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 and the weather unreliable.

Leaving the village of Hadley Wood with its large detached houses, we set out across fields carefully navigating our way across 2 major roads taking heavy traffic out of London to the M25.  Thankfully our path went under the M25 and as we entered the ancient wood of Northaw we began to leave behind us the drone of traffic.  Although rapidly losing their leaves, some of the trees were still clinging on to their beautiful autumn colours.  It wasn’t long before we reached the village of Northaw where we stopped for lunch at the Two Brewers pub.  Both food and service were very good.  Those who had brought their own lunches, joined the rest of us at the pub for drinks.

After sitting inside a warm pub for an hour, the temperature seemed to have dropped a couple of degree when we emerged outside to re-start the walk.  Our walk initially took us along a road through the village and then we struck out along a path that thankfully was not as muddy and slippy as I’ve experienced it in the past.  We eventually reached The Folly Arch, an old fake gated brick archway, which is all that remains of Gobions Estate a magnificent pleasure gardens that existed in the eighteenth century and which is now a nature reserve with a very pleasant wood and a lake.  Walking through this we eventually came to the village of Brookmans Park and the end of our walk.  As the tea shop was shut and it was getting late, we decided to forgo stopping for a drink,and instead headed to the station and trains back to London.

Mary. Photos by Ida and Stuart

Poly Ramblers put the last day of summer-time to good use! We were very lucky with the trains and the weather! It wasn’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 – 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 the ground but they had since been scooped up by other passers-by no doubt, or invaded by insects or slugs! Continue reading Borough Green to Sevenoaks – 29th October →

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 attractions all of which we avoided. We went over the Leatherhead Road to make our way along a narrow path through dense woodland before crossing another busy road. Then it was farmland reaching a white coal post at the boundary of Ashtead Common in Surrey. We walked between some large Oak trees before wending our way along a much narrower path until we came to a very wide horse path. It was at this point that I received a phone call informing me that I had lost five members of the group. Luckily, they were all good map readers and they caught up with us just before our lunch stop at the Star pub a well-known pub chain with excellent food and who were very welcoming. After our lunch stop, we went through Princes Coverts named after Prince Leopold of Belgium. We passed Upper Gravel Pond and Jessops Well, an 18^th century brick spa house. We continued through Princes Coverts before crossing the A3 road, and finally back to Claygate.  We stopped for a drink at Platform 3 a small micro-brewery at the station before catching the train back to Waterloo.

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 – but not identical to, the Capital Ring.

The weather was atrocious the morning of the walk and I did not expect many people to turn up. I should have known better. 13 Polyramblers,  gluttons for punishment, met me at Finsbury Park station. The first Victorian Park was Finsbury Park. Like all the parks we crossed, it was saved after vigorous public campaigning by wealthy philanthropists, social reformers, the new middle class and the London poor. Finsbury Park was the frequent haunt of duellists and this is commemorated in the mosaic design of crossed pistols on the platforms of the Finsbury Park Underground station. Exiting the park at Manor House, we followed Woodberry Down and then the New River Path in a South Westerly direction. The rain had stopped at that point which was a relief. Continue reading Victorian parks and medieval marshes – Finsbury Park to Cambridge Heath – 6 November →