Time Out Country Walks, Book 1, Walk 26, Great Shelford to Cambridge. 26/5/12.
This book 1 walk of around 12.7 miles (though I suspect a bit more when the Cambridge 'tour' is added) is unusual in the sense that it requires 'permission' to do; well, at least the more scenic version does. So, as permission was granted today, and the weather fantastic, I took the opportunity to do the walk.
The walk is possible without 'permission', but this entails a fair bit of road walking early on, and there's enough of that later in the walk anyway, so it's a much better walk if the permission is sought. Soon after leaving Shelford station, the walker passes the village church and is then crossing the private university fields and alongside The River Cam.
This leads out to Hauxton Church, with a further bit of road walking prior to crossing fields into Haslingfield for lunch.
Thereafter, the walk follows a quiet 'B' road before passing 'The Travelling Telescope' and crossing more fields into Grantchester. Here, the walk becomes busier, and more touristy as it passes through the orchard of a very famous tea stop and then follows the banks of The Cam into the city. Then, particularly on a sunny day like today, there's more throngs in the city itself prior to returning to the station for the journey home.
The best part of this walk, in my opinion, is the morning section as urban walking and crowds are not my cup-of-tea. Otherwise, if done on a week day, out of term, the section from Grantchester could also be nice. Either ways, getting the permission to cross the private track is definitely worthwhile!
SWC Free Walk 167, Chichester to West Wittering, 8/7/13.
This was a lovely 12.5 miles of walking from the cathedral city of Chichester to the West Sussex resort of West Wittering.
Utilising the 'New Lipchis Way', the walker is soon passing the old basin in Chichester and walking along the pleasant Chichester Ship Canal, which is still used by pleasure craft as far as the village of Donnington. Beyond here, the canal is more overgrown, but this provides a home to more wildlife; indeed, as the walker enters the marina, the least interesting part of the walk, it even provides a watery home to a number of humans!
After the canal enters Chichester harbour, the path moves inland slightly for lunch in the village of West Ichenor.
Thereafter, it was much quieter, and very pleasant walking along the shoreline, often under welcome tree cover on this very hot day. Several miles later, the walker arrives at the National Trust's East Head, a classic sand dune spit.
Then, it's along West Wittering's busy (even on a non-school holiday Monday!) expanse of sandy beach, prior to a small detour back into the village for a bus back to Chichester.
(Though technical difficulties were experienced with the handicam today, it was possible to film some glimpses of the cathedral's famous resident, the Peregrine Falcon! A real bonus to what was a delightful day's walking!).
Days Inn Maidstone review in Maidstone - UK Review
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SWC Free Walk 139, Tadworth via Headley Heath and Box Hill Circular.16/9/12.
A zone 6 walk in Surrey of around 13 miles and costing the princely sum of £3 return!
Starting out from Tadworth station, and with no actual walk instructions to follow, the walker navigates (such skills and a compass definitely needed on this walk! Adds to the excitement...) out of the town and into the open countryside, soon passing under the M25, and then into the village of Headley. Soon after, the walk crosses The National Trust's Headley Heath, a fine mix of heathland, woodland and chalk downland, with some great views. There's an option to climb White Hill, but this wasn't possible today due to the walker getting way-laid by an 'incident' near High Ashurst Outdoor Centre...
There's a climb to more fine views from Juniper Top prior to more forest walking for lunch at Box Hill.
After lunch, this walker chose to follow the North Downs Way (replicating Box Hill Circular Walk for a while), bypassing Box Hill village, all the way to Buckland Quarry/Hills. Thereafter, it's back over the M25, on to Walton Heath and its golf course before retracing steps over the common at Tadworth and back to the station.
A lovely walk on the fringes of London, though taking a little longer to reach than some other zone 6 walks. Surprisingly rural for the location.
As it currently stands, this 'map walk' definitely requires navigation skills; the presence of an outdoor centre in the forest is no coincidence...
North Downs Way, West to East, Part 5 of 7, Lenham to Patrixbourne
This series of seven videos is a detailed and authoritative photographic flipbook guide to all 157 miles of the North Downs Way travelling from west to east.
The North Downs Way is a long distance footpath and official National Trail, in easy reach from London, that passes through two designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs. In doing so it traverses the range of hills stretching from Farnham in western Surrey to Dover in the heel of Kent.
Links to the rest of the NDW west to east series
Part 1 Farnham to Dorking:
Part 2 Dorking to Oxted:
Part 3 Oxted to Snodland:
Part 4 Snodland to Lenham:
Part 6 Patrixbourne to Wye:
Part 7 Wye to Dover:
The National Trail Web Site
Ordinance Survey Maps covering the NDW
1:50000 Map Nos. 178, 179, 186, 187, 188, 189
1:25000 Map Nos. 137, 138, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
Public Houses and Inns
03:41 The Flying Horse Inn, Boughton Lees:
06:51 The White Horse, Chilham:
07:29 The Star Inn, Old Wives Lees:
09:24 The Chapter Arms, Chartham Hatch:
11:18 The Eight Bells, Canterbury:
11:22 The Monument, Canterbury:
11:29 The Unicorn Inn, Canterbury:
11:34 The Bishops Finger, Canterbury:
11:41 The Cricketers, Canterbury:
Places of Interest
01:42 Charing Village:
02:13 Charing Quarry:
03:17 Eastwell Manor:
03:39 Boughton and Eastwell Cricket Club:
04:34 All Saints Church, Boughton Aluph:
05:53 Godmersham Park:
06:44 Chilham Primary School:
06:47 Chilham Castle:
08:22 Nickle Farm, Chartham:
09:51 No Man’s Orchard, Chartham Hatch:
10:09 The Blean:
10:11 Bigbury Camp Hill Fort:
11:25 St Dunstan’s Church, Canterbury:
11:36 Westgate Gatehouse, Canterbury:
11:47 Canterbury Cathedral:
12:01 St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury:
12:10 HM Prison Canterbury (former):
13:41 St Mary’s Church, Patrixbourne:
Music
Fluidscape Kevin MacLeod (
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Disclaimer
Visitors who use this guide and rely on any information within it do so at their own risk.
Lacey Green, Wilmslow Cheshire from above.
A few clips of Lacey Green, Wilmslow Cheshire. Can you spot where you live / lived in Lacey Green? So much greenery around the edges of the estate.
Lacey Green is a district and electoral ward of the town of Wilmslow in the English county of Cheshire. The population of the ward at the 2011 Census was 4,718.[1] It lies between Wilmslow's town centre and the village of Styal. Historically, its name was Lacy Green.
Lacey Green contains a housing estate, served by a range of local shops, a sports pavilion and a park providing open grassland, a children’s play area and a BMX track.
Cromer to Erpingham, 25/10/15
Unusually for this walker, a group walk of 8.5 miles to commemorate the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt, and it's associations with North Norfolk.
Setting out from Amazona Zoo, to the South of the sea-side town of Cromer, the walk passes through some varied landscape, with lunch at the mid-way church at Thwaite. There's more pastoral views after lunch before the finale at Erpingham church.
North Downs Way, East to West, Part 3 of 7 - Folkestone to Lenham
This series of seven videos is a detailed and authoritative photographic flipbook guide to all 157 miles of the North Downs Way travelling from east to west.
The North Downs Way is a long distance footpath and official National Trail, in easy reach from London, that passes through two designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the Kent Downs and the Surrey Hills. In doing so it traverses the range of hills stretching from Dover in the heel of Kent to Farnham in western Surrey.
Links to the rest of the NDW east to west series
Part 1 Dover to Canterbury:
Part 2 Canterbury to Folkestone:
Part 4 Lenham to Trottiscliffe:
Part 5 Trottiscliffe to Oxted:
Part 6 Oxted to Dorking:
Part 7 Dorking to Farnham:
Link to the NDW west to east series
The National Trail Web Site
Ordinance Survey Maps covering the NDW
1:50000 Map Nos. 178, 179, 186, 187, 188, 189
1:25000 Map Nos. 137, 138, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
Public Houses and Inns
05:05 The Tiger Inn, Stowting:
08:56 The Kings Head, Wye:
09:04 The Tickled Trout, Wye:
10:28 The Flying Horse Inn, Boughton Lees:
Places of Interest
00:30 Folkestone Downs:
00:37 Channel Tunnel:
00:51 Folkestone White Horse:
00:55 WWII Pillbox, nr Peene:
01:01 Peene Quarry:
02:11 Elham Valley Railway:
03:35 Postling Village:
04:11 Farthing Common:
04:19 Stone Street Roman Road:
04:27 Farthing Common Plant Centre:
05:01 Stowting Trout Lake, Water Farm:
07:03 Wye National Nature Reserve:
07:09 Devil’s Kneading Trough:
07:48 Wye Crown Memorials:
08:39 Wye College:
08:49 Church of St Gregory and St Martin, Wye:
08:53 The Wye Historical Society:
09:02 Lady Joanna Thornhill (Endowed) Primary School, Wye:
09:03 Kempe’s Almshouses, Wye:
09:06 Wye Bridge over the Great Stour:
09:08 Wye Train Station:
09:31 Perry Court Farm, Bilting:
10:30 Boughton and Eastwell Cricket Club:
10:47 Eastwell Manor:
11:54 Charing Quarry:
12:14 Charing Village:
13:35 Lenham Chalk Cliffs:
14:01 Lenham War Memorial:
Music
Music for Manatees Kevin MacLeod (
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Disclaimer
Visitors who use this guide and rely on any information within it do so at their own risk.