“This train has been cancelled please disembark!” 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).

Continue reading Sunningdale to Windsor – 31st August 2024 →

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. Continue reading Wadhurst via Bewl Water circular – 13 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. Continue reading HAM STREET CIRCULAR VIA APPLEDORE -10 AUGUST →

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 Garden. We then made a right turn on to Church Grove (B358) and walked up to the pedestrian crossing by St. John’s Church where there is a gate in the park wall (Church Grove Gate) went onto a tree lined avenue (Church Grove Passage) to another gate which led us into the park. Bushy Park started as a royal hunting ground with several water features constructed during the reign of King Charles I.

Once in the park there are various paths but we continued right onto a broad grass path. We walked past a bench where one could sit and listened to the Skylarks. We saw deer with some trying to shelter from the heat and others grazing. Lots of photos taken.

We continued straight and crossed a small bridge over two ponds. We walked left to Heron Pond and after a short walk along the pond we continued right on a narrow path with lots of Ferns presumably the Warren Plantation. We continued straight on to a building on the right and then left onto an unnamed road which led us Chestnut Avenue. We crossed the road and continued left towards the Pheasantry café where we had lunch and the toilets.

After lunch we continued our walk through the park to the Waterhouse Plantation where we saw lots of fish, water lilies and a lot more.

We then crossed over to the Woodland Gardens where a slight detour got some of us separated from the leading group, but we were reunited. We then walked through an overgrown path where we avoided the stinging nettles with arms raised above our heads. We then made our way to the Diana Fountain (not the Princess) and Hampton Court Gate where we continued our walk towards Hampton Court Park.

We turned right on to Hampton Court Road, we crossed the road and walked on the left towards Hampton Court Palace. The Palace was originally built for Cardinal Wolsey then passed to Henry VIII in 1529 when he fell out of favour. It was extended in the 17th century by William III and Mary II. We had a brief water break within the grounds of the Palace.

Fourteen of us continued the walk along a short stretch of the Thames path past the Palace to Hampton Court Park onto the golf course. We continued along Long Water with three lime tree avenues (added by Charles I Mary II). We then continued walking right at where there was T-junction and then left after a short distance to rejoin the Thames Path Kingston. 2 went left which was the way back to Kingston Gate.

We all got to Kingston safely where some went shopping and the rest either took the buses or train back home.

Lucy & Nita.

Photos: Hilary, Nita, Ida & Patricia

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’s house which would probably be well worth a visit but there is never time and up Jugg’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 tiny precious patch. The climb up to the top is long and steep and luckily the sun refrained from coming out until we’d made the summit. We were rewarded by the song of many sky larks and views of the sea in the distance.

We dipped down to Rodmell for a swift pint at the pub and then on to have lunch in the grass outside Southease church which is lovely and is mentioned in the Doomsday Book. Again, it must be well worth  looking at inside but the tea shop called and we had another, enormous hill to climb, so  we gathered our resolve and set off.

We all made it to the top; some in one go, some in swift bursts  & some slow & steady. Again there were larks and beautiful views in every direction and we continued along the top in the sun. After a steep descent and crossing a horrible dual carriageway, we arrived at the Place of Great Joy – the tea shop. 

  Words cannot describe the delights of that place so I won’t try. Fuelled by scones and cakes, we managed the third serious hill and went up again in the late afternoon light with the hills beginning to cast their long shadows over the valley. A fourth but not very serious hill led us to Lewes golf club and then down into the town where we had a swift pint before we caught the train back to London.  

Harriet

Photos by Vanessa, Harriet, Mary and Chris