set off from Petts Wood station in South London. After winding through the woods, saved from developers by local people and donated to the National Trust in 1927, we came upon the William Willett memorial sundial. This commemorates his support for the introduction of daylight saving in a pamphlet in 1907 which paved the way for the introduction of BST. We crossed St. Paul’s Cray road and soon entered Scadbury Park, now a nature reserve. We passed the remains of the Tudor manor, first recorded in the thirteenth [&hellip;]
- [EVENING WALK TO ROTHERHITHE AND SOUTHWARK PARK - 18th JULY 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/evening-walk-to-rotherhithe-and-southwark-park-18th-july-2024/): Sixteen of us were on this sunny evening walk around Bermondsey and Rotherhithe. From Bermondsey tube station, we made our way to the Thames which we followed for a short while. We learned about Dr Alfred Salter, his wife Ada and daughter Joyce. Alfred and Ada became involved in local government in an attempt to improve conditions for the poor of the area. There is a statue group of the family by the Angel Inn. Opposite are the remains of a 14th century manor built for Edward III.&nbsp; We walked to The Ship pub, passed the mortuary building which is [&hellip;]
- [Gunnersbury Park to Hanwell - 7th July 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/gunnersbury-park-to-hanwell-7th-july-2024/): Nineteen Poly Ramblers met at Acton Town Station made their way to Gunnersbury Park to visit the museum which has an incredibly varied collection of around 50,000 museum and archive items. The collection provides an insight into the heritage and culture of Ealing. Sadly we missed meeting the most recent occupants of Gunnersbury Park, Salt and Pepper (two Kunekune Pigs), however we enjoyed a walk around the pond before making our way towards South Ealing Cemetery. This is one of the largest cemeteries in London; Agatha Christie’s parents and Spencer Perceval, the only Prime Minister in British history to be [&hellip;]
- [Chorleywood Circular - 20 July 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chorleywood-circular-20-july-2024/): Ten Polyramblers met at Chorleywood station for a seven mile walk exploring the picturesque Chess Valley and surrounding countryside. Walking through woods fragrant with the smell of lime trees we reached the pretty village of Chenies with its Tudor Manor House. We visited the adjacent fifteenth century church before walking east past meadows of vibrant blue Lacy phacelia to Mountwood Farm and north through Mount Wood to Crestyl Barn, sadly no longer a watercress farm due to sewage in the river. Joining the Chess Valley Walk we passed through Sarratt Bottom, deviating uphill to Church End for our picnic in [&hellip;]
- [Staines, Shepperton, Weybridge and Chertsey Mead - 13th July 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/staines-shepperton-weybridge-and-chertsey-mead-13th-july-2024/): 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 &amp; 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 [&hellip;]
- [ALONG THE NORTH DOWNS WAY(NDW) FROM WROTHAM TO MEDWAY BRIDGE (Bekkusdunnet) - 6th JULY 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/along-the-north-downs-wayndw-from-wrotham-to-medway-bridge-bekkusdunnet-6th-july-2024/): 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.&nbsp; I now say Bridges as, since 2003 a second bridge has been built beside the M2 bridge,&nbsp; which carries the HS1 railway towards Ashford.&nbsp;&nbsp; Six Polyramblers gathered off the train at Borough Green &amp; Wrotham station. Unusually a smaller group [&hellip;]
- [TRIP TO THE APENNINES AND PARMA, ITALY MAY 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/trip-to-the-apennines-and-parma-italy-may-2024/): Thursday May 23:  Susan writes: 39 Poly Ramblers travelled to Milan Linate where we  boarded our coach to Corniglio, unfortunately minus Melida’s suitcase, which had been left in London. We were somewhat disconcerted by the very heavy rain and the sight of the flooded fields for much of the journey. After two and a half hours we arrived at the family run Hotel le Mura in the little Apennine village of Corniglio where most of the group were staying.  After unpacking and a quick aperitive at the hotel bar, we all gathered for our four course dinner at le Mura. [&hellip;]
- [KEW TO TEDDINGTON- 29 JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/kew-to-teddington-29-june/): 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
- [West Ruislip to Northwood Hills - 22nd June 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/west-ruislip-to-northwood-hills-22nd-june-2024/): 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 [&hellip;]
- [CHINGFORD TO LEYTONSTONE - 16 JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chingford-to-leytonstone-16-june/): 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 [&hellip;]
- [SEAFORD TO BERWICK -15 JUNE 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/seaford-to-berwick-15-june-2024/): I had been watching the Met Office forecast in the week for the south coast with dread. It was showing strong winds, thunder, and heavy rain. Not the ideal conditions for walking along cliff tops and I doubted I’d be able to attract many ramblers for what otherwise is, I think, one of the best walks in the summer programme. We travelled down to Seaford in the pouring rain and I wasn’t feeling anymore confident as we approached the start of the walk. By the time we assembled on the seafront at Seaford however, there was a small but enthusiastic [&hellip;]
- [GREEN LONDON WAY: GREENWICH TO FOREST HILL 12 JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/green-london-way-greenwich-to-forest-hill-12-june/): Six Polyramblers were about to start the walk in Greenwich when we got a message from Hilary to say that she and Gini were arriving by boat. So we went to wait for them at Greenwich Pier. Now eight Polyramblers, we went up towards Greenwich Observatory through the park and left it at Macartney House, which used to be the home of General James Wolfe. Walking on a track lined with pretty houses, we reached a grassy plateau known as The Point with an amazing London panorama. We then descended in the valley of the Ravensbourne river which we met [&hellip;]
- [Chigwell - Enfield Lock London Loop walk - 1 June](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chigwell-enfield-lock-london-loop-walk-1-june/): We were joined by Poppy and Quentin from North London Ramblers at Chigwell before parting for the Roding Valley Meadows Nature Reserve. In the morning the weather was cloudy and there was a little mud in the wooded areas but otherwise relatively easy walking. Unfortunately the Premier Inn near Queen Elisabeth&#8217;s Hunting Lodge was closed so we stopped earlier at &#8216;The Warren Wood&#8217; public house for lunch before proceeding to Gillwell Park, the UK National Centre for Scouts. Three of us left after lunch in order to shorten their journey. In the afternoon we had some sunny weather and really [&hellip;]
- [June to September 2024 Walks Programme](https://polyramblers.org.uk/june-to-september-2024-walks-programme/): Click below to view our summer walks programme (The last revision was on 14th July.  Due to planned railway maintenance the dates of the Wadhurst and Saunderton walks have changed as has the Benfleet walk with the London Blind Ramblers). June to September 2024 walks programme
- [GREEN LONDON WAY PART 4: WOOLWICH TO GREENWICH - 15th May 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/green-london-way-part-4-woolwich-to-greenwich-15th-may-2024/): It was a sunny day when 9 Polyramblers met at the Elizabeth Line Woolwich station. We walked up to Woolwich Common, passing St George’s Garrison Church which was bombed during the Second World War. The beautiful mosaics have been restored and are protected from the elements by a canopy roof. We crossed the common which was covered with Queen Anne’s Lace (am I right, Kim?) as far as the eyes could see. After Hornfair Park, we arrived in Charlton Park. We had lunch in the sun on the terrace of Charlton House, one of the finest Jacobean houses in the [&hellip;]
- [Manningtree Circular - May 18th 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/manningtree-circular-may-18th-2024/): The BBC had forecast that there would be rain in the morning but the rain had arrived very early and by the time 19 ramblers assembled outside Manningtree station the clouds had rolled back and the sun was shining.&nbsp; We were lucky that it remained dry and sunny all day. &nbsp; After the briefing we set out.&nbsp; The walk in its entirety was relatively flat and there were mud and puddles in only a few places which was not as bad as I had feared. &nbsp; We walked through lovely quiet spring countryside and sometimes all we could hear was [&hellip;]
- [Romford to Havering Park (Linear) 5.4 miles - 6th May](https://polyramblers.org.uk/romford-to-havering-park-linear-5-4-miles-6th-may/): Despite the gloomy weather forecast, twenty-five members assembled at Romford station for this year&#8217;s May Day Bank Holiday walk. With the &nbsp;predicted rain holding off for the time being, we initially traversed a short urban section. We then entered Lodge Farm Park, the first of a string of municipal parks, formed from Havering&#8217;s ancient private estates to realise an interwar local councillor&#8217;s vision of a &#8216;green lung&#8217; winding up through the borough. A miniature railway, sadly not in operation on the day, attracted our attention before we crossed into Raphael Park. Skirting a lake and an abundance of waterborne wildlife, [&hellip;]
- [Oxford - 30th March](https://polyramblers.org.uk/oxford-30th-march/): The sun was shining when twenty five members met at Oxford station for an Easter Saturday walk around its green and urban areas. One of our members, Gini, missed her train so I directed her to meet us at the lunchtime pub. We headed for the Thames towpath but soon found that a stretch of it was flooded because the river level was very high due to the recent heavy rainfall. We detoured through a new housing estate and reached a drier section of the path. We crossed Rainbow Bridge to a temporary bar being set up at Medley Manor [&hellip;]
- [Highgate Cemetery Tour and walk to Baker Street Station - 24th April](https://polyramblers.org.uk/highgate-cemetery-tour-and-walk-to-baker-street-station-24th-april/): The Tour Twenty members of the Poly Ramblers walking Club met at Highgate station and then went via Waterlow Park to the entrance of Highgate Cemetery, one of the oldest burial places in London and one of the most expensive as it costs on average seventy thousand pounds to be buried there. We had a knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide who informed us of the historical context of the cemetery and which graves were of unusual significance. These included a grave with an Egyptian Pyramid and the grave of a famous Victorian Boxer with a sculpture of his dog. We were told [&hellip;]
- [PETERSFIELD TO LISS   - 27th APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/petersfield-to-liss-27th-april/): Six Polyramblers assembled at Waterloo Station prepared to brave the vagaries of  South Western&#8217;s rail replacement buses.  We were rewarded  with a direct bus from Guildford to Petersfield , where we were joined by another Polyrambler, and thus were able to start the walk earlier than anticipated. The weather brightened and we made good progress, following the Hangers Way via  the village of  Steep.  We climbed  the short but very steep Shoulder of Mutton Hill where we stopped for an early lunch by the memorial bench to the poet Edward Thomas and enjoyed a wonderful view of the South Downs. [&hellip;]
- [CHIPSTEAD to KINGSWOOD - 4th May](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chipstead-to-kingswood-4th-may/): Seventeen Polyramblers gathered for an undulating  9.5 mile walk through ancient woodland, open downs and farmland in London’s Green Belt all within zone 6. Initially we followed part of the Banstead Woods Nature Trail which is an ancient woodland full of English bluebells and containing three sculptures illustrating the C. S. Lewis Narnia books. Leaving the trail we picnicked on a grassy slope of Stagbury Downs with fine views across Chipstead valley. After carefully crossing a railway line we walked through an open valley in Shabden Park and across a golf course to the Well House Inn for a welcome [&hellip;]
- [Biggleswade to Sandy walk 20th April 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/biggleswade-to-sandy-walk-20th-april-2024/): Biggleswade: (PIchelesuuade 1086 (DB), Bicheleswada 1132. &#8216;Ford of a man called Biccel&#8217;.) Sandy: Sandeie 1086 (DB) &#8216;Sandy Island&#8217; Walkers arrived at Biggleswade by train and car. There was a slight delay waiting for one.  Group briefing including alerting walkers to the &#8216;Guide for Walkers&#8217; on the club website.  Brief street walk to get out of town and under A1 and then we were crossing arable fields, which on the walkover were just bare earth, sometimes extremely waterlogged, now full of sprouting crops and in places adorned with QR codes to inform us what was growing there. Very useful for enquiring [&hellip;]
- [OXTED CIRCULAR - 13 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/oxted-circular-13-april/): The early start and length of this walk meant that we were small, keen group of walkers but our efforts were greatly rewarded with beautiful weather and a lovely long walk. We made our way out of Oxted on familiar and beautiful paths through spring woodland with plenty of bluebells, celadines, wood anemones and wild garlic. There were views over to the South Downs &amp; fields with sheep with lambs basking in the unexpected warmth and sunshine. At the Carpenter&#8217;s Arms at Limpsfield Chart we diverged from former trails and went into more woodland hoping to see a natural pond [&hellip;]
- [DARENT VALLEY AND NORTH DOWNS CIRCULAR - 6 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/darent-valley-and-north-downs-circular-11-miles/): Eleven ramblers gathered to partake in what had been advertised as a very muddy walk by myself after a recce earlier in the week. I was most disappointed to find two days of dry weather had made the ascent up the North Downs and a final descent much easier! After leaving Otford we had some fine views from the North Downs Way path of Kemsing and the Weald on our way to Cotman’s Ash and the barely surviving, quaint Rising Sun pub which dispensed beer from polypins. The pub served no food, but we were able to eat our sandwiches [&hellip;]
- [LONDON LOOP: HAMSEY GREEN TO COULSDON SOUTH - 24 MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/london-loop-hamsey-green-to-coulsdon-south-24-march/): We are now half way round the London Loop having started at Cockfosters (clockwise), soon after we came out of Lockdown. Our most recent walk took us from Hamsey Green to Coulsdon South station. It was one of our shorter stages so far, dictated partly by the length of the following stages, and to ensure easy access to trains at start/finish. We had a really good turnout and a lovely, dry and bright day.
- [HAMPSTEAD to HAMPSTEAD HEATH - 14TH APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hampstead-to-hampstead-heath-14th-april/): Fourteen Polyramblers gathered for a walk through Hampstead, welcoming a prospective new member and Hilary on her first outing with us since her accident.  Initially we walked past several sites of interest including Constable’s tomb, Fenton House, Admiral’s House and Whitestone Pond, one of the highest spots in London, before entering the west side of the Heath. We strolled along the wisteria and vine covered Pergola and around the stunning vistas of Hill Garden before reaching the Old Bull and Bush pub where Peter led us in a spirited rendition of the music hall song. Another stretch of Heath brought [&hellip;]
- [COCKFOSTERS TO HIGHGATE - 16TH MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/cockfosters-to-highgate-16th-march/): North to South London Trail Part 1   Twelve Polys congregated at Cockfosters station for the first part of a new route across London from North to South: 34 miles Cockfosters to Carshalton Beeches, taking advantage of the many parks and green spaces. After a short walk through the suburbs, admiring some beautiful magnolia blooms, we negotiated some serious mud descending into the ancient woodland of Oakwood Hill Wood nature reserve where a woodpecker was hard at work in the surrounding trees. We then followed the Pymme’s Brook, a tributary of the River Lea, Trail into Oakhill Park, Brunswick Park [&hellip;]
- [LONDON’S INNS OF COURT - 7th MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/londons-inns-of-court-7th-march/): There were two groups of walkers meeting at Temple tube station: Capital Walkers and the Polyramblers.  Some Capitals Walkers were attracted to our group, but we had to disappoint them.  Anyway, upon checking their programme, I discovered that they were doing an 11-mile walk.  Ours was 3 miles but was going to include a lot of interesting stops.   There were 19 of us and our first stop was at Two Temple Place, a beautiful building built for William Waldorf Astor in 1895.  It’s not open very often but there is a free exhibition on glass until 21 April so [&hellip;]
- [AMERSHAM TO CHESHAM - 2 MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/amersham-to-chesham-2-march/): I was impressed that 13 Poly Ramblers made the journey to Amersham in the rain this morning for a 4.5 mile walk with guaranteed mud.  We headed down to Old Amersham through woods and fields, passing the Martyrs Memorial, last seen on a Club walk in December.  We reached the River Misbourne which had burst its banks and engulfed two benches.  We wandered along the High Street and admired the historic buildings.  At the 17th century Market Hall there was a small market and a few of us were tempted by the cheese stall…..  Eventually we headed uphill on a [&hellip;]
- [Uxbridge and Battle of Britain Bunker - 3 February](https://polyramblers.org.uk/uxbridge-and-battle-of-britain-bunker-3-february/): Twenty five Poly Ramblers gathered at Uxbridge station on a mild and thankfully dry Saturday morning in early February. Unusually we split into two groups. I led a 6 mile walk south on the Grand Union Canal, then cutting across via the Slough Arm and Little Britain Lake and returning to the town on the London Loop alongside the River Colne. Meanwhile Danny led a similar but shorter loop for those who preferred a stroll or wanted to avoid mud.
- [THE SILCHESTER TRAIL FROM BRAMLEY - 24 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/the-silchester-trail-from-bramley-24-february/): I warned them it would be muddy but 22 Poly Ramblers joined me on this circular walk to the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, which has one of the best-preserved Roman town defences in England. Calleva Atrebatum was a flourishing Iron Age fortified town, the capital of the Atrebates tribe. It then became a walled town in the Roman province of Britannia, at a major crossroads of the roads of southern Britain. Unlike most major Roman settlements in southern England, Calleva Atrebatum was never re-occupied as a substantial settlement or built over, but instead became a small medieval village until [&hellip;]
- [MID-WEEK WALK: PART THREE OF THE GREEN LONDON WAY - 5 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/mid-week-walk-part-three-of-the-green-london-way-5-october/): After meeting at King George V DLR station, we walked to Woolwich Ferry North Terminal for our (free) cruise across the Thames.  It was over too soon; we disembarked and continued along the river to Woolwich Arsenal which has been nicely renovated.  We passed Woolwich Market and the former imposing home of the Woolwich Equitable Building Society before our first climb to reach Plumstead Common.  After the wingless windmill situated above the Old Mill Public House, we continued on Winn’s Common which we crossed. We went down the valley and up the other side to Bostall Woods where we had [&hellip;]
- [FLITWICK RAMBLE - SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/flitwick-ramble-saturday-10-february/): I walked up to the station and when the train arrived before 11:00, 11 Poly Ramblers alighted, making up a party of 12. There had been a considerable amount of rainfall during the previous week. I thus advised the party of a Claggy field and a Squelchy track, during the final third of the ramble. Setting off beside Tesco&#8217;s car park and some residential roads, we continued along a straight tarmacked track, tree lined to the left and grassy on the right, leading off to several other residential areas until we reached an open area with a Motte and Bailey [&hellip;]
- [SANDY TO TEMPSFORD - 1ST JULY 2023](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sandy-to-tempsford-1st-july-2023/): Sixteen Polyagents reported for duty at Sandy station. After briefing we set off, up through woods and then along the Greensand Ridge Walk in the valley, northwards on a Roman road with a field of barley waving in the breeze on our left and hawthorn hedge on our right. First stop Gibraltar Barn, formerly part of Gibraltar Farm which was turned into a secret airfield for the RAF during WWII. As we were approaching on a rough but wide farm track, a few cars came towards us and some of the occupants waved at us as they went by. I [&hellip;]
- [SNOW-WALKING WEEKEND REIT IM WINKL – BAVARIAN ALPS - GERMANY 19-23 JANUARY 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/snow-walking-weekend-reit-im-winkl-bavarian-alps-germany-19-23-january-2024/): There were supposed to be 13 Poly Ramblers on the snow walking weekend to Germany but, unfortunately, Danny could not make it because of water supply problems in his brother’s flat. After arriving at Munich airport, we travelled on two trains and one bus to reach Reit im Winkl for the princely sum of €8.95 – a bargain! Two were staying in a guesthouse and the other 10 in two very comfortable apartments. After settling in, we went to the supermarket to buy supplies for breakfast and walked to Zum Eichhof restaurant where we had an excellent dinner.
- [HADLEY WOOD TO BROOKMANS PARK  - 27TH JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hadley-wood-to-brookmans-park-27th-january/): It was a dry somewhat dull day with a fresh breeze when twelve Polyramblers gathered at Hadley Wood station for a walk to Brookmans Park in Hertfordshire.  After the usual safety briefing, we set out across wet fields crossing over two busy roads taking traffic out of London to the M25.  After walking under the M25, we started to leave behind the constant drone of traffic and the landscape became more peaceful and countryfied.  It also became more wooded as we entered into Northaw wood, part of an ancient wood stretching back to Norman times.  From here it was a [&hellip;]
- [HOW WOOD, ST ALBANS  AND CAROL SERVICE - 16TH DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/how-wood-st-albans-and-carol-service-16th-december/): A walk followed by a carol service was a regular entry in the pre-Xmas Club programme from 2004, when Dominique arranged a trip to Ely. The last was in 2019. just before the pandemic. It was a popular event so it was reinstated for 2023. St Albans was the venue for the third time, the first one in 2010 being particularly memorable for the amount of snow that fell on the day. Thus, twenty two members assembled at the Abbey Station for a figure of eight circuit around the city. We first followed the River Ver, a chalk stream, reputedly [&hellip;]
- [ALDGATE STATION TO GREENWICH - 20TH JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/aldgate-station-to-greenwich-20th-january/): This walk was from the book &#8216;Beyond the End of the Line&#8217; by Jeff Lock. Nineteen people attended this walk including existing members and some potentially new members.  We set off from Aldgate to the Tower of London walking along waterways to St Katherine&#8217;s Dock and onwards to Spirit Quay and Shadwell Basin, Wapping Market and Woods.   After stopping for a group photo at London’s oldest waterway pub (the Prospect of Whitby) we continued through King Edward Memorial Park to Lime House Basin where we stopped for an hour at the Yurt Cafe to warm ourselves with home cooked food [&hellip;]
- [WALKS PROGRAMME FEBRUARY TO MAY 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/walks-programme-february-to-may-2024/): Click here to view our spring 2024 walks programme
- [CLUB XMAS LUNCH AND WESTMINSTER WALK - 10TH DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/club-xmas-lunch-and-westminster-walk-10th-december/): As a prelude to the Xmas Lunch, around twenty-five members assembled at Hyde Park Corner Station on a damp morning for a short walk to sharpen their appetites for what was to come. We first crossed the Wellington Arch roundabout with its array of war memorials before walking along the edge of Green Park to Buckingham Palace. There, we encountered numerous tourists awaiting the changing of the guard. The crowds eased as we strolled through St James&#8217;s Park and looked at the wildlife on the lake, although unfortunately no pelicans could be seen. Leaving the park and passing various ministry [&hellip;]
- [NORTHOLT to SUDBURY HILL  - 6TH  JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/northolt-to-sudbury-hill-6th-january/): Nineteen Polyramblers arrived at Northolt Station for a prompt start. We walked through old Northolt village of which only the old Manor House, a few cottages, a pub and St Mary’s Church still remain. We then made our way to the four hills at Northala fields. The hills were constructed using rubble from the demolition of the original Wembley Stadium, which was closed in 2000 and demolished in 2003. We climbed the main hill to enjoy the view of London. Behind the hills lie several man-made lakes which have been constructed to encourage wild life. Then we made our way [&hellip;]
- [LOWER SYDENHAM TO  GREENWICH - 30TH DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/lower-sydenham-to-greenwich-30th-december/): On a day when two walks were offered to alleviate the excesses of Xmas consumption, twelve members chose the shorter option and gathered at Lower Sydenham station for a waterside walk through south-east London. Initially, the group followed the Pool River through a green corridor until it joined the River Ravensbourne on its journey to the Thames. Passing under the South Circular Road, we entered the site of the old Catford Greyhound Stadium, now replaced by blocks of flats. Continuing through Ladywell Fields and past University Hospital Lewisham, we looked at St Mary&#8217;s Church before stopping for lunch. Some of [&hellip;]
- [LITTLE CHALFONT AND AMERSHAM - 30 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/little-chalfont-and-amersham-30-december/): Seventeen walkers gathered at Chalfont and Latimer station on a mild but wet and miserable Saturday morning for the last walk of the year. After a circuit of Chalfont Nature Park, waiting for two late arrivals to catch us up, we continued down country lanes with impressive properties and picked up a path along field boundaries above the Misbourne Valley. We passed close to but didn’t see Beel House, once owned by the Mason family who made their wealth from the slave trade in the 18th century, and later by such luminaries as Dirk Bogarde, Ozzy Osbourne and Robert Kilroy-Silk. [&hellip;]
- [READING HISTORY AND ST JAMES WAY- 6 December mid-week walk](https://polyramblers.org.uk/reading-history-and-st-james-way-6-december-mid-week-walk/): I only learnt recently about the link of Reading and Caversham as centres of pilgrimage with Reading Abbey (founded by King Henry I in 1121) which possessed over 230 relics including the hand of St James and Caversham where the shrine of Our Lady of Caversham was situated.  12 Poly Ramblers joined me on a sunny but cold day to learn about the history of Reading and Caversham.  
- [MITHRAEUM AND CITY WALK - 2 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/mithraeum-and-city-walk-2-december/): Thirty one Polyramblers including one new member, welcome Shola, joined me in near freezing conditions for a gentle walk through the streets of the City of London. This square mile is the oldest part of London dating back to AD50 when the invading Romans established a settlement they called Londinium.
- [WITLEY TO HASLEMERE 25TH NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/witley-to-haslemere-25th-november/): Looking up at the departure board at Waterloo Station our train appeared with the unexpected word CANCELLED!  Oh no!  I enquired at the information desk;  ‘a faulty train’. They were sorry.  The next service to Witley would be a full hour later.   I had previously realised that an 8.8 mile walk from Witley might be an issue because of sunset at 16.04 so this was bad news indeed.
- [RUISLIP TO RICKMANSWORTH - 18 NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/ruislip-to-rickmansworth-18-november/): In spite of the wet conditions and a discouraging forecast, 15 Poly Ramblers gathered at Ruislip station for a walk through woodland, open countryside and canal towpath.  The rain had largely stopped by the time we set off but the sun failed to make an appearance all day.  Even without the sunshine the woodland of Bayhurst Country Park and Ruislip nature reserve was lovely, although the HS2 works we had to divert around were a little less lovely and some of the stiles were in poor condition.  Eventually the route took us to woodland above Harefield Parish Church and a [&hellip;]
- [HASLEMERE CIRCULAR 11TH NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/haslemere-circular-11th-november/): Rain, cold and grey skies for weeks before; rain, cold and grey skies predicted for weeks after but, on the day of the walk, the weather was wonderful. Warm &#8211; for November-  with a few feathery clouds in an otherwise perfectly blue sky. We were lucky enough to have attracted two potential new members who met us at Haslemere station. The walk goes straight up onto a lovely path and then into the woods so there was no trudging through outskirts before the real walk begins.  A  lot of the day was in woodland but light enough that the sun [&hellip;]
- [TOTTERIDGE CIRCULAR 4 November](https://polyramblers.org.uk/totteridge-circular-4-november/): Ten intrepid Polys met at Totteridge and Whetstone station on a bleak, wet morning. They were rewarded by an unexpectedly lovely walk, all within the London Borough of Barnet, and some good weather including quite a bit of sunshine. After walking for a short while along by the Dollis Brook, we briefly passed through some typical suburban streets before reaching Totteridge green and from there on to Darlands Lake Nature Reserve, where we followed the Folly Brook. The terrain was extremely waterlogged but fortunately a raised walkway has been installed. In the spring wild anemones, rare snakeshead fritillary and wild [&hellip;]
- [SUNDAY 29th OCTOBER WEST WICKHAM to HAMSEY GREEN (LONDON LOOP)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-29th-october-west-wickham-to-hamsey-green-london-loop/): It rained heavily during most of the walk but our small group of 8 polyramblers were all geared up for it!  We walked through many parks and woods, Coney hill Park, Sparrows Den, Spring Park woods, Shirley Heath, Cheyne wood, Three Halfpenny wood, Addlington Hills (we had our lunch stop under trees near the viewpoint there), Bramley Bank, Littleheath woods, Selsdon wood, Farleigh Common (where the weather picked up). Happily, the sun stayed out for us on the final hour of our walk and it was a short wait for the 403 at Hamsey Green. Jackie McCartan Photos by Hilary [&hellip;]
- [BEVERLEY BROOK WALK - 21 OCTOBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/beverley-brook-walk-21-october/): After meeting at New Malden station 15 Polys set off to follow the Beverley Brook to the Thames. We passed New Malden golf course and after going under the busy A3 we were soon in the lovely woodland of Beverley Meads and Fishponds Local Nature Reserve. We followed the brook along the edge of Wimbledon common, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and crossed over into Richmond Park, also an SSSI and National Nature Reserve, at Robin Hood gate. Here we were pleased to find toilets, the ladies all holding the door for each other so only spending 20p altogether. [&hellip;]
- [Poly Ramblers trip to Conwy Friday 13th to Monday 16th October 2023](https://polyramblers.org.uk/poly-ramblers-trip-to-conwy-friday-13th-october-to-monday-16th-october/): Friday 13th October Once we had all settled in our rooms in the spacious Conwy YHA or in accommodation in town, we all met up for an informative tour of the ancient extremely attractive town of Conwy following the town trail the castle and town walls. We then found eateries. Saturday 14th October Saturday 14th October the Stroller section of the Poly Ramblers crossed the Conwy River by its elegant suspension bridge heading along the estuary and along the wide shoreline to the west shore promenade on the edge of Llandudno. After lunch they took the tramway to the Great [&hellip;]
- [SATURDAY 28th OCTOBER  NORBURY PARK, MOLE VALLEY, DRUIDS GROVE, WESTHUMBLE and MICKLEHAM](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-28th-october-norbury-park-mole-valley-druids-grove-westhumble-and-mickleham/): Eleven Polyrambers set off from Westhumble rail station on a six mile circular walk including the village of Mickleham, woodlands making up Norbury Park and the Druids Grove with its fine specimens of ancient Yews. The weather was unexpectedly fine with only a couple of quick showers passing through.  The only pub on route was closed when we passed by, but we were later afforded fine views of the Mole valley including Box Hill from where we picnicked. The final leg of the walk became a bit of a challenge as the previous day’s wet weather had made sections of [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 30th September Hanwell to Richmond Via the Grand Union Canal, Syon Park and Isleworth](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-30th-september-hanwell-to-richmond-via-the-grand-union-canal-syon-park-and-isleworth/): 16 members of the Poly Ramblers Club met at Hanwell Station to begin our walk to Richmond. I had warned about the short platform at Hanwell but had failed to mention that not all trains stopped there resulting in one member ending up at Hayes and Harlington. We stopped to admire the Wharncliffe Viaduct, one of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s first great projects, before following the Capital Ring along Fitz Herberts Path named after a couple who petitioned the council for a path to join up the Brent meadows with the Grand Union Canal. We walked along the Grand Union Canal [&hellip;]
- [EGHAM TO WINDSOR - 23 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/egham-to-windsor-23-september/): After a slightly delayed train journey, 19 Poly Ramblers and 1 guest made it onto the rail replacement bus at Staines, thanks to Ida who arranged for the bus to be held for us. Unfortunately 1 member arrived at Egham on a later bus, too late to join the walk. Such are the perils of rail delays and replacements. But we were lucky with the weather. The sun shone all day, at just the right temperature for an autumn walk. We made our way up Cooper&#8217;s Hill and down to Runnymede to enjoy the recent artworks commissioned to celebrate 8oo [&hellip;]
- [VANGUARD WAY SECTION 3 - 16 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/vanguard-way-section-3-16-september/): Eighteen Poly Ramblers arrived at Oxted Station to begin our walk to the start of Section Three of the Vanguard Way. It was a very hot, quite muggy, day as we wended our way through the woods and up on the Downs. We enjoyed spectacular views of the countryside before we reached our starting point, joining the Vanguard Way at Limpsfield Chart. We stopped for a much need drink at the Carpenters Arms Pub before making our way to St Andrew Church and the official start point of Section Three. We passed the gates of Trevereux manor and an ornamental [&hellip;]
- [WALKS PROGRAMME OCTOBER 2023 TO JANUARY 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/walks-programme-october-2023-to-january-2024/): Click here for our winter 2023/2024 programme
- [CAMBRIDGE CIRCULAR - 13TH AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/cambridge-13th-august/): Report by Danny On a warm but overcast morning, nineteen ramblers met at Cambridge Station for a leisurely circular walk along the River Cam to the village of Grantchester. We were pleased to see, amongst that number, three ex-members who lived in the vicinity. They were Heather Preston, Mike Nicholson and Mike &#8216;Trainers&#8217; Hilton. The latter wore a new pair especially for the occasion!  We started our ramble through a new housing development and then along a tree-lined road which took us to Coe Fen, a marshy area on the banks of the Cam historically used as free grazing land. Passing [&hellip;]
- [CINQUE PORTS WALK - 19 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/cinque-ports-walk-19-august/): Report by Jill Forgham We had a wonderful day  yesterday. According to Alison&#8217;s app she did 23 km, oof! It was beautiful weather with a good breeze and there were 17 of us on the walk. We boarded a very packed HS1 train to Ashford International (full of people heading to the beach at Margate) and then all crammed onto a tiny train 3 stops to Rye (I had to sit in the luggage rack as there was no room left to stand in the aisles). We did a quick tour of the quaint streets of Rye (very pretty) and [&hellip;]
- [ROACH VALLEY WAY:  ROCHFORD TO CANEWDON - 12th August](https://polyramblers.org.uk/roach-valley-way-rochford-to-canewdon-12th-august/): Sixteen keen Polyramblers aligned at Rochford for the second challenging walk of the summer programme. This 13 mile walk was cancelled last year (can’t remember why) and we eagerly waited for the bus to take us to Canewdon to start the walk. The bus was late &#8211; which is not unusual &#8211; and we were not too worried until two ladies who were passing told us that, because of roadworks, the bus had been diverted and we had missed it. This walk seemed to be doomed! After checking that there was a bus from Canewdon to Rochford at 17.00, I [&hellip;]
- [TRING - 29th July](https://polyramblers.org.uk/tring-29th-july/): This was a walk that nearly got cancelled due to a train strike and closure of parts of six TFL lines so we were delighted to meet nineteen polyramblers at Tring Station. After a safety briefing we made our way towards the entrance to Westland Farm and joined the Ridgeway Path passing through Aldbury Nowers nature reserve. We had a few spots of rain before we started to climb but fortunately it stayed dry and sunny for the rest of the day. We reached the top of the ridge with Pitstone village in the distance. We walked through undulating grassy [&hellip;]
- [LONDON LOOP: PETTS WOOD TO WEST WICKHAM - 22 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/london-loop-petts-wood-to-west-wickham-22-july/): Lovely walk from Petts Wood to West Wickham, despite the drizzle, through wooded areas, meadows, a nature reserve and Elms Country Park where we stopped for lunch near the Green Roof Cafe there. After lunch we traversed the site of a great mansion which had burned down in 1967 and, after a bit of climbing, stopped to view the remains of the Wilberforce Oak which has an interesting history (bill calling for the abolition of slavery discussed here) Onwards to The Keston ponds which were teaming with life, including lots of cute ducklings being closely guarded by parents. As Hayes [&hellip;]
- [HENLEY CIRCULAR - 15 JULY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/henley-circular-15-july/): I am so thankful that the weather was no-where near as dire as predicted for my Henley walk on 15th July. We all assembled at Henley station (seventeen of us) via bus, car, the Liz line and GWR. I gave a short talk and then we set off over the bridge and then along the east side of the Thames. Most of the grandstands and hospitality tents and general what-not were still there after the annual regatta a couple of weeks before and were slowly being dismantled. Inwardly I am conflicted between feelings of resentment because I don’t belong to [&hellip;]
- [ANGEL TO REGENTS PARK - 25 JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/angel-to-regents-park-25-june/): On the hottest day of the year to date, eleven Poly Ramblers assembled at the Angel for a leisurely walk to Regents Park. We first wandered through Chapel Market with its variety of stalls before heading to the Regents Canal. We joined its towpath close to the headwall of the Islington Canal Tunnel and walked westwards. We soon came to the Battlebridge Basin which was constructed in 1820 and is now a narrowboat mooring and the home of the London Canal Museum. Battlebridge is the old name for the King&#8217;s Cross area which has been transformed in recent years with [&hellip;]
- [BAGSHOT HEATH and SWINLEY FOREST - 24th June](https://polyramblers.org.uk/bagshot-heath-and-swinley-forest-24th-june/): Ten polyramblers took the train to Ascot which was full of rather more elegantly dressed people on their way to the races. After changing trains, we were soon on our way to Bagshot Heath and Swinley Forest, a vast area owned by the Crown Estate which was once part of Windsor Forest. Most of the country scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 were filmed here. Much of what was once moorland, Daniel Defoe described Bagshot Heath as ‘being full of wast and barren land’, is now covered by modern plantations of Scots Pines. It [&hellip;]
- [SEAFORD TO BERWICK VIA ALFRISTON - 17th JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/seaford-to-berwick-via-alfriston-17th-june/): Eighteen polyramblers, twice the number of last year, gathered on the seafront at Seaford for this magnificent walk along the Sussex coast and inland into the beautiful South Downs.   It promised to be a hot sunny day though with the possibility of thunderstorms and showers, making it rather humid.  The train down to the coast was absolutely packed with groups of mainly young walkers, who were walking along the cliff top path. After a briefing, we tackled out first ascent, up over Seaford Head and on to a relatively flat walk along the cliff tops where we experienced very [&hellip;]
- [HARROW SCHOOL VISIT - 4th JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/harrow-school-visit-4th-june/):   Fifteen Polyramblers and two guests met outside Harrow-On-The-Hill station under a clear blue sunny sky to begin our walk and tour of Harrow School. We set off at a leisurely pace past Greenhill and Harrow College and crossed into Grove Hill with the War Memorial on our right. The noise of Harrow Town diminished noticeably as we progressed up the hill. We passed the site of Britain’s first fatal car accident in which occurred in 1899. A little further on we saw the plaque on the wall of the Art School, which says that ‘Charles I paused here in [&hellip;]
- [DORKING TO REIGATE -10th JUNE](https://polyramblers.org.uk/dorking-to-reigate-10th-june/): Well, I thought the biggest challenge of the day was going to be the extreme heat or the thunderstorms but as it turned out it was the 465 bus which got me to Dorking station after everyone had arrived all looking anxiously for their leader!!  All was not lost. We maintained a gentle walking pace given the heat and luckily a lot of the walk was shaded.  Sightings of the river Mole and other streams helped to cool our fevered brows.  First stop was the garden centre but not to buy plants but to use their facilities. We then walked through the [&hellip;]
- [Saturday   20th May Chelsham Common to Limpsfield Chart](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-20th-may-chelsham-common-to-limpsfield-chart/): Thirteen Poly ramblers met at East Croydon Station to catch a bus to the start of our walk at Chelsham Common. We were lucky to have brilliant sunshine, and a dry spell had reduced likelihood of mud. We followed the good signage for the Vanguard Way through woodland with plenty of Bluebells still vividly coloured. We came out of the woods and into open land taking care to look for some land marks as there was no visible path. At the top of the hill, we enjoyed clear views of the London landscape. At this point we joined the Greenwich [&hellip;]
- [Otford to Shoreham and Eynsford with the London Blind Ramblers - 14th May](https://polyramblers.org.uk/otford-to-shoreham-and-eynsford-with-the-london-blind-ramblers-14th-may/): The overall impression of the walk was a lovely day with sunshine, a warmish breeze rather than recent icy winds, meadows of buttercups, bluebells, fields of crops (wheat ?), hops, and those fresh green shoots of spring for us to describe for our guests, plus the scent of cow parsley beside the paths and the bird song that our guests could help us identify. Sadly the lavender in the fields was not as far advanced as I had hoped but there were plenty of lavender products in the Castle Farm shop.  However the day started at Victoria station on a [&hellip;]
- [HENDON TO HAMPSTEAD - MONDAY 1 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hendon-to-hampstead-monday-1-may/): To celebrate my 75th birthday, I offered to lead a walk from Hendon Central to Hampstead on May Day Bank Holiday Monday. However, I did not expect to see twenty-nine Poly Ramblers when I arrived at the start point! After a &#8216;brief&#8217; briefing, the group crossed into Hendon Park with its Holocaust memorial Garden and then walked along some residential roads before joining a strip of woodland running beside the River Brent. Despite the presence of the adjacent North Circular Road, it was a pleasant spot with a number of ponds popular with wildlife. Further on, we joined the Dollis Hill [&hellip;]
- [TAPLOW CIRCULAR - EASTER MONDAY 10 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/taplow-circular-easter-monday-10-april/): Ignoring the not very promising weather forecast, fifteen members assembled at Taplow station on Easter Monday 10th April for a circular walk of 6 miles in a rural corner at the far south end of Buckinghamshire. After crossing the busy A4 trunk road, we went down a quiet lane to a bridge over the Jubilee River. It is a man-made channel completed in 2002 which reduces the risk of flooding in Maidenhead, Windsor &amp; Eton. It is about 7.5 miles long but initially we only followed it for a short while before heading across fields to the River Thames. Its [&hellip;]
- [WATFORD TO CHORLEYWOOD - 29 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/12864-2/): Fifteen keen Polyramblers arrived promptly at Watford Station. Jennifer was unable to partake in the walk so she volunteered to take and phone through lunch orders and direct any late comers to join the main group. This enabled us to make a prompt start walking through Cassiobury Park, crossing bridges over the River Gade and Grand Union Canal and following the Grand Union Canal briefly before turning off towards Chandlers Cross with a golf course on our left. We walked through Whippendale Woods followed by Harrocks Wood. Both woods were covered in blue carpets of bluebells. We had lunch in [&hellip;]
- [Chilworth to Guildford. May 7th](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chilworth-to-guildford-may-7th/): This being the day after the Coronation, the train was busy with people en route to friends and family gatherings. There were 15 of us on the train and there was plenty to talk about, some of our members having been in the crowd lining the mall. There was general agreement as to the high quality of the music. Changing trains at Guildford, we trundled two stops to Chilworth in a 3 coach diesel unit. It was dry but overcast as we set off; to the North we could see St Martha’s Church on the North Downs, that we would [&hellip;]
- [BARNES BRIDGE TO TEDDINGTON - 22 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/barnes-bridge-to-teddington-22-april/): Despite Barnes Bridge station being closed the evening before and a mediocre weather forecast, we enjoyed a pleasant and warm walk along the Thames path with blue skies and in bright sunshine. There were many boats and birds to see and plenty of places to stop on the way. The walk ended at Richmond. Rob
- [RICHMOND CIRCULAR - SATURDAY 8 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/richmond-circular-saturday-8-april/): Thirty one  members and one guest convened at Richmond station on Easter Saturday for an enjoyable walk along the Thames through Petersham Meadows and on into Richmond Park. Fortunately the tow path was not too busy despite the glorious sunny day. There was some discussion, not entirely resolved, about the identity of a water bird. Some thought it was a juvenile Egyptian Goose, which I have now discovered is actually a duck! We walked along between the trees of Elm Walk, where disease resistant elm trees have been planted to re-establish the species in the park after it was decimated [&hellip;]
- [GUILDFORD CIRCULAR - SATURDAY 1 APRIL](https://polyramblers.org.uk/guildford-circular-saturday-1-april/): 11 polyramblers braved the forecast rain and set off from Guildford Station along the River Wey. Lewis Carroll used to regularly stay in Guildford &#8211; we walked past the sculpture of the two Liddell sisters watching the white rabbit which is part of the Alice in Wonderland trail &#8211; maybe for another ramble? We soon left the town and  picked up the North Downs Way through the Shalford Water Meadows until we started the  climb up to St Martha&#8217;s Church. Once there we were rewarded by fantastic views and some unexpected sunshine. We pressed on a little further to have [&hellip;]
- [WRAYSBURY CIRCULAR - SUNDAY 26 MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wraysbury-circular-sunday-26-march/): Despite the poor weather forecast, eleven members and two guests assembled at Wraysbury station on Sunday 26th March for a circular walk of 4.5 miles around a quiet corner of the County of Berkshire. Leaving the station car park, the group crossed the Colne Brook by a bridge and then followed it along a muddy path adjacent to a reservoir embankment with grazing sheep. We then went over a railway level crossing via our only two stiles of the day before walking alongside an expanse of water with surprisingly few signs of wildlife. Reaching the village of Hythe End, we followed a [&hellip;]
- [OTFORD TO EYNSFORD - SATURDAY 25 MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/otford-to-eynsford-saturday-25-march/): This walk was laid on at very short notice to replace a walk that had had to be cancelled because the leader was recovering from covid. An old Poly Rambler favourite, it was offered because it didn’t require much planning and is always a lovely walk.  After the deluge of the day before, the weather was looking promising as 14 Poly Ramblers emerged from Otford station into bright sunshine. Fortunately, it stayed dry for the rest of the day.
- [LOOP WALK - BEXLEY TO PETTS WOOD - 19 MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/loop-walk-bexley-to-petts-wood-19-march/): We were surprised when, on taking a turning out of Bexley station, we found the riverside walk closed off due to works. It had been open one week before, with no notice displayed about future closure. Teaming up, we planned an alternative, to bypass the problem and get back on our route. A bit of walking along a road and we were able to join the Loop again. The weather was fine and our small group enjoyed the woods, riverside and some galloping horses. A bit of mud here and there slowed us a little.  We sat at the Ha [&hellip;]
- [GREAT MISSENDEN TO AMERSHAM - SATURDAY 11 MARCH](https://polyramblers.org.uk/great-missenden-to-amersham-saturday-11-march/): There were twenty three of us on this 10 mile walk over the hills to Amersham. I was delighted to see so many ramblers come along after almost three days of gloomy wet weather which didn’t clear until Friday afternoon. We set off from the railway station passing the 14th c. parish Church of St Peter &amp; St Paul and then climbed to the top of the hill which has some very fine views of the surrounding countryside. The going was quite soft and rather muddy in places but the heavy rain I was fearing didn’t appear. We descended the [&hellip;]
- [Pitsea to Chalkwell (Essex) – Fourth leg of Thames Estuary Path - 4 March](https://polyramblers.org.uk/pitsea-to-chalkwell-essex-fourth-leg-of-thames-estuary-path-4-march/): Twenty two  Poly Ramblers turned up for the fourth and final part of the Thames Estuary Path – or so they thought! It was a grey, cold day and, although the sky got quite dark, rain did not materialise.  And neither did the mud I experienced in the first field when I did the recce.  After successfully counting participants, we were soon out of Pitsea and walking in fields along the railway. We quickly arrived at St Margaret’s Church, Bowers Gifford, an English Heritage historic Grade 2 listed building which dates back to Saxon times and is recorded in the [&hellip;]
- [JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 2023 WALKS PROGRAMME](https://polyramblers.org.uk/june-to-september-2023-walks-programme/): Click here for our summer programme PROGRAMME JUNE to SEPTEMBER 2023 REDACTED v1.2
- [TRING CIRCULAR - 25 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/tring-circular-25-february/): It was a classic February day, cloudy, average temperature with a nippy north easterly wind blowing but dry, when 15 Poly Ramblers assembled outside Tring station for a circular walk.   The walk would take us not in the direction of the Ridgeway but the opposite direction around the village of Wigginton and up into Ashridge forest.   We set out and no sooner had we turned the corner into Beggar’s Lane than we came across the somewhat embarrassed faces of Gillian and Stuart standing by their car which had been driven into a puddle on parking.  This had turned out to [&hellip;]
- [MID-WEEK WALK for GALANTHOPHILES from CREWS HILL - 22 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/mid-week-walk-for-galanthophiles-from-crews-hill-22-february/): The day started with the first rain in a month but stayed dry during our walk for lovers of snowdrops. Nine Poly Ramblers met at Crews Hill station and headed to Whitewebbs Wood. We followed the northern edge of this ancient woodland and came to the Whitewebbs golf course which has been closed by Enfield Council, but is enjoyed by local walkers &#8211; for the time being. Then we walked – still in the wood – between two enclosures: one which is the large training ground of Tottenham Hotspur (who want to lease part of the wood and the old [&hellip;]
- [London Loop - Erith to Bexley 19 February](https://polyramblers.org.uk/london-loop-erith-to-bexley-19-february/): Erith to Bexley &#8211; a rocky start when station staff at Abbey wood sent us to the wrong bus stop and we had to rush back and up some steep steps to catch our rail replacement bus to Erith. Our cardio for the day!  Well done to the new group member who, not realising that we were meeting at Abbey wood, caught a local bus and spotted us at Erith. It was a lovely walk, mostly alongside water, before lunch, with the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge often in view.  First we had the Thames, then the Darent, and finally the [&hellip;]
- [HIGH BARNET TO COCKFOSTERS - 11 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/high-barnet-to-cockfosters-11-february/): As 20 Poly Ramblers strode out of High Barnet tube station a little boy turned to his father open-mouthed. &#8220;What a big family!&#8221; he exclaimed. And so we set off on an unusually mild day, beginning with an ascent through King George&#8217;s Field that rewarded us with fantastic views over London. Arriving at the ancient settlement of Monken Hadley, we passed several grand houses with plaques of former residents, including Dr (I presume) Livingstone and author Fanny Trollope. A row of almshouses led towards the church of St Mary where we admired the marble monument honouring their benefactor, Roger Wilbraham, [&hellip;]
- [Rotherhithe to Canada Water - 29 January](https://polyramblers.org.uk/rotherhithe-to-canada-water-29-january/): Nineteen members and two guests met at Rotherhithe station on Sunday 29th January on a mild but overcast morning for a walk around the redeveloped Surrey Commercial Docks. First, we went to the Mayflower pub named after the Pilgrim Fathers ship which set off from its wharf for the New World in 1620. The ship&#8217;s captain Christopher Jones is buried in the grounds of the adjacent St Mary&#8217;s church. The next part of the walk followed the Thames Path with its new housing standing where ships once unloaded their goods into long gone warehouses. After enjoying the views of the Canary [&hellip;]
- [Oxted to Woldingham 28 January](https://polyramblers.org.uk/12455-2/): On January 28th, 16 of us set off from Oxted on a circular walk to Woldingham. It had been a tricky walk to plot, needing two, and then a third walkovers, but all was fine on the day; the leader didn&#8217;t take any wrong turnings and no one was left behind on the bits that weren&#8217;t clear. The morning was fine and after a few hours we felt the surprisingly warm sun on our faces and dared to remove a layer or two. We made our way through meadows &amp; light woodland, crossing the A22 with no casualties, to Godstone [&hellip;]
- [LOUGHTON CIRCULAR - 8 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/loughton-circular-8-january/): I stand by what I wrote in May 2021 &#8211; every time we walk in the forest is different. Firstly, it does indeed depend on the weather. This time for example, the forecast was so dire that I was surprised to see anyone turn up at all, but Polyramblers are made of stern stuff! And the weather forecast does not always turn out as predicted! It was bright and sunny as we set off from the station, in fact all morning. Then it depends on the time of year. This time there were no leaves on  the trees but the [&hellip;]
- [STANMORE TO BUSHEY WALK 4th FEBRUARY 2023](https://polyramblers.org.uk/stanmore-to-bushey-walk-4th-february-2023/): We assembled outside Stanmore station, at the end of the Jubilee Line, on a cloudy but very mild winter&#8217;s day.  This was an opportunity to explore three impressive almost adjacent nature reserves, Stanmore Common, Bentley Priory and Merry Hill and to discover some of their remarkable features and all this within easy reach from Central London. Fortunately the dreaded mud factor at this time of year was not a huge issue thanks to recent dry weather.
- [Plaques and Parks Walk, Sunday, January 15th](https://polyramblers.org.uk/plaques-and-parks-walk-sunday-january-15th/): We gathered in the concourse at Oxford Street station. The station layout is complicated and some people were in different places. There were rumours of Poly Ramblers being seen in the vicinity but eventually we got together and set off. In Argyll St, home of the Palladium, we saw plaques commemorating Sir William Roy and Washington Irving. After crossing Regent St we made our way to Hanover Sq for Prince Talleyrand and were joined by the 26th member of the party at the Hanover Sq exit from Bond St Elizabeth line station. In Brook St we saw Jimi Hendrix and [&hellip;]
- [FEBRUARY TO MAY 2023 WALKS PROGRAMME](https://polyramblers.org.uk/february-to-may-2023-walks-programme/): Our current programme is here PROGRAMME FEB TO MAY 2023 redacted V4 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
- [TOWER HILL TO GREENWICH - 27 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/tower-hill-to-greenwich-27-december/): Seventeen members met at Tower Hill station on Tuesday 27th December on a mild and sunny morning for a walk alongside the Thames to Greenwich. Skirting the Tower of London, we had a look at the execution site where Thomas More amongst others met his end and then the low-tide beach which was popular with East End kids before the War. Leaving the tourist crowds behind, we passed St Katherines Dock and joined Wapping High Street with its historic pubs the Town of Ramsgate &amp; the Prospect of Whitby. We resisted the temptation of sampling their wares and carried on past [&hellip;]
- [SNOW WALKING WEEKEND - REUTTE, AUSTRIA. JANUARY 2023](https://polyramblers.org.uk/snow-walking-weekend-reutte-austria-january-2023/): After a two-year interruption, we decided to resume the snow-walking weekends. This time, we stayed four nights to be able to do three walks. As the time to leave got nearer, snow was lacking in the mountains. Would it just be a walking weekend? Never mind, we were keen to see the mountains. At Heathrow, one member of the group was missing but we were eventually reunited at the gate (phew!) and eight Poly Ramblers flew to Munich on Friday 13. After travelling on three different trains, we finally arrived in time for dinner at the Hotel Goldene Rose in [&hellip;]
- [Xmas lunch and Bloomsbury walk - 11 December](https://polyramblers.org.uk/12316-2/): On a bright but cold Sunday morning, twenty-seven members gathered at Tottenham Court Road station for a short walk to whet appetites for the Club Xmas Lunch later that day. The Bloomsbury area with its literary connections and numerous fine squares was the location for the stroll. The group first headed for the perfectly preserved Georgian Bedford Square which was the centre of British publishing until the late 1980s. Passing many blue plaques, we then moved on to London University&#8217;s imposing Senate House on which George Orwell is reputed to have based his &#8216;Ministry Of Truth&#8217; in the novel 1984. [&hellip;]
- [Manor Park circular - 27 November](https://polyramblers.org.uk/manor-park-circular-27-november/): Ten members met up at Manor Park station on Sunday 27th November for a figure-of-eight pleasant meander along the borders of Epping Forest. Initially, the route skirted the perimeter of the Grade-1 listed City of London Cemetery, one of the largest municipal cemeteries in Europe. It was established in 1826 and covers 200 acres. Bobby Moore amongst many others is buried there. The River Roding then came into view and the group followed it until we reached the entrance to Wanstead Park. Soon the welcoming sight of the Tea Hut appeared where we stopped for some refreshment. The park was a [&hellip;]
- [Saturday 17<sup>th</sup> December Sloane Square to Battersea Power Station](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-17th-december-sloane-square-to-battersea-power-station/): Twenty-four Poly Ramblers braved the cold weather and train strike to meet at Sloane Square Station for a short walk to Battersea Power Station. We struggled our way through the Christmas shoppers to pause at all the glitz outside the Saatchi Gallery. Shortly afterwards a turning down Cheltenham Street led us towards the Chelsea Pensioners Hospital followed by the Army Museum which I was told houses the skeleton of Napoleon’s horse! We continued our way to arrive at the Chelsea Embankment to cross the Albert Bridge and the gate leading us into Battersea Park. The walking group stopped to admire [&hellip;]
- [Northwick Park to Greenford - 2 December](https://polyramblers.org.uk/northwick-park-to-greenford-2-december/): On arriving at Northwick Park Station my heart sank to discover the toilets were closed due to a blockage. We set off, walking through Northwick Park with the hospital on our right. Turning right we followed the path between the golf course and hospital to Watford Road and along Pebworth Road. Continuing behind the farm, past the playing fields of the Harrow School, to St. Mary&#8217;s Church. Poly Ramblers dispersed into the church and back courtyard as there was the Christmas fair, a chance for tea, cake and a comfort stop. After taking in Byron’s grave and views from the [&hellip;]
- [Chessington to Cheam - 19 November](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chessington-to-cheam-19-november/): Glad of a slightly later start, 18 Polyramblers gathered at Chessington South Station at 10.20 to begin the 9 mile walk to Cheam. The first section traversed several nature reserves following the Bonesgate Stream into Horton Country Park and then into the woods of Castle Hill Nature Reserve, Hogsmill Riverside Nature Reserve and followed part of the London Loop.  The path was strewn with yellow leaves, flat and easy to follow and not too muddy. This is a varied walk, mainly in open spaces with plenty of historical interest and all within the zone 6 boundary. After crossing Moor Lane [&hellip;]
- [HADLEY WOOD TO BROOKMANS PARK - 26 NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hadley-wood-to-brookmans-park-26-november/): Despite the challenges of a rail drivers’ strike on some lines and signal problems at Kings Cross, 17 poly ramblers, including some new members, assembled at Hadley Wood station for the start of a 7 mile walk to Brookmans Park.  After recent heavy rain, the weather looked as though it would be dry for most of the day and fortunately it stayed that way.  Andrew joined us half-way along the walk making our numbers up to 18.  This is a walk that despite its brevity, is a varied walk and a good one to do when the days are short [&hellip;]
- [AMERSHAM via CHALFONT St. GILES on 14th March 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/amersham-via-chalfont-st-giles-on-14th-march-2026/): The weather forecast had been for a bright sunny day so I had my fingers crossed.&nbsp; It would be a welcome change after the repeated days of grey skies and rain we had been experiencing for many weeks.&nbsp; Sure enough that’s how the day started and it stayed that way making the walk even more special.&nbsp; Seventeen of us assembled outside Amersham station.&nbsp; There was a short delay whilst members used the nearest public toilets because the station toilets were closed and after the usual briefing we set off.&nbsp;
- [HENLEY via HAMBLEDON on 7th MARCH 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/henley-via-hambledon-on-7th-march-2026/): 19 polyramblers &nbsp;set off from Henley station on a cloudy morning anticipating a fairly drizzly day. Due to very soggy conditions along the river experienced on the walkover the leader had opted for a high level route instead.&nbsp; We set off through the town and then went up via the Oxfordshire Way &nbsp;via Henley Park and through the village of Fawley until we entered the Great Wood.&nbsp; The views were lovely on the way up and we were delighted to see some newborn lambs.&nbsp;
- [SATURDAY 21th MARCH -RICKMANSWORTH to PINNER (Linear) 9.5 miles](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-21th-march-rickmansworth-to-pinner-linear-9-5-miles/): Undulating, maybe muddy, walk via Ruislip Lido and Celandine walk. Finishing at the Heath Robinson Museum (www.heathrobinsonmuseum.org/) . Entrance is free for Arts Pass holders. Dep. Marylebone 09.27 arr. Rickmansworth 09.49. All travel within zones 1-7. Lunch at Waters Edge Ruislip Lido. Map: EX 172/173.Leader: Stephen The photo above is &#8220;Birds on Ruislip Lido&#8221; by Alex McGregor published under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 license. &nbsp;
- [SUNDAY 22nd MARCH WORLD WATER DAY WALK](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-22nd-march-world-water-day-walk/): Meet 10.00 Blackfriars station north side. We walk northwards and westwards towards Regent&#8217;s Park (Matilda Fountain and Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Readymoney&#8217;s fountain) and possibly Little Venice, including New River Head /Quentin Blake centre and history of the New River. If you have a favourite drinking fountain (especially if it was installed by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association) let Pam know and we will do our best to include it in the itinerary. Bring picnic or buy refreshments en route. Plenty of places to dropout. Leader: Pam
- [Bexley Village, the Queen’s Beasts and the River Cray - 5th March 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/bexley-village-the-queens-beasts-and-the-river-cray-5th-march-2026/): The sunshine attracted 16 Poly Ramblers on this walk in historic Bexley village and along the Cray river to Sidcup.Nobody in the group knew what their home town or village were worth. But I could tell them that Bexley, in the Doomsday Survey of 1086, had 41 inhabitants, with 100 pigs and 10 ploughs, and was valued the equivalent of £20.
- [Berkhamsted Circular Walk on 21st February 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/berkhamsted-circular-walk-on-21st-february-2026/): I was surprised and pleased to find eighteen hardy walkers had arrived at Berkhamsted Station on an unusually dry morning. After the safety briefing we started the walk heading right from the station and then along the Grand Union Canal passing some pubs and cafes along the way. The path was not as muddy as when Jennifer and I did the recce previously.
- [Uxbridge to Croxley on 14th February 2026 (9 miles)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/uxbridge-to-croxley-on-14th-february-2026-9-miles/): We were very lucky with the weather on our walk, with a lovely blue sky and no rain.&nbsp; We started with 14 walkers at Uxbridge station.&nbsp;&nbsp;Heading down the High street and having crossed a few roads, we were able to drop down though the car park of The Swan and Bottle pub, onto the canal towpath.&nbsp;&nbsp;Soon&nbsp;we&nbsp;reached&nbsp;Fran&#8217;s Tea Garden (closed&nbsp;but a bit early for a stop anyhow!).&nbsp;
- [PUTNEY HEATH AND WIMBLEDON COMMON on 1st February 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/putney-heath-and-wimbledon-common-on-1st-february-2026/): Despite the weather forecast of no sunshine and intermittent rain, an impressive turnout of twenty-four members and three guests assembled at Wimbledon Park station for a 4.5 mile walk across Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common. A stroll along a suburban street took us to the gates of the nearby park. It is a recreational green space that sprawls across sixty-seven acres. Passing a children&#8217;s playground and numerous tennis courts, we reached a large lake with much wildlife. Zig-zagging past an athletics track took us out of the park and onto a road with a distant view of the home of [&hellip;]
- [BEACONSFIELD CIRCULAR ON 7th FEBRUARY 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/beaconsfield-circular-on-7th-february-2026/): Our train to Oxford was pretty much full as we left behind us an exceptionally busy Marylebone Station.    Arriving at Beaconsfield we were joined by others who had come by car.   We were 15 strong now and were packing out the small station building so we went outside for the briefing (in the rain unfortunately). Happily the rain stopped quite soon after we began this 9 mile ramble although the sky remained in threatening mood all day. After passing a sign to the model village and walking along some residential streets we reached open fields and headed northeast towards Seer [&hellip;]
- [THE GREEN LONDON WAY PART 8 : WIMBLEDON PARK TO RICHMOND - 4 FEBRUARY 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/the-green-london-way-part-8-wimbledon-park-to-richmond-4-february-2026/): We were so lucky for this walk. It was a sunny day with blue skies. It was even more appreciated because it was sandwiched between never ending rainy and miserable days.  Eleven Polyramblers turned up for the walk (including me, the leader).  I warned people that there were no toilets at the outdoor café where we were stopping for lunch. But this was made up by at least eight open toilet buildings along the way.  We did not visit them all.  Enough about toilets! 
- [SNOW-WALKING WEEKEND IN AUSTRIA 16 TO 20 JANUARY 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/snow-walking-weekend-in-austria-16-to-20-january-2026/): For the 15th Polyramblers annual snow-walking weekend, we went to Bad Gastein, a spa town in the mountains in Austria. This year there were 12 of us including newbies Jackie C, Julie and Wendy (Christine Bignold’s daughter). We flew from Heathrow and Gatwick and met at Salzburg airport. We had a lovely train journey to Bad Gastein with magnificent scenery.  But we should not have sat in the quiet carriage!  We were told off twice for being too noisy.  After a short walk to discover the town or to the nearest supermarket to buy shower gel, we had a very [&hellip;]
- [Broxbourne Woods Circular - 24 January 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/broxbourne-woods-circular-24-january-2026/): Mud, mud glorious mud! On a bright, mild and dry day 18 Poly Ramblers set off on what purported to be a seven (later calculated to be eight) mile walk in the woodlands of Hertfordshire. We quickly reached Brickendon, one of the most haunted places in Hertfordshire, where we briefly visited the Holy Cross chapel built in 1932 in Tudor style with a fine wooden beamed interior.
- [CHESHAM CIRCULAR - 10 JANUARY 2026](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chesham-circular-10-january-2026/): In spite of the best efforts of the Metropolitan Line signalling system, 13 walkers finally assembled at Chesham station on a sunny but cold Saturday morning in January.  By the time the train arrived we were nearly an hour late so we set off at pace to warm up and make sure we could complete the circuit of the town before dark. A number of valleys converge on Chesham and any walk in the vicinity involves a lot of up and down.
- [EPPING FOREST CIRCULAR WALK - 25 OCTOBER 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/epping-forest-circular-walk-25-october-2025/): It is said that some plants and trees give off volatile organic compounds (phytoncides) that protect them against attacking organisms such as bacteria or fungi. And that &#8220;after only a short amount of time in the arbour of a forest, stress levels are reduced. Walking among trees decreases the body&#8217;s stress response, which in turn lowers your levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. As a result, you feel calmer.&#8221; Well it worked! The group was very calm and friendly, walking through the autumn leaves and looking out for fungi.
- [BERKHAMSTED CIRCULAR - 20 DECEMBER 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/berkhamsted-circular-20-december-2025/): Twelve Poly Ramblers and two guests gathered at Berkhamsted station on the last shopping Saturday before Christmas.  We would have been one more but Geoffrey was unable to find any parking and ended up going home. It was a lovely sunny morning and the first part of the walk took us on a loop through fields and woodland to the north of the town with beautiful views, returning through Berkhamsted Common.  A few people peeled off to attend to Christmas preparations while the rest had a picnic or a quick drink and snack in the Boat pub on the canal. [&hellip;]
- [FEBRUARY TO MAY 2026 WALKS PROGRAMME](https://polyramblers.org.uk/february-to-may-programme-2026/): Click here for our February to May walks programme
- [HAMPSTEAD CIRCULAR - 27 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hampstead-circular-27-december/): Twenty of us assembled at Hampstead Station on a sunny but cold morning, preparing to alleviate any excessive indulgence during the Xmas festivities. Our route initially took us through quaint back streets which included the modernist house of the architect Enzo Goldfinger, reputedly the inspiration for a James Bond villain. We crossed over to the Heath and walked to the Hampstead Ponds which were dug in the 17th and 18th centuries to provide drinking water for Londoners. They are fed by the Hampstead Brook which downstream becomes the River Fleet. Walking between them, we then climbed up Parliament Hill to [&hellip;]
- [SOLE STREET CIRCULAR - SATURDAY 3 JANUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sole-street-circular-saturday-3-january/): Sixteen members, including a famous author and members of the victorious Alas Alsace! quiz team, braved a very cold sunny day to complete a circular walk in the wilds of Kent. We headed off from Sole Street station through pastures to the outskirts of Henley Wood where the leader had to overcome the disappearance of the footpath under the previous days sprinkling of snow before reaching Luddesdown Court and on through the large vineyards that are now becoming a common feature of the Kent landscape. Passing through Cobhambury Wood we continued to the village of Cobham and the welcoming Ship [&hellip;]
- [The Green London Way Part 7 – Streatham to Wimbledon Park - 18 December](https://polyramblers.org.uk/the-green-london-way-part-7-streatham-to-wimbledon-park-18-december/): The forecast was for rain all day, so I was surprised when four dedicated and keen (mad) Poly Ramblers turned up to catch the train to Streatham – after Geoffrey had given an organ concert in London Bridge Station. There were three train or tube station on the walk so there were options to cut it short but, every time I suggested we could go home, I got a firm ‘no’. We left Streatham station and made our way to Tooting Bec Common which takes its name from the area&#8217;s links to Bec Hellouin Abbey in Normandie. We walked around [&hellip;]
- [PUTNEY TO BATTERSEA- 11 DECEMBER 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/putney-to-battersea-11-december-2025/): Seven Poly Ramblers met at Putney Bridge Station with Ruth joining us en route. We arrived at Battersea Park in very good weather and had our lunch in the Peartree Cafe next to the Lake (thank you Les for sharing your tasty sweet potato chips with us ).
- [TRING CIRCULAR - 6 December 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/tring-circular-6-december-2025/): The weather forecast was sporadic rain so I was pleased to find 16 people had committed to the circular. We started by walking uphill along the Ridgeway towards Ivinghoe Beacon. Once we had cleared the woods, the vista opened out with glorious views. The ground was slippery but not impossible and the rain held off while we were on the ridge. We then descended and climbed back up into the woods with lovely autumn colours and made our way to the Bridgewater Memorial. It was closed but as the weather was overcast, no loss. We had lunch at the visitors [&hellip;]
- [RIDDLESDOWN TO COULSDON SOUTH - SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/riddlesdown-to-coulsdon-south-saturday-29-november/): Despite the forecast of 100% rain – 12 Poly Ramblers disembarked at Riddlesdown station, by which time a steady drizzle had set in, along with gusty winds. However, the wind dropped upon entering the woods, where when we turned around we could see the disused quarry towering above the town. As we climbed further the rain eased slightly affording us a pleasant undulating stroll. Although path was only muddy in parts, the wet leaf carpet made it slippery underfoot for most of the day.
- [Chorleywood Circular (6.5 miles) on 22nd November 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chorleywood-circular-6-5-miles-on-22nd-november-2025/): Eleven hardy walkers arrived at Chorleywood Station on a very cold and wet morning. After the safety briefing, we started the walk but stopped again within a few minutes for a toilet break in a local cafe. The reason being that the railway station facilities were all locked (the station was unmanned). Then our  walk took us through Carpenters Wood with its really lovely autumn colours and a carpet of fallen leaves. One of the polyramblers decided to turn back at this point because the path was very slippery in places. The rest of us continued on to Chenies, along [&hellip;]
- [Section six of the Vanguard Way from Poundgate to Blackboys on 15th November 2025.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/section-six-of-the-vanguard-way-from-poundgate-to-blackboys-on-15th-november-2025/): This eight mile section of the Vanguard Way goes through an idyllic area of rolling countryside and small farms mostly in open countryside and pastures. Nine Poly Ramblers undertook the complicated train and bus route to start section six of the Vanguard Way on the Uckfield road in the Wealden District East Sussex. The signage for the route had recently been renewed; it sadly did not prevent us from going in the wrong direction twice! We were fortunate to have pleasant weather after a week of heavy rain as we made our way through pastures and woodland crossing the river [&hellip;]
- [AUTUMN WEEKEND IN CASTLETON DERBYSHIRE 3-6 OCTOBER 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/autumn-weekend-in-castleton-derbyshire-3-6-october-2025/): Friday: Thirty-three Poly Ramblers arrived at the beautiful village of Castleton situated at the head of the Hope Valley in the heart of the Peak District National Park. Eleven members booked into YHA Losehill Hall a fully refurbished gothic mansion set in twenty-seven acres of parkland. We managed to create havoc as we all converged at the same time. We were impressed by the amenities, large dining area and self-catering kitchen. Two groups of Poly Ramblers braved the rain to complete an Orientation Walk of Castleton. The village is surrounded by hillsides including Mam Tor (the shivering mountain) The village [&hellip;]
- [Manor Park to Valentines Park on 10th November 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/manor-park-to-valentines-park-on-10th-november-2025/): 9 brave Polyramblers turned up at Manor Park station on an inauspicious day for a 6.5 miles walk through parklands. We started with flat Wanstead Flats, passing Alexandra Lake dug at the beginning of the 20th century to give work to unemployed men. The lake was named after Alexandra of Denmark, the Queen Consort of King Edward VII. Next was Wanstead Park where we walked along lakes, then crossed over the river Roding as the rain started.&nbsp; We passed St Andrew’s Church &#8211; Grade II listed &#8211; which is of a similar design to Pretoria Church in South Africa (that’s [&hellip;]
- [Otford Circular Ramble on 8th November 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/otford-circular-ramble-on-8th-november-2025/): I was just about to start the briefing at Otford when snap!&nbsp; I manage somehow to break my glasses.&nbsp; Happily I can still read if I squint. Anyway,&nbsp; it was very pleasing to have such a big turn-out, 21 in all, on what turned out to be a fine, sunny, November day. We headed straight up our first ascent; Otford Mount or ‘mud mountain’ as one of our group calls it.&nbsp; There were lots of leaves on the path and there was some mud but the going was pretty good really. &nbsp; I expect it will be a lot muddier [&hellip;]
- [Dormans Circular walk on 2nd November 2025.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/dormans-circular-walk-on-2nd-november-2025/): Despite severe warnings about getting lost in the dark if we didn&#8217;t keep&nbsp;up a good pace &amp; a very uncertain weather forecast, 15 of us appeared at Dorman&#8217;s station for the walk.&nbsp; Luckily this walk got us out and into proper&nbsp;countryside very quickly, with little walking in built up&nbsp;areas and we were soon in the lovely Surrey Weald.&nbsp; Weald is an old English word for &#8216;wood&#8217; or &#8216;forest&#8217;, related to the German &#8216;Wald&#8217;. We skirted Greathed Manor which must have been a very grand house but is now a, probably also very grand, Care Home. The walk was undulating with [&hellip;]
- [October 2025 to January 2026 walks Programme](https://polyramblers.org.uk/october-2025-to-january-2026-walks-programme/): Click here to view our autumn /winter programme.  &nbsp;
- [Wrabness to Harwich 18th October 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wrabness-to-harwich-18th-october-2025/): I was really pleased to see a good turnout of 15 Poly Ramblers at Liverpool Street station where we assembled to catch our train to Manningtree and then Wrabness to start our walk along the Essex Way to Harwich.  Amongst them was my young nephew, Matthew, who joined us for the walk and in so doing massively reduced the average age of our group.  On arrival at Wrabness, we spent a bit of time posing and taking photographs in front of its most famous landmark, Grayson Perry’s quirky and exotic House for Essex.  The day promised to be dry but cloudy and [&hellip;]
- [Goring & Streatley to Pangbourne - 12 October](https://polyramblers.org.uk/goring-streatley-to-pangbourne-12-october/): Ten of us set off from Goring on what was a cool and misty morning.  The walk was mostly through woods, with some long inclines and a few steep grassy inclines. Along the way we came across two baskets of apples with a &#8216;help yourself&#8217; note. They looked good and were delicious. We split our lunch into two stops, the first in an open grassy space with a lovely view of the Thames valley. By this time the sun had come out and it was much warmer. Our second stop had an even more magnificent view which we enjoyed whilst [&hellip;]
- [SUNDAY 8TH JUNE: 140TH ANNIVERSARY WALK AND AFTERNOON TEA MISSENDEN ABBEY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunday-8th-june-140th-anniversary-walk-and-afternoon-tea-missenden-abbey/): Nearly 30 Poly Ramblers gathered at Great Missenden station on a Sunday in early June for a short walk to whet our appetites for a traditional afternoon tea at Missenden Abbey, an event organised to mark the Club’s 140th anniversary.  Although it was June the weather forecast was uncertain with rain threatened so everyone turned up in sensible walking gear. Plans by some to wear tea dresses were abandoned. Yvonne Delahaye led us on a lovely circuit of the town with some gentle climbs rewarded by splendid views over the Chiltern Hills.  After descending through woods a small group led [&hellip;]
- [KEMPSTON HARDWICK TO MILLBROOK, including Marston Vale Forest on 27th September 2025.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/ramble-from-kempston-hardwick-to-millbrook-including-marston-vale-forest-on-27th-september-2025/): On the 200th Birthday of the first British railway train service ever,&nbsp; at Bedford station I met 9 polyramblers who arrived on the fast train from St Pancras. I had already met another previously on the slower train from Flitwick into Bedford. We made our way onto platform 1A, where the two coach Bletchley DMU soon pulled in. All 11 of us boarded this little train setting off for the Kempston Hardwick halt, 2 stops away. Kempston Hardwick has the reputation of being the least used station in Bedfordshire. It is easy to see why as there is very little [&hellip;]
- [Harmondsworth Moor walk on 14th September 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/harmondsworth-moor-walk-on-14th-september-2025/): It was a cloudy, cool, early autumn day when we assembled as a modest group for the start of our exploratory walk from West Drayton station. Shortly after leaving the routines &nbsp;of West Drayton town we entered a park where we progressed along a path under an impressive line of Horse Chestnut trees which were busy shedding their seasonal scatterings of conkers. Continuing on and just&nbsp; 30 mins from the start we reached the mighty M4 motorway and crossed a footbridge to reach the edge of Harmondsworth Moor. In our enthusiasm to push forward we then turned right into the [&hellip;]
- [Saunderton walk via Bledlow Ridge, Lacey Green and Bradenham on 13th SEPTEMBER 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saturday-13th-september-saunderton-circular-12-5-miles/): 16 of us set off on this walk in bright sunshine towards the village of Bledlow Ridge, passing horses and alpacas on the way. We recovered from our first steep climb with a quick stop at the Boot pub before following the Chiltern Way, gradually wending our way down via beautiful views across the valley, freshly green fields and a beech wood, before circling around to meet the Ridgeway. The rain held off for our picnic at Lodge Hill with fantastic views as well as an 80th birthday cake and bubbly for one of our members. We were lucky to [&hellip;]
- [MALDON (Circular) 5.5 miles - 6th September 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/maldon-circular-5-5-miles-6th-september-2025/): We were eighteen in number when we arrived at Chelmsford Station, along with many others heading for the Radio 2 in the Park music event. Fortunately, they had their own buses to take them to the venue so we all managed to get seats on our bus to Maldon. This estuary town has a thriving centre, as well as pretty surroundings of saltmarshes and waterways. With the sun shining brightly, we headed down a steep hill to the River Chelmer. We then followed it through woodland to the town bypass, built on the route of a disused railway. Crossing underneath, [&hellip;]
- [North Downs Way from Merstham to Oxted - 30th August 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/north-downs-way-from-merstham-to-oxted-30th-august-2025/): Sixteen Polyramblers assembled at Merstham station having all taken a train from London Bridge. Shenanigans were to be had, with&nbsp; unmanned ticket barriers providing the only way out from the (Brighton) platform! Firstly they failed my outward portion return ticket to Merstham. Several&nbsp; of us had the same problem. It became apparent there was a screen on the sidewall where you could display your ticket to a gateman on the opposite platform who could open the barrier by remote control. Having cleared the barriers, my safety briefing then ensued and we set off northeasterly, crossing under the fast quarry line, [&hellip;]
- [Dover to Deal walk - 16 August 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/dover-to-deal-walk-16-august-2025/): As I always do when I’m leading a walk, I arrived early at the station (St Pancras) ready to meet my fellow walkers. For a long time I was the only Poly Rambler there as far as I could see and I feared my ‘big beautiful’ walk along the Kent coast may not be as appealing to others as it was to me. However, my fears proved unfounded as a flurry of walkers arrived before the high speed train departed and by the time we assembled at the other end outside Dover Priory station we were a very respectable group [&hellip;]
- [Hildenborough circular - 9 August 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hildenborough-circular-9-august-2025/): Nineteen, well initially seventeen ramblers, set off from Hildenborough to visit the kissing gate the club had donated with a now added inscribed plaque to former members of the Club. One member missed her train, so the leader remained at the station for the next train. The two of us eventually caught up with the main group walking through open, tree lined, fields before they had reached the pleasant village of Leigh, ably led by Chris. In the knowledge that a planned visit, later in the walk, to a pub was no longer an option, we headed to the Fleur [&hellip;]
- [Hollingbourne to Bearsted (Kent) 12 July 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hollingbourne-to-bearsted-kent-12-july-2025/): The week before my walk had been very hot and there were heat health warnings in the run-up to the date. According to the Met Office it was the fifth warmest July since records began in 1884 (i.e. above average)! I was worried participants might be affected or deterred! But it was Wimbledon Finals week so there was always a chance of rain! I was bitten by a wasp the day before (through my gardening glove!) while putting my compostables in my compost bin and my hand had swollen up and gone purple (It is still discoloured and causing occasional [&hellip;]
- [Henley to Pangbourne on Saturday 19th July 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/henley-to-pangbourne-on-saturday-19th-july-2025/): 15 Polyramblers assembled at Henley station at 10.27. Unfortunately, the leader and 3 others did not arrive until 10.57 due to delays on the Elizabeth Line.&nbsp; They say that every cloud has a silver lining and, in this case, at least the rain had stopped by the time we eventually set off. We started walking by the Thames in Henley then the path took us out into a broad valley, to the church at Rotherfield Greys, followed soon after by the church at Rotherfield Peppard.&nbsp; The rest of the walk was through fields, beech woods and small villages, with a [&hellip;]
- [Leigh to Sevenoaks on 26th July 2025 (9 miles)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/leigh-to-sevenoaks-on-26th-july-2025-9-miles/): I was delighted to find there were 19 of us assembling for this adventure in Kent.&nbsp; We got a fast train from London Bridge to Tonbridge and then had to wait for a local train which took us the one stop onwards to Leigh.&nbsp;&nbsp; The village name is pronounced ‘Lie’ locally by the way. Passing through the churchyard we were soon in the midst of fields and saw the first of several oasthouses built for drying hops in times now past. The weather was overcast and it looked like rain but happily the rain held off except for the odd [&hellip;]
- [LONDON LOOP BOREHAMWOOD to COCKFOSTERS on 5th July 2025 ](https://polyramblers.org.uk/london-loop-borehamwood-to-cockfosters-on-5th-july-2025/): We got started on our 11-mile jaunt about 10.45am, going through lots of lovely woods, some of which were quite wild.&nbsp; Unfortunately, we had to walk alongside the busy A1 for a bit, before being able to cross via a subway.&nbsp; We quickly headed away from the road then along some quieter, residential, roads. We soon shared part of our route with the Dollis Valley Greenwalk, following Dollis brook, going into Totteridge Fields, a nature reserve managed by the London Wildlife Trust. &nbsp;We came out of the woods into fields now and then, had a group picture taken at Scratchwood [&hellip;]
- [HAMPTON COURT PALACE GARDENS AND BUSHY PARK WATER FEATURES on WEDNESDAY 2nd JULY 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hampton-court-palace-gardens-and-bushy-park-water-features-on-wednesday-2nd-july-2025/): After the hottest day of the year (so far), I was glad it was a lot cooler for my walk. Nine of us met at Hampton Court station after receiving a packet of wildflower seeds from South Western Railway as we exited the platform. It was the week of the Hampton Court RHS Flower Show and the Palace gardens were open free of charge. We enjoyed the rose garden and the vegetable garden and had a quick look at the royal tennis court before going into the beautiful formal gardens. We passed the privy garden, the knot garden, the pond [&hellip;]
- [The Vanguard Way Section 5 Forest Row to Poundgate - 21 June 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/the-vanguard-way-section-5-forest-row-to-poundgate-21-june-2025/): Six Poly Ramblers travelled to Forest Row by train on one of the hottest days of the year, to begin section 5 of the Vanguard Way. The route now passed through some of the best and most isolated scenery with a route through the Ashdown Forest. We began our walk skirting the Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Course, we had a temporary setback when we took a wrong path but quickly rectified our mistake. We eventually emerged from the golf course. Crossing a road, we followed the route circling Coleman’s Hatch cricket club and after some deliberation we followed a steep [&hellip;]
- [Loop Walk: Hatch End to Borehamwood - 14 June 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/loop-walk-hatch-end-to-borehamwood-14-june-2025/): We had great weather for our 9.5 mile walk from Hatch End to Borehamwood, sunny with a breeze. 17 walkers in total. There were lots of lovely open areas and tall grasses to enjoy some sun, and woods to cool down. In the grounds of Grim&#8217;s Dyke house, once the home of W. S. Gilbert, from Gilbert and Sullivan, we passed green ponds, with ducks and their trail of ducklings, and a reservoir. Arriving on Grim’s Dyke Golf course, one player paused his shot to let us go across and 10 of us made our way over together. He did [&hellip;]
- [EVENING WALK IN BAYSWATER – MARBLE ARCH TO QUEENSWAY – 11 JUNE 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/evening-walk-in-bayswater-marble-arch-to-queensay-11-june-2025/): Eleven Poly Ramblers came on this 3-mile linear walk between Marble Arch and Queensway weaving in and out of Bayswater Road. We passed newly renovated Marble Arch designed by John Nash for Buckingham Palace but moved to this site in 1851. Then we saw the site of the Tyburn gallows, the principal place of public execution between 1388-1783 and went to see the Tyburn Convent where an order of nuns perpetuates the memory of the 105 Catholic martyrs. At No 10 Bayswater Road is London’s smallest house. The beginning of the walk was in the Hyde Park Estate which covers [&hellip;]
- [AYLESBURY VALE PARKWAY TO AYLESBURY - 31 MAY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/aylesbury-vale-parkway-to-aylesbury-31-may/): Twelve Poly Ramblers gathered at Aylesbury Vale Parkway on a warm Saturday at the end of May for a walk to the north east of the market town of Aylesbury. This is an area we visit rarely and, according to Geoffrey, the first time we have used this station. After an initial walk alongside the A41 we were soon in a meadow of spring flowers alongside the River Thame, later passing the remains of a medieval village and some sheep shearing. Pam enquired and was told that two shearers were aiming to get through 250 sheep in a day. We [&hellip;]
- [Kew Gardens visit - Poly Ramblers and London Blind Ramblers - 10th May 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/kew-gardens-visit-poly-ramblers-and-london-blind-ramblers-10th-may-2025/): Poly Ramblers met up with the London Blind Ramblers at the station and walked to Kew Gardens to meet up with Jennifer, our Poly Rambler and Kew volunteer guide. There were 36 of us in all. Our visit started in the café, where we were able to feel the mural sculpture made out of wood from some of the 700 trees brought down by the Great Storm of 1987, depicting the god of the wind Aeolus, trees and the lion statues and vases in the Gardens. Then we set off along between the Palm House and the lake, remarking on [&hellip;]
- [Isle of Man Easter weekend 18 – 22 April 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/isle-of-man-easter-weekend-18-22-april-2025/): After weeks of flawless weather the temperature dropped and the rain came in as 40 Poly Ramblers headed for the middle of the Irish Sea for the Easter trip. Over 20 brave souls ventured out from the B and Bs for the Friday evening acclimatisation for a classic Douglas stroll, with wind and rain coming in from the East across the bay. We took in the sites, including the Victorian seafront, the Tower of Refuge, (built as a warning to shipping by Sir William Hillary, who founded the RNLI) and the Bee Gees statue. &nbsp; The next morning virtually the [&hellip;]
- [PLUMPTON to HASSOCKS  on 24th May 2025 (Linear 12 miles)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/plumpton-to-hassocks-on-24th-may-2025-linear-12-miles/): Despite an unpromising weather forecast, 14 of us made our various ways to Plumpton to start the walk. The South Downs were&nbsp;completely hidden in a thick mist but I knew that there was a fence at the top so I was prepared to cling to&nbsp;it if we could see absolutely&nbsp;nothing and were in some danger of either falling off or getting&nbsp;lost in the greyness.&nbsp; After a mile or so of&nbsp; flat walking through meadows and light woodland we arrived at the start of our ascent but made a democratic decision to stop at the pub before we went up. The [&hellip;]
- [JUNE to SEPTEMBER 2025 WALKS PROGRAMME](https://polyramblers.org.uk/june-to-september-2025-walks-programme/): Click here to view our summer walks programme
- [Wendover to Chesham on 17th May 2025 (9 miles, linear)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wendover-to-chesham-on-17th-may-2025-9-miles-linear/): Thirteen Polyramblers met at Amersham Station to catch the rail replacement bus to Wendover (the Chiltern Line&nbsp;was not running due to planned engineering work). We made our way through the village and it was very tempting to stop at various stalls selling cakes, exotic hot food, plants etc. but we did not cave in. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We joined the lovely Heron path and were able to appreciate the scenery, wild flowers and trees instead of watching our feet. We stopped for lunch at the village called The Lee, here the village green was very busy with groups of young people who [&hellip;]
- [FAVERSHAM &amp; HAM MARSHES on 3rd May 2025 (6 miles, circular)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/faversham-ham-marshes-on-3rd-may-2025-6-miles-circular/): When I arrived at Cannon Street Station I found just one other Poly Rambler waiting to board the train for my walk. However, by the time we reached Faversham there were twenty of us with another one joining enroute! In bright sunshine, we set off through the town, passing a busy market by the Guildhall where we were lucky not to lose some of our number to its attractions. We continued past the Shepherd Neame Brewery to the Creek where we joined the Saxon Shore Way for a pleasant stroll alongside moored boats on one side and salt marshes on [&hellip;]
- [Ockley to Warnham - 5th April 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/ockley-to-warnham-5th-april-2025/): Eighteen Poly Ramblers met at Ockley Railway Station and very soon found our footpath for this lovely walk through a quiet corner of Surrey featuring woods and gentle hills. We were favoured by a sunny day and no rain and although the paths were dry, they were still quite rutted being bridleways and well churned during muddier times. There were also several stiles, some quite precarious. After about 3.5 miles we emerged through the trees at the 13th century Parish Church of St John the Baptist in Okewood and went inside to admire the wall paintings and an unusual arrangement [&hellip;]
- [Wrabness to Manningtree on 26th April 2025 (10 miles)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wrabness-to-manningtree-on-26th-april-2025-10-miles/): We got off our train at the tiny station of Wrabness and began our walk along the Essex Way to Manningtree.  There were nine of us in total.  The terrain was flat and we could see long distances.  I always love the wide open skies and the grand vista of the Stour estuary.  This is a country that the artists Gainsborough and Constable must also have loved back in the 18th Century.   The sky today however is overcast and grey and there is a chilly breeze.   Good weather for a brisk pace!   After a few minutes walking [&hellip;]
- [Hever to Leigh on 12th April 2025 (10 miles)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hever-to-leigh-on-12th-april-2025-10-miles/): We met at London Bridge for a 10 mile walk through the lovely Kent countryside on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny day with a cold breeze to begin which dissipated as the day wore on.&nbsp; Two more polyramblers joined us at East Croydon and we arrived at Hever Station 20 strong. &nbsp; It was pleasing to have such a good turn out. &nbsp; A lot of other folk (not polyramblers) disembarked at Hever too, all going to Hever Castle I thought. &nbsp; After a briefing, we headed out through the countryside passing the entrance to the castle [&hellip;]
- [Post AGM walk in London Parks - Saturday 22 March](https://polyramblers.org.uk/post-agm-walk-in-london-parks-saturday-22-march/): After the AGM 22 of us set off, in calm weather, for a leisurely walk through 5 parks.  Beginning with Holland Park through to St James park and ending at Westminster underground. There were numerous places to leave the walk on route which were taken advantage of.  After a slight reroute after Holland Park, to enter Kensington Gardens, due to a high police presence and demonstration, we set off again walking through the very well maintained flower garden and past the Albert Memorial. On our way we heard very loud claps of thunder and most of us got quite damp [&hellip;]
- [VANGUARD WAY PART 4 : EDENBRIDGE to FOREST ROW on 15th March 2025 (Linear 11.2 miles)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/vanguard-way-part-4-edenbridge-to-forest-row-on-15th-march-2024-linear-11-2-miles/): Thirteen Poly Ramblers met at Edenbridge Town to begin the fourth stage of the Vanguard way.&nbsp; We reiterated to Poly Ramblers in our briefing that the walk was likely to be muddy, there were no pubs nor cafes en route, and more importantly no toilets, however they would be rewarded by some stunning views! Our walk to the start of the Vanguard Way proved complicated. This first stretch of our hike crossed the airfield of East Haxted Farm with its network of taxiways and runways. An orange windsock indicated the wind direction to pilots. Luckily the electrified fences to protect [&hellip;]
- [WATER AID WALK - STRATFORD to SADLERS WELLS on 6th March 2024 (linear 6 miles)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/water-aid-walk-stratford-to-sadlers-wells-on-6th-march-2024-linear-6-miles/): Once all the participants had located the Thames Water/ Mayor of London&#8217;s new blue drinking water fountain in Stratford Plaza / Meridian Square, 17 Polyramblers crossed the Meridian Line to the Eastern Hemisphere to start our walk at the obelisk with drinking water fountains, dedicated to Samuel Gurney Sr., banker, councillor and philanthropist, whose sister was Elizabeth Fry, the prison reformer, and whose second son Samuel Gurney (MP) founder and chairman of the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association (MDF&amp;CTA), is commemorated by a fine bronze drinking water fountain outside Blackfriars Station. From the obelisk we set off through [&hellip;]
- [Uxbridge to Moor Park on 9th March 2025 (linear 10.5 miles)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/uxbridge-to-moor-park-on-9th-march-2025-linear-10-5-miles/): We got beautiful weather for our walk on Sunday 9th March. Starting at Uxbridge, the first part was mostly along the Grand Union canal, passing two lakes and two nature reserves. &nbsp;We stopped briefly at a cafe, &#8216;The Hubb&#8217;, which had a large OPEN sign but was actually closed. Fortunately, we were able to use their loo behind the building, which was open, although there was a bit of resistance from the staff.&nbsp; Promising to move on fairly sharpish was enough to persuade security to let the final three walkers needing the loo to do so! &nbsp; Back along the [&hellip;]
- [ISLEWORTH TO KINGSTON (Linear) 8.5 miles on 1st March 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/isleworth-to-kingston-linear-8-5-miles-on-1st-march-2025/): It was a chilly, foggy, start at Isleworth but the sun was soon out to cheer us on our walk. &nbsp;Isleworth was once a well-cultivated farming and trading settlement, the boundary stretching from the Middlesex bank of the River Thames, westward to the centre of Hounslow and as far as Southhall in 1066. Much of Isleworth became orchards and market gardens in &nbsp;the 19th Century. Many royal and noble houses were built there including Syon House.&nbsp; The leader welcomed 20 polyrambers at Isleworth station where we started our walk to Old Isleworth. &nbsp;We walked along a street with rows of [&hellip;]
- [WEST HUMBLE CIRCULAR - 23 February](https://polyramblers.org.uk/west-humble-circular-23-february/): Despite the threat of dire weather and constant reminders from the leader about steep and possibly slippery inclines, 13 of us gathered at West Humble for a good and reasonably long walk in the lovely Surrey Hills. We started with a fairly drawn-out climb to Mickleham, a bit of flat and then the first steep haul up onto Mickleham Downs which, in summer, is full of the kind of chalk downland wildflowers which have become a rare sight. Over 50% of the UK&#8217;s chalk grassland was lost between the mid-1950s and the early 1990s. Now that these areas are not [&hellip;]
- [HANWELL TO NORTHOLT - SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hanwell-to-northolt-saturday-15-february/): On Saturday, 21 ramblers (with 2 more joining for lunch) set off to walk to Northolt with a stop to see the Greenford Beaver colony. The weather was overcast, constantly threatening to break out into rain, but we were lucky and only experienced occasional light drizzle. We started by following the Capital ring along the river Brent. We passed the Millennium Maze which has become well established after 25 years growth. The path was mostly wooded although we did pass 4 golf course s without having to worry about flying balls. We passed St May’s church in Perivale which is [&hellip;]
- [Crystal Palace to Nunhead, 8th February 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/crystal-palace-to-nunhead-8th-february-2025/): An impressive total of 18 assembled at Crystal Palace station. The weather forecast was overcast and occasional light rain. Unfortunately, this turned out to be pretty accurate and so we only had glimpses of the views the route offers on clear days. The length is about six miles, so is suitable for shorter days in the winter months. The Crystal Palace building was originally constructed for the Great Exhibition of 1851 which was in Hyde Park. At the end of the exhibition it was taken down and rebuilt on the current site where it was used until destroyed by fire [&hellip;]
- [SNOW WALKING WEEKEND 2025 – 10/14 JANUARY – IN BAD REICHENHALL (GERMANY)](https://polyramblers.org.uk/snow-walking-weekend-2025-10-14-january-in-bad-reichenhall-germany/): There were 11 Polyramblers for this 14th snow walking weekend. We were back in Bad Reichenhall in Bavaria where the club went in May 2018. Our journey there was quite long. Our flight was delayed by over an hour then some people (me and another) missed the train which was then delayed, resulting in a missed connection and an hour’s wait in Freilassing made bearable by the station cat. But Kim and Siew Kee arrived even later as their flight had been cancelled and then re-booked two hours later and then they took the wrong train.
- [BROCKWELL PARK WALK (HERNE HILL TO BRIXTON STATIONS) 12 FEBRUARY 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/brockwell-park-walk-herne-hill-to-brixton-stations-12-february-2025/): On a cold and grey day, 7 Poly Ramblers met at Herne Hill station to explore Brockwell Park and Brixton. We entered the park and followed the now invisible Effra River and the miniature railway, passing the Art Deco grade II listed Brockwell Lido and the ponds. We went in the JJ Sexby designed walled garden and walked up to the Tritton Tower Clock gifted to celebrated Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee, finally reaching Brockwell Hall. The hall is being refurbished and the café is shut – for hire if anybody is interested &#8211; so we could not go in to [&hellip;]
- [CAPITAL RING: NORTHWICK PARK TO WEST HENDON. 1 FEBRUARY 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/capital-ring-northwick-park-to-west-hendon-1-february-2025/): 17 Poly Ramblers assembled outside Northwick Park Met line station, this cold February morning. There was a very weak hazy sun at the start, soon disappearing, and leaving a gloomy greyness for the rest of the day. The ramble takes us through the middle of Kingsbury where I lived from the age of 5 (1961) to 27 (1983) so there was much nostalgia for me.
- [KINGS LANGLEY CIRCULAR - 25 JANUARY 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/kings-langley-circular-25-january-2025/): Twenty two Poly Ramblers assembled at Kings Langley station on the last Saturday in January on a sunny, dry day. It would have been 23 but one member boarded the wrong train and sped past the destination station. Although close to London this is not a station we use often for walks. We headed down a footpath and after crossing the River Gade and the Grand Union canal we entered Wayside Farm, which according to my walk description, houses one of Hertfordshire’s last dairy herds. We paused to visit the farm shop where a large sign informed us that there [&hellip;]
- [February to May 2025 walks programme](https://polyramblers.org.uk/february-to-may-2025-walks-programme/): Click here to view our Spring 2025 walks programme &nbsp;
- [FINSBURY PARK to ALEXANDRA PALACE on 22nd December 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/finsbury-park-to-alexandra-palace-on-22nd-december-2024/): On a bright cold Sunday morning, seventeen ramblers assembled at Manor House station for a pre-Xmas 5 mile walk through a part of London&#8217;s Northern Heights. We first crossed Finsbury Park, a green Victorian-era haven, created on the remnants of old Hornsey Wood to offer the poor population of North London some breathing and recreation space. Leaving the park by a footbridge over the train tracks out of Kings Cross, we joined the Parkland Walk, created on the route of a disused railway closed to passengers in the 1950s. Declared a local nature reserve in the 1990s, it has become [&hellip;]
- [Pudding Mill to Beckton on 18th JANUARY 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/pudding-mill-to-beckton-on-18th-january-2025/): The planned walk on Saturday 18th January was postponed because of the leader&#8217;s illness so one planned for February was brought forward. Despite the short notice of the change and a cold grey day, thirteen poly ramblers and guests assembled at Pudding Mill Lane DLR station for a five mile walk through suburban East London. A flight of steps took us up to the Greenway, a most imaginative use of sewage pipes: a level trackway of bonded gravel for walkers and cyclists laid on top of the Northern Outfall Sewage Embankment. The acronym NOSE may have been deliberately chosen by [&hellip;]
- [UPPER LEA VALLEY AND SOMERIES CASTLE on 11th January 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/upper-lea-valley-and-someries-castle-on-11th-january-2024/): Eight Polyramblers gathered outside Luton Airport Parkway station for a 7.5 mile circular walk. It was 11am on a very frosty but sunny January morning&nbsp; (Earlier,&nbsp; when I set out from home, my phone showed a temperature of -3C!).&nbsp;&nbsp; We all set off across the station car park and approach, negotiating roundabouts onto a B road signposted to Wheathampstead. Then we climbed through a narrow piece of woodland up onto a higher level A road, proceding 100 yds along its footway until we saw a footpath sign to the right leading up some steps into a field on higher ground. [&hellip;]
- [WANDLE TRAIL - EARLSFIELD to CARSHALTON PONDS  on 4th January 2025](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wandle-trail-earlsfield-to-carshalton-ponds-on-4th-january-2025/): The Wandle trail is a path along the Wandle Valley from Croydon to Wandsworth following the river Wandle.&nbsp;&nbsp;This river was a hub of industrial mills and printing with William Morris and Liberty owning factories on its banks. We chose to start our 7.5 mile hike at Earlsfield and walk to Carshalton Ponds, avoiding some of the less salubrious parts. For the first hike of the new year, 20 hikers started out enjoying the mild (for this time of the year) weather with no indication of rain.&nbsp;&nbsp;Being a cycle and walking trail, the going was good, with only one part being [&hellip;]
- [Hammersmith circular (5.5 miles) on 29th December 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hammersmith-circular-5-5-miles-on-29th-december-2024/): Nineteen polyramblers met at Hammersmith Station on a cold, dry, misty morning.  After a quick safety briefing we headed towards the river Thames.  We crossed the river via  Hammersmith Bridge, still undergoing repairs but open to pedestrians and joined the Thames Path to Putney Bridge. We passed several boat yards that were closed, due to holiday season, so we were able to enjoy the river and some views, mist permitting. We were able to see Fulham Football Ground that has also undergone major refurbishment.  We crossed Putney Bridge and had a packed lunch at Bishops Park. After a short lunch break [&hellip;]
- [KINGS CROSS TO CAMDEN LOCK - 15 DECEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/kings-cross-to-camden-lock-15-december/): Twelve Poly Ramblers met at Kings Cross Station for a meander through lesser-known places between Kings Cross and Camden Lock. We began with Keystone Crescent, the houses built in 1846 consisting of charming and compact houses. The London Canal Museum was our next stop, a fascinating exhibition of the history of canal life in London and the Victorian ice trade that once kept London supplied with ice for chilling food which arrived by canal boat. We made our way through Barnsbury, a fashionable district with well-kept Victorian houses and passing a famous pub completely obscured by greenery, the Hemingford Arms. [&hellip;]
- [Pangbourne circular walk 23rd November 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/pangbourne-circular-walk-23rd-november-2024/): Nine determined Poly Ramblers set off from Pangbourne Station despite warnings of storms and heavy rain. Our route took us through Whitchurch. Passing on a toll bridge over the river, built in 1792 to replace the ferry to bring your sheep or lambs across the Thames! The present iron bridge of 1902 replaces two previous wooden toll bridges. Today, pedestrians cross the bridge toll-free although there is still a charge for cars.  We walked past St Mary’s Church, in Whitchurch dating from the twelfth century. St Birynius is said to have landed at the ferry crossing at Whitchurch and, on [&hellip;]
- [Guildford (circular) via Watts Gallery on 30th November 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/guildford-circular-via-watts-gallery-on-30th-november-2024/): We set off from Waterloo on a fast train to Guildford and more walkers joined us at Clapham Junction.&nbsp; I was really pleased there were 18 of us on what was an overcast day in late November.&nbsp; &nbsp; I was worried about completing the walk before it got dark (sunset at 15:58) and perhaps I may have overdone it a bit during my short briefing in which I stressed that we needed to keep up a good walking pace.&nbsp; The station isn’t far from the river Wey which we followed south out of Guildford.&nbsp; It wasn’t long before we were [&hellip;]
- [West Ruislip to Rickmansworth on 21st November 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/west-ruislip-to-rickmansworth-on-21st-november-2024/): Six intrepid walkers braving the cold met at West Ruislip Station, in bright sunshine and maybe for the first time the men outnumbered the women for this adventure. We crossed&nbsp; the road to turn left into a quiet cul-de-sac, signed Ruislip Golf Centre, where the walk leader gave the safety briefing. Proceeding past a barrier we followed a footpath signposted R145 to join the Hillingdon Trail (HT), leading us onto a footbridge over the river Pinn to cross a field. Then via a shady footpath we reach the gates of ‘Old Clack’ Farm. We turned left to follow the lane [&hellip;]
- [Crystal Palace to Nunhead on 12th October 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/crystal-palace-to-nunhead-on-12th-october-2024/): A fair number of the club were away for the weekend in the New Forest so I offered this at short notice, hoping it might appeal to those at a loose end. Unfortunately, engineering works meant that there were very few trains to Crystal Palace, so all credit to Melida and Rob for keeping Sandra and myself company. At 5.4 miles, it’s a short walk but passes through some quite hilly parts of South London and so it is not a stroll. It follows much of the route of a disused railway which ran from Nunhead to Crystal Palace, which [&hellip;]
- [Chingford to Epping on 2nd November 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/chingford-to-epping-on-2nd-november-2024/): A good turnout of Polyramblers met at Chingford Station. The sky was covered with greyish cloud but there wasn&#8217;t any wind to speak of. The trees were magnificent!&nbsp; We thought that recent rain and relatively mild temperatures were the reason that a lot of trees were still covered in green leaves while the beech leaves on the forest floor were glorious! After the grassy area near the station, the walk was in amongst a variety of trees, including beech, hornbeam, oak, birch, rowan and holly, in all their autumn splendour. We mostly followed gravel paths, undulating sometimes steeply, with only [&hellip;]
- [A walk in Wendover Woods on 9th November 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/a-walk-in-wendover-woods-on-9th-november-2024/): After two frustrating cancellations of this walk, as a consequence of Chiltern Railways&#8217;&nbsp; shenanigans, we at last, third time lucky, were able to undertake our modest eight mile stroll. We set forth, all nineteen enthusiastic walkers, downhill from the station leaving rowdy traffic to soon join the scenic and placid tranquillity of the Wendover canal. The six mile long canal now overgrown in parts and disused, but worth exploring further was constructed in 1799 but alas has&nbsp; been unnavigable since 1897. In its heyday it was a worthy conduit for all manner of barge-borne cargo including grain, timber, coal and [&hellip;]
- [Blackheath to North Greenwich on October 5th 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/blackheath-to-north-greenwich-on-october-5th-2024/): Ten Polyramblers assembled at Blackheath Station on a sunny morning for a five mile walk meandering along the Prime Meridian to the Millennium Dome, travelling through time across historical parkland and past the Royal Observatory before tracing the story-soaked shores of the Thames to reach ultra-modernised Greenwich Peninsula. First we crossed Blackheath, scene of several insurrections in the Middle Ages. Then we entered Greenwich Park and soon passed the site of a Romano-Celtic Temple. Next was Queen Elizabeth&#8217;s oak, the remains of a tree from the 12th century. After enjoying the view from the Observatory terrace, we headed down to [&hellip;]
- [Princes Risborough circular on 26th October 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/princes-risborough-circular-on-26th-october-2024/): It was a grey morning with hints the sun was trying to break through when 18 Polyramblers assembled at Princes Risborough station for a circular walk around the edge of the Chilterns.&nbsp; Amongst the 18 were 4 new faces, all potential new members. The walk first took us out of the town and on to the Ridgeway an ancient trail that runs along chalk downs from Ivinghoe beacon to Marlborough.&nbsp; It soon had our hearts beating fast and our jackets being removed as it took a steep gradient over the chalk escarpment up to a trig point where we were [&hellip;]
- [Weekend trip to the New Forest: October 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/weekend-trip-to-the-new-forest-october-2024/): Saturday 12th October: Strollers Walk to Burley Seven Strollers left Moorhill House on Saturday and were joined by one more person at the YHA and two more at the White Buck.  After a minor route finding problem on the outskirts of Burley we made good progress until we came to a boggy area where we spent some time choosing the place to cross which wouldn&#8217;t be too wet.  Eventually we came to a path which ran alongside the A35 and Wilverley Inclosure.  The rain which had been forecast finally arrived in the form of a heavy shower which fortunately did [&hellip;]
- [London Loop - Kingston Bridge to Hatton Cross on 6th October 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/london-loop-kingston-bridge-to-hatton-cross-on-6th-october-2024/): Twelve of us came out of Kingston station to a cool but bright morning. Through the town and into the heath and woodland of Bushy Park. We saw and heard a number of Stags roaring whilst quite a few Does were quietly munching the grass, looking up now and then. We walked through a few plantations, the Oval, Pheasant and Waterhouse, passing Leg of Mutton Pond and Heron Pond, surrounded by some lovely old weeping willow trees. In the distance we spotted the Diana Fountain and Hampton Court Palace but we didn&#8217;t divert off our route to visit these. After [&hellip;]
- [NORFOLK COAST PATH WELLS NEXT THE SEA TO SHERINGHAM - JUNE 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/norfolk-coast-path-wells-next-the-sea-to-sheringham-june-2024/): This was the second stage of the Norfolk coast path.  We walked the first stage from Hunstanton to Wells next the Sea in  April 2023.  This stage took us eastwards from Wells to Sheringham. We based ourselves in the seaside town of Sheringham split between the Youth Hostel and an excellent B&amp;B.  Following uneventful train journeys on a Friday afternoon in late June we convened at the friendly Crown pub on East Cliff for our pre-ordered dinner.  As it was a balmy mid summer evening we were able to watch the glorious sunset from the cliff top after our meal.
- [Great Missenden Circular on 28th September 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/great-missenden-circular-on-28th-september-2024/): Eight hardy walkers met bright and early at Marylebone Station ready to board the 09:07 train to Beaconsfield and then take the rail replacement service to Great Missenden. Unfortunately, the train had a technical fault, and was cancelled. We then boarded the 09:37 (in theory a faster service so all appeared to be going well). Once again, a technical fault prevented this train from leaving the station! Third train lucky, Yay, we were finally on our way. On arriving at Beaconsfield, after a short wait, we boarded the rail replacement service, arriving an hour later than anticipated and met up [&hellip;]
- [Hildenborough and Leigh Circular on 14th September 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/hildenborough-and-leigh-circular-on-14th-september-2024/): Nine intrepid ramblers, after the inevitable transport delays we seem to get nowadays, set off from Hildenborough station in search of the Club’s recently (well, fairly recently!) donated kissing gate located not far from the station. Inscribed plaques in memory of past members to be added to the gate were still stuck in the post.&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite this disappointment we were able to pose for photos of the gate and the pleasant surroundings on what was a very sunny day.&nbsp;&nbsp;The occasion even afforded a chance by Danny, on one of his rare excursions outside suburbia, to explain to a small group of [&hellip;]
- [STONEGATE TO WADHURST - 7 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/stonegate-to-wadhurst-7-september/): After a truly horrible final walkover two days earlier &#8211; torrential rain, gales, thunder and lightning &#8211; the day of the walk was beautiful. It was warm with a pleasingly gentle breeze and the world seemed a different place in which it was a pleasure to be out walking.  We gathered at Stonegate station and set off along paths that were on the map but clearly not, or very rarely, used. There were some rough fields which must have been left for years and were completely overgrown but which had probably once been ploughed and so were ankle-twistingly but invisibly [&hellip;]
- [Benfleet to Leigh-on-Sea / Southend,  21 September with the LBRs.](https://polyramblers.org.uk/benfleet-to-leigh-on-sea-southend-21-september-with-the-lbrs/): Thank you to the team of Poly Ramblers who turned out to accompany the London Blind Ramblers on this refreshing and cheerful day. We had to change the date of the walk because of engineering works on the line which affected the numbers of participants from both groups. However, we were lucky in that the weather was extremely favourable and we enjoyed sunshine with a slight breeze as we strolled along the grassy path by the muddy banks of the Benfleet Creek where the occasional gull wandered about wondering where all the water had gone. We tasted aniseeds. I hope [&hellip;]
- [BRIGHTON TO ROTTINGDEAN - 8 SEPTEMBER](https://polyramblers.org.uk/brighton/): A select group of six Poly Ramblers assembled at Brighton Station for a five and a half mile walk exploring the riches of this city and its seafront. We headed into the vibrant North Laine area of narrow streets full of colourful independent shops, pubs and cafes. We passed the Royal Pavilion which was built for the Prince Regent, later George 4th, between 1787 and 1822 in a distinctive Indian style. We crossed into the Lanes with its many antique shops and soon reached the seafront. Past the Palace Pier, we boarded the Volks Railway which runs alongside the beach. [&hellip;]
- [AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN NORTHUMBRIA 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/august-bank-holiday-weekend-in-northumbria-2024/): Jill Forgham writes: Bank holiday weekend would usually be Notting Hill carnival for me but this year I broke with tradition and left Neil to enjoy the parade so that I could explore Northumbria with the Polys. It was a decision well made! The university accommodation bore little resemblance to my time in halls of residence – the size of the fridge! Two sofas! Very comfortable and not at all scary once we got used to crossing the double motorway to get into town. Gillian welcomed us to Newcastle with an excellent city tour and it was a lovely evening, [&hellip;]
- [OCTOBER 2024 TO JANUARY 2025 PROGRAMME](https://polyramblers.org.uk/october-2024-to-january-2025-programme/): Click below to view our autumn/winter programme programme october 2024 to january 2025 redacted
- [Saunderton Circular 17 August 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/saunderton-circular-17-august-2024/): We had a lovely summer’s day for this Chilterns walk with 14 Poly Ramblers. After an hours delay having been ‘detrained’ at West Ruislip we set off from Saunderton up Smalldean Lane and through fields to the foot of the Chilterns Hills, with views across the valley to our return route.  We had a short stop at Bradenham Church where a couple of walkers took advantage of the generously provided tea and coffee. The walk then took us through woods up to Naphill Common where we had lunch on a convenient tree trunk. The route to Hughenden Manor passes between [&hellip;]
- [Sunningdale to Windsor - 31st August 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/sunningdale-to-windsor-31st-august-2024/): &#8220;This train has been cancelled please disembark!&#8221; was announced as fifteen polyramblers sat waiting on the 10.20 train from Waterloo to Sunningdale. Oh no!  When I asked the guard, he said there had been an incident further up the line and investigations were in progress.   Thankfully we caught the next train half an hour later (which terminated at Woking instead of Reading to avoid the problem).
- [Wadhurst via Bewl Water circular - 13 August](https://polyramblers.org.uk/wadhurst-via-bewl-water-circular-13-august/): 15 Poly Ramblers met at Wadhurst Station and our path followed the undulating Sussex Border Path to The Old Vine pub in Cousley Wood, where we stopped for a welcome drink and comfort break. We then descended through the woods to reach Bewl Water Reservoir. The shore being open and unfenced unlike many other reservoirs made the perfect spot for a picnic with fine panoramic views across the water.
- [HAM STREET CIRCULAR VIA APPLEDORE -10 AUGUST](https://polyramblers.org.uk/ham-street-circular-via-appledore-10-august/): Ten Poly Ramblers were on this walk which followed part of the Royal Military Canal. The notes for this walk say: ‘The canal was hastily constructed in the early 19th century to protect England from a threatened Napoleonic invasion which never came. The project was soon being condemned as an extravagant military folly. Napoleon whose armies had crossed the Rhine and the Danube was hardly likely to be deterred by this innocuous waterway.´ The canal is 28 miles long and goes from Hythe, Kent, to Cliff End in East Sussex.
- [Kingston Circular Walk via Bushy Park and Hampton Court Park - 27 July 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/kingston-circular-walk-via-bushy-park-and-hampton-court-park-27-july-2024/): Seventeen Polyramblers gathered at Kingston Train Station for the circular walk. A group photo was taken after a health and safety briefing. We then crossed the A308 onto Wood Street and then Fife Road and left onto the pedestrian road. We then turned left at the end of the pedestrian road onto Clarence Street and continued straight on to Kingston Bridge, and walked across the bridge staying on the left-hand side of it. We continued straight to the roundabout and then left onto Hampton Court Road where we crossed over at the zebra crossing in front of the Wick Memorial [&hellip;]
- [SOUTH DOWNS Circular from LEWES - 20th  July 2024](https://polyramblers.org.uk/south-downs-circular-from-lewes-20th-july-2024/): On Saturday 20th we set out on our annual 14.5 mile pilgrimage to the Little Cottage Tea Room at Glynde. We gathered at Lewes station, had a very short briefing and set off through the lovely Southover Grange Gardens, past  Anne Boleyn&#8217;s house which would probably be well worth a visit but there is never time and up Jugg&#8217;s Road which took us out of town and into the beautiful midsummer countryside. Chalk downland is threatened and apparently 50% of what remains in the world is in the UK so we are very fortunate to be able to walk in this [&hellip;]

## Pages

- [Information for Members](https://polyramblers.org.uk/information-for-members/): Here you will find useful information for club members.  Just click a link and a new window will open and display the document. (Most of these files are in adobe pdf format. You may need to install the free adobe acrobat reader app on your computer.) Walkers Guide&nbsp; &#8211; explains how to get to the walk, what to wear and gives advice on health and safety.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Walk Leaders Guide &#8211; for new and existing walk leaders.&nbsp; Gives advice on planning a walk and how to run it. Risk assessment form for walks &#8211; to be completed by walk leaders and [&hellip;]
- [Facebook Demo](https://polyramblers.org.uk/facebook-demo-2/): This is a Facebook demo page created by plugin automatically. Please do not delete to make the plugin work properly.
- [My Instagram Feed Demo](https://polyramblers.org.uk/my-instagram-feed-demo-2/): [my-instagram-feed user_id=&#8221; skin_id=&#8217;7614&#8242;] This is a mif demo page created by plugin automatically. Please don&#8217;t delete to make the plugin work properly.
- [Facebook Demo](https://polyramblers.org.uk/facebook-demo/): This is a Facebook demo page created by plugin automatically. Please do not delete to make the plugin work properly.
- [My Instagram Feed Demo](https://polyramblers.org.uk/my-instagram-feed-demo/): [my-instagram-feed user_id=&#8221; skin_id=&#8217;7610&#8242;] This is a mif demo page created by plugin automatically. Please don&#8217;t delete to make the plugin work properly.
- [Newsletters](https://polyramblers.org.uk/polyrambler-newsletters/):   We publish a newsletter once a year. Here&#8217;s our latest. Click here to read our 2026 Newsletter which includes an appreciation of Rosie Binnie, an account of our 140th anniversary celebrations and articles from Rochelle and Mary on their walking holidays in Italy and Pembrokeshire. Click here to read our 2025 newsletter which includes an account of our weekend away in Northumbria last summer, appreciations of Christine Bignold and Shirley Hafey and a message from Hilary as she steps down as chair of the club.  Click here for our October 2024 special edition newsletter commemorating 30 years since the first [&hellip;]
- [Contact Us](https://polyramblers.org.uk/contact-us/): For more information about our club, please get in touch  via  e-mail&#8230; enquiries@polyramblers.org.uk Or simply join us on a walk and see if you like us. We look forward to hearing from you
- [Join Polyramblers](https://polyramblers.org.uk/join-polyramblers/): Thank you for your interest in the Polytechnic Rambling Club. You can read full details about our club on the About Polyramblers page. The first year&#8217;s subscription for new members is £12 which includes a once-only joining fee of £2. Thereafter, the Club&#8217;s annual subscription is £10 renewable on 1st January. To enrol please fill out the form below and make a transfer of £12 to the Club&#8217;s bank account number 29935940 and sort code 05-02-00 or if you prefer, send a cheque made payable to &#8216;The Polytechnic Rambling Club&#8217; and post it to The Honorary Treasurer, Daniel Duffy, 28 [&hellip;]
- [About Polyramblers](https://polyramblers.org.uk/about-polyramblers/): We are one of the oldest walking clubs in the country, formed in 1885 as a social club of the Regent Street Polytechnic which is now the University of Westminster.  Today we are happy to retain our association with the University although the majority of our current members have no connection with it.  We are an active friendly Club and welcome members of all ages and backgrounds (children under 18 years must be accompanied on walks by a club member). With a varied programme and a day walk almost every weekend of the year, we also organise several weekends away [&hellip;]

## Optional

- [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/polyramblers.org.uk/mcp)

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