Well, I thought the biggest challenge of the day was going to be the extreme heat or the thunderstorms but as it turned out it was the 465 bus which got me to Dorking station after everyone had arrived all looking anxiously for their leader!! 

All was not lost. We maintained a gentle walking pace given the heat and luckily a lot of the walk was shaded.  Sightings of the river Mole and other streams helped to cool our fevered brows.  First stop was the garden centre but not to buy plants but to use their facilities. We then walked through the golf club arriving at Brockham where we had various flavours of ice cream including black coconut, honeycomb, gin and tonic, ginger spice. The list was endless and it was hard to get back to the business of walking.  

We walked along part of the Greensand Way and arrived at the church that was in Four Weddings and a Funeral – only to find that there was a wedding taking place. So, anyone that had a packed lunch ate discreetly in the churchyard hoping not to be in any photos of the happy day.  For everyone else we ventured across the road to The Dolphin Betchworth. 

We then walked through various country lanes and ended up at Reigate Park where the old priory used to be and then we were in the busy town of Reigate. 

Thank you so much everyone for coming to the first walk that I have led for the walking club.  I was really surprised that 20 people turned up given the weather forecast. I hope you enjoyed it as much as me. 

Lorna.  Photos by Lorna and Stuart

Thirteen Poly ramblers met at East Croydon Station to catch a bus to the start of our walk at Chelsham Common. We were lucky to have brilliant sunshine, and a dry spell had reduced likelihood of mud. We followed the good signage for the Vanguard Way through woodland with plenty of Bluebells still vividly coloured. We came out of the woods and into open land taking care to look for some land marks as there was no visible path. At the top of the hill, we enjoyed clear views of the London landscape. At this point we joined the Greenwich Meridian Trail. We began descending steeply, crossing a road and then gently climbing again following a ridge between two steep valleys. At the top of the rise, we had reached the highest point at about 853 ft. We continued following the route until we reached our lunch stop Oxted Downs, where we had our lunch against the backdrop of the M25. Following lunch, we descended a steep slope with steps cut into it called Whistlers Steep to join the North Downs Way. We continued along the edge of a very large field with Titsey Woods and the M25 to our left. In 600 meters we reached a set – back plaque indicating the Greenwich Meridian. We continued passing the entrance to Titsey Place. The Vanguard way crosses the line of the Pilgrims Way at this point. We crossed several grassy fields following a faint footpath, before following a track next to a high fence with the roar of the adjacent M25 before climbing up to a footbridge to cross the motorway close to the Clacket Lane Services. We kept ahead down a broad track along an access road with the huge Moorhouse Sandpits on our right. We were now crossing the Greensand Ridge. After climbing through woodland, we at last came out to the outskirts of Limpsfield Chart. We finished the section conveniently at a bus stop opposite a pub. There was considerable anxiety as to whether to bus would arrive on time to take us to Oxted station so the majority of the group opted to walk back, a small number of us enjoyed a drink in the pub garden, the bus arrived at the correct time and we enjoyed a leisurely trip back to join the rest of the group at Oxted Station.

The overall impression of the walk was a lovely day with sunshine, a warmish breeze rather than recent icy winds, meadows of buttercups, bluebells, fields of crops (wheat ?), hops, and those fresh green shoots of spring for us to describe for our guests, plus the scent of cow parsley beside the paths and the bird song that our guests could help us identify. Sadly the lavender in the fields was not as far advanced as I had hoped but there were plenty of lavender products in the Castle Farm shop. 

However the day started at Victoria station on a rather unruly note! Trying to get the group together and round up latecomers who hadn’t checked in to base, I realised there was a subgroup roaming around sending panic messages inside the barrier rather than waiting patiently while the very helpful staff ascertained which platform our delayed train would come into. Fortunately we managed to assemble on the train and, apart from getting momentarily shut in the revolving toilet with two guests, the train journey went off without further incident. 

At Otford I was informed that there would be duck-racing on the stream at Shoreham, which would be crammed with enthusiasts from near and far! I imagined something like The Mall on Coronation Day! I was annoyed at first, not to have been warned sooner, but in retrospect I was amused because prior knowledge would have deprived me of the last vestiges of sleep the night before! As it happened we arrived at the bridge at Shoreham as the organisers were setting up their stall and the first contestants were surveying the current rushing downstream with some scepticism and their ducks with doubt! 

Hunger drove us to carry on along the path by the Darent to the Lullingstone Visitor Centre where we ate our packed lunches in the sunshine at the plentiful picnic tables provided. Others took advantage of the refreshments available in the café. When it came to deciding what to do after our lunch break, conversation became very animated. Rather than stroll up the slope of the Country Park and over to the wooden history sculptures for more fresh air, some people opted vociferously for the road straight past Lullingstone Castle to Eynsford, part of the route i had originally suggested for a more challenging walk. I was beginning to sympathise with Capt. Bligh, when Harriet stepped in and took the mic, so to speak, bringing the meeting to order. Once we were sure that guests in the mutinous group had enough sighted guides, the rest of us turned back through the cow parsley, along by the Darent to Castle Farm for lavender ice cream which we consumed amongst the pots of lavender and then carried on to the site of the duck racing at Shoreham and up the permissive path to the station there, to find they had put on an unscheduled train for us which rolled up as we arrived! We had to change trains at Swanley because of engineering works on the up-line.  Once again platform information was a bit suspenseful but we made it back to Victoria to get ready for the week ahead, thoroughly refreshed. 

Thank you to all the guests for their spirited company and knowledge of birdsong and to the guides, helpers and marshals for their contribution to the events of the day.

Pam

Photos by Pam and Patricia

Ignoring the not very promising weather forecast, fifteen members assembled at Taplow station on Easter Monday 10th April for a circular walk of 6 miles in a rural corner at the far south end of Buckinghamshire. After crossing the busy A4 trunk road, we went down a quiet lane to a bridge over the Jubilee River. It is a man-made channel completed in 2002 which reduces the risk of flooding in Maidenhead, Windsor & Eton. It is about 7.5 miles long but initially we only followed it for a short while before heading across fields to the River Thames. Its waters were sparkling in unexpected sunshine as we walked alongside for about a mile past expensive-looking riverside properties before leaving the path near Dorney Lake, the site of the rowing events at the 2012 Olympics. Passing the listed Tudor manor house of Dorney Court, we crossed the Jubilee River again so that we could reach our lunch stop at the busy Pineapple pub in Lake End. Most of us sat in the garden, fortunately under cover, as the forecast heavy rain showers soon appeared. Suitably refreshed and the rain having stopped, we headed back to the Jubilee River and followed it to the M4 motorway bridge from where a muddy & overgrown path took us to Marsh Lane and back to Taplow Station.

Danny
Photos courtesy of Maggie Carman & Rochelle Bloch