With 30 or so Polys on the club weekend at YHA Lulworth Cove, it was a select group of six on Rosie’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’s dock where we were all accommodated on a round table and enjoyed a leisurely and agreeable meal. Continue reading Saturday 12th March, Battersea to Wandsworth Town. →

Just myself and Sandra accompanied Jackie on this lovely varied walk, the weather being bright but cold. Berkhamsted’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 incorporating the common into his private estate. Locals reinforced by a gang of navvies brought in by  train, dismantled it and dumped it in view of his mansion. Continue reading Sunday, March 6th. Berkhamsted circular. →

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. Continue reading Saturday 27th February. Woldingham to Oxted →

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 see the Reculver church towers in the distance (they were supposed to be in the Continue reading Saturday 20 February: Evening walk from Birchington to Herne Hill (Kent) →