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 build over two hundred new affordable homes.  Walking along the main avenue we reached Cockfosters Road where we met one of a number of several friendly dogs we met on the walk, this one a beautiful bear like Japanese Akita.  Continue reading Sunday February 11th Oakwood to Woodside Park →

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. Continue reading Saturday 3rd February, Otford to Eynsford →

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.  Continue reading Saturday 28th January. Flitwick circular. →

Thirteen Poly Ramblers and Yvonne B’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. Soon we reached the Vache Estate and the site of the Captain Cook Monument. This was built in 1781 by Sir Hugh Palliser, then owner of the Vache Manor house. Sir Hugh had many distinctions including Comptroller of the Navy and Lieutenant General of Marines but is best known as the man who picked Cook out for high command. The monument is accessed via a moat and steps to a tower. After viewing and eating chocolate we headed down the road to the village of Chalfont St Giles where the group divided for lunch between sandwiches by the frozen village pond, Costa Coffee and Merlin’s Cave, a rather upmarket (but very nice) pub. After lunch Yvonne and Daisy left us and the rest of the group headed on to Little Chalfont via the Chiltern Way, passing a field of birds similar to but not quite the same as ostriches.  We decided they were rheas.   Avoiding the black ice near a ford we headed up the edge of Harewood Down golf course and out onto the one of the desirable estates of Little  Chalfont.

Gillian

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. Continue reading Saturday 7th January: Kings Langley to Hemel Hempstead →