Walking The Greensand Way Part 15 - Reigate and Redhill Common

View from Redhill Common across to St. John the Evangelist Church and Earlswood

Start & Finish: Bell St Car Park, 83 Bell Street, Reigate, RH2 7AN
Distance: 9.1 km (5.6 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 136m
Greensand Way section covered: Littleton Lane to Mountview Drive: 3.8 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Mills and Pillboxes Trail, Reigate and Banstead Millennium Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): N/A
OS Trig Pillar: TP5634 - Reigate Park
Pubs / Cafes on route: Several in Reigate Centre, Skimmington Castle (2.1 km in)
Map: Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate Map | Leatherhead & Caterham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 146
Links: Reigate, Reigate Priory Park, Redhill Common

This is the fifteenth of a series of short circular walks featuring the Greensand Way. The full trail is a long distance path stretching from Haslemere in Surrey to Ham Street in Kent. Our walks take in short sections of the Greensand Way and loop back to the start on other paths. The Greensand Way is well sign posted however you’ll need a map or GPX route to keep on track for the return sections of the loops. The guidance below will help but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide.

For this section we parked in Reigate town centre and followed High Street then West Street in a westerly direction until the Black Horse pub. Take a left here onto Flanchard Road and continue in a south-westerly direction. You’ll now be on a spur of the Greensand Way that connects to the main section on the Greensand Way at the Skimmington Castle pub. You’ll also follow the middle of section 14 of this series for 400m after Skimmington Castle.

Follow the Greensand Way signs as the route curves to the east, following Littleton Lane to Park Lane. Cross over Park Lane and ascend the hill into the wooded area of Reigate Park. Continue heading east to the OS Trig Pillar and the Vogan Memorial obelisk. After this, the route decends out of the woods to Cockshot Hill and winds its way through some pleasant residential areas of eastern Reigate.

When you reach the junction of Ridgemount Way and Mountview Drive you’ll be at the end of this section of the Greensand Way. Rather than following the Greensand Way south, turn left here, following a footpath up a hill with houses on your left and woods on the right. At the top of the hill you’ll reach Redhill Common where you can find a bench with a great view over to Earlswood and the south (see banner photo at the top of this post).

Exit Redhill Common by heading west onto Hightrees Road, descending to Chart Lane. Take a right onto Chart Lane, following it in a north-westerly direction onto Churchfield Road then West Road, Lesbourne Road to the A217 Bell Street. Cross over the A217 into Priory Park, cutting across it back to Reigate Town Centre. The main feature of the park is Reigate Priory, an historic site that has been used for a variety of purposes over the centuries. The priory was originally founded in the early 13th century by the Augustinian order. It was dissolved by Henry VIII in the 16th century, and the buildings were subsequently used as a private residence, a school, and a museum.

Richard gowerTrek, Trig Pillar, Surrey, England, Surrey HillsComment
Walking The Greensand Way Part 14 - Betchworth and Reigate Heath

View across the River Mole to the North Downs

Start & Finish: St Michael's Church, The Street, Betchworth, RH3 7DN
Distance: 9.6 km (5.9 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 98m
Greensand Way section covered: St Michael’s Church, Betchworth to Littleton Lane: 4.1 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Mills and Pillboxes Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): Surrey Cycleway
OS Trig Pillar: TP5633 - Reigate Heath
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Dolphin, Betchworth (at start and end), Skimmington Castle (3.8 km in),
Map: Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate Map | Leatherhead & Caterham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 146
Links: Betchworth, River Mole, Reigate Heath

This is the fourteenth of a series of short circular walks featuring the Greensand Way. The full trail is a long distance path stretching from Haslemere in Surrey to Ham Street in Kent. Our walks take in short sections of the Greensand Way and loop back to the start on other paths. The Greensand Way is well sign posted however you’ll need a map or GPX route to keep on track for the return sections of the loops. The guidance below will help but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide.

For this section we parked at St Michael’s Church in Betchworth. This was our parking space for Section 13 where we took an anti-clockwise route back to pick up the Greensand Way at Dorking. This time we were on a clockwise route, starting with the Greensand Way section before looping back.

From the church the Greensand Way crosses over The Street and down Wonkam Lane. As with previous sections the Greensand Way signage is good so navigation is straightforward as long as you keep track of the signs. After 2km you’ll join the Mills and Pillboxes Trail up to Reigate Heath. You’ll pass through the golf course and up to the club house house where there’s a place to rest, an OS Trig Pillar, a great view to the North Downs and an old Windmill.

After the windmill the Greensand Way splits from the Mills and Pillboxes walk and heads south then east to the Skimmington Castle pub. The Mills and Pillboxes Trail re-connects with the Greensand Way here. Take a right after the pub to continue south again at Littleton Lane. Here you’ll be 4.1 km into the route and the end of this section of the Greensand Way.

For the return section to Betchworth follow the Mills and Pillboxes route as it curves to the south-west. At 6 km into the route leave the Mills and Pillboxes Trail and continue south, crossing the River Mole and following a path towards the south and west and across Snowerhill Road. Cross the field and, after 600m, take a path heading north. This will take you to Wellhouse Lane where you’ll take a right, following the road for ~30m before taking a left-hand path into another field. Following this path in a north/north-easterly direction into Dendy’s Wood to the east of the River Mole. When you meet Snowerhill Road gain take a left to the cross the River Mole over a narrow bridge. The road will curve to the north after the bridge and will become The Street, returning you to the start at Betchworth.

Richard gowerTrek, Trig Pillar, Surrey, England, Surrey HillsComment
Brighton Marathon

When: April 2nd 2023
Where: Brighton and Hove
Course: Road route from Preston Park to Hove Lawns, along the sea-front and some residential areas.
Start: Preston Park, Preston Road, Brighton and Hove, Brighton, BN1 6SD
Finish: Hove beach, Adelaide Crescent, Brighton and Hove, BN3 2JJ
Distance: 42.2 km (26.2 miles)
Elevation change: +285m / -385m. Net: -20m
Other routes touched (walk): Monarch’s Way, Mid Sussex Link, Newhaven-Brighton Clifftop Path
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2, 20
Finish time: 4:59
Links: Brighton Marathon, Brighton, Hove, Preston Park

This was my first Marathon distance in 7 years and the first road Marathon since for 12 years. I much prefer trail Ultras now but I still felt that I hadn’t had my fill of the Marathon distance. I was also weirdly not happy with having done 4 Marathons and wanted a rounder number. When my friend Mark messaged me a month before to say that Brighton had released some extra tickets, I didn’t have to think too much about it.

The only thing that I had to think a bit more about was my predicted finish time when was I completing the entry form. My previous road Marathons were 4:41, 4:27 and 4:51, with the tougher trail Beachy Head Marathon at 5:36. Given that several years had passed and not having enough time to train and rest, I knew that I would be slower. I wanted to get in within 5 hours so I put down 4:59 on the entry form. Mark did the same and we were entered into the Pink Wave.

During the race the first third felt good. The chilly start was just right for me and I kept just ahead of my planned pace all the way. For the second third Mark went off ahead but not too far and I could see him whenever there was a turnaround on an out-and-back section. I was still just ahead of the 4:30 pacers and feeling good that I might finish at around 4:40, averaging my previous road Marathon times.

By 16 miles I was starting to feel the heat. There were a lot of water stations and I poured a lot of water over my head to cool me down but I was definitely feeling it. At 17 miles the route took a small loop around Brunswick Square with a slight incline and I “hit the wall”. I wasn’t able to run up the hill so did a fast walk. This broke my pace and I found it difficult to getting running again. The next 6 miles were tough as the route went through residential sections of Hove away from the coast. I tried some run/walk sections but got cramp whenever I tried to run, so I stayed at a determined fast walk. In the meantime, the 4:40 and 4:45 have both overtaken me by the time the route returned to the sea-front.

With 2km to go I could see the 5 hour pacer getting closer and closer over my shoulder. I found some new energy and motivation and was able to get back up to a run. I crossed the finish line at 4:59:23, just 37 seconds within the 5 hour mark. My friend Mark had an amazing 1st Marathon, finishing over half an hour head of me and beating my Marathon PB by 2 minutes.

I loved the day despite the tough last 9 miles. It did confirm, though, that I trail Ultras are more my thing. Maybe I’ll do another Marathon in the future but it will need to be an epic one.

Richard gowerRun, Marathon, Coast, Sussex, EnglandComment
Chiltern Walks: Saunderton and Bradenham

Saunderton

Start & Finish: Saunderton Station Car Park, Saunderton, High Wycombe
Distance: 7.8 km (4.8 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 170m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): Chilterns Cycleway
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Red Lion Tea Room, Bradenham (2 km in), The Golden Cross, Saunderton (at end)
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Saunderton, Bradenham, Bradenham National Trust

This is part of a series of short circular walks in the Chilterns. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

For this walk we parked at Saunderton Station and took a right onto Slough Lane, ascending to the entrance to Nobles Farm. This is private property but you can follow the Public Right of Way along the drive until a footpath intersects it. Take a left onto the path and descend the hill to the A4010 Wycombe Road.

Carefully cross over the A4010 to the Red Lion Pub. This is now a tea room and a great place to stop for a rest. Walk up Bradenham Wood Lane until the start of the cricket green then take the path that leads around the south-eastern side of Bradenham Manor. Various paths will lead off the the east, but keep on the western trail until it leads you back to Bradenham Wood Lane. Cross over the road and continue heading west through Bradenham Woods.

Follow paths around the northern edge of the woods where you’ll see the perimeter of RAF High Wycombe. There’s a lot of different paths through this wood so a GPX file or OS map are essential to keep you on track. After 6 km take a sharp right at a footpath junction to start descending, first through the woods, then a field that leads down to Smalldean Lane. Follow the path at the north-western edge of Smalldean Lane towards the south-west and exit the field onto Smalldean Lane behind The Residence (an old office building since converted into apartments).

Cross over the A4010 onto Slough Lane and back to the start at Saunderton Station.

Richard gowerTrek, Chilterns, National Trust, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Walking The Greensand Way Part 13 - Brockham and Betchworth

St Michael’s Church, Betchworth

Start & Finish: St Michael's Church, The Street, Betchworth, RH3 7DN
Distance: 10.4 km (6.5 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 149m
Greensand Way section covered: Punchbowl Lane to St Michael’s Church, Betchworth: 3.9 km
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Box Hill Hike
Other routes touched (cycle): Surrey Cycleway
Pubs / Cafes on route: Cafe at Hillier Garden Centre (4.9 km in), The Royal Oak Brockham or The Grumpy Mole, Brockham (both 9.1 km in)
Map: Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate Map | Leatherhead & Caterham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 146
Links: National Trust Box Hill, Betchworth Quarry and Lime Kilns, Betchworth, Brockham, Dorking, River Mole

This is the thirteenth of a series of short circular walks featuring the Greensand Way. The full trail is a long distance path stretching from Haslemere in Surrey to Ham Street in Kent. Our walks take in short sections of the Greensand Way and loop back to the start on other paths. The Greensand Way is well sign posted however you’ll need a map or GPX route to keep on track for the return sections of the loops. The guidance below will help but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide.

For this section we parked at St Michael’s Church in Betchworth and followed the path that heads north out of the village. Initially the path runs parallel to The Street, the road that runs through the village, then curves away to the north-west. Cross over the Old Reigate Road and keep to the path that runs to the left (west) of the Post Office. Keeping on the path you’ll (carefully) cross over the busy A25 Reigate Road, over a bridge crossing the railway line, then a steady ascent up to Brockham Quarry Woods. As soon as you enter the woods take a sharp left onto a path that runs in a westerly direction along the base of the woods. This takes you through the remains of the old Lime Works with some interesting information signs telling the history of them.

Continue heading west for just over 2km until you reach Boxhill Road. Take a left onto the road, now heading south for 1 km to Hillier Garden Centre and the A25. Carefully cross over the A25 following the small road towards the Golf Club. Before the Golf Club Car park take a right onto a footpath that runs along the north side of the Golf Club buildings and into woodland. After approximately 1 km you’ll reach Punchbowl Lane where you’ll take a left onto the lane heading south.

Shortly down Punchbowl Lane you’ll pick up again on the route of the Greensand Way and you can follow the GSW signs all the way back to St Michael’s Church in Betchworth. At around 9 km into the walk you’ll pass through the pretty village of Brockham where there’s pubs on route for a rest before the final 1.5 km back to the start.

Richard gowerTrek, Surrey, Railway, England, National Trust, Surrey HillsComment
Walking The North Downs Way Part 4 - Ranmore Common to Betchworth

View over Denbies Vinyard and across to Dorking

Start: Ranmore Common East Car Park, Wotton, Dorking, RH5 6SR
Finish: Betchworth Station, Betchworth RH3 7BZ
Distance: 10 km (6.2 miles)
Elevation change: +192m / -292m. Net -100m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Ranmore SCC Circular, Mole Gap Trail, Leith Hill Greenway, NT Stepping Stone Path, The Box Hill Hike
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2, 22, Surrey Cycleway
Pubs / Cafes on route: None directly on route, but just off are: Denbies Vinyard (3.5 km in), National Trust Boxhill (6 km in), Smith & Western (6.7 km in)
Map: Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate Map | Leatherhead & Caterham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 146
Guidebook: The North Downs Way National Trail from Farnham to Dover (Cicerone)
Links: Ranmore Common, Denbies Vinyard, National Trust Stepping Stones, National Trust Box Hill, Betchworth Quarry and Lime Kilns, Betchworth

This is the fourth of a series of short point-to-point walks along the North Downs Way. The full trail is a long distance path stretching from Farnham in Surrey to Dover in Kent. Our walks took in short sections of 10 km to 13 km which we did with a friend over the course of a couple of years when our schedules coincided. The North Downs Way is well sign-posted however I highly recommend taking a map or GPX route to keep you on track. The Cicerone book on the trail is a great guide to the points of interest along the way.

For this section we left one car at the National Trust Car Park at Ranmore Common and another at the end near Betchworth Station. Although there’s no parking at the station itself there’s room for several cars at the start of The Quarry (road) to the north of the station.

From the Ranmore Common Car Park return to the North Downs Way at the viewpoint and take a left heading east then a left to follow the path that crosses over the Ranmore Road and onto the road called North Downs Way. Continue in a north easterly direction, passing St Barnabas Church. Shortly after the junction with Ranmore Common Road, take a right off the road and onto an unnamed farm road. Continue following the North Downs Way as it snakes around Denbies Vinyard, descending to the A24.

The A24 is a very busy dual carriageway connecting Dorking to Leatherhead and the M25. The safest route is to follow the path along the A24 north for 500m, cross under the subway at Westhumble and return south on the other side. We skipped this additional 1km by crossing straight over the road, pausing on the central grass verge. Be VERY careful if you do this though as cars and motorcycles pass by very quickly.

Once over the A24 the trail passes into the National Trust areas of Box Hill. The trail passes straight over the Stepping Stones that cross the River Mole. This is great in dry summer months but we were there in March after heavy rain and the stones were completely submerged. When the stones are inpassable you can cross over a bridge to the north of the stones. Once on the north side of the River Mole continue along the North Downs Way in an easterly direction along the south side of Box Hill. Some sections here are pretty steep so take it slow. If you need a break here you can divert from the trail at the top of Box Hill to the National Trust Visitors’ Centre and café.

The final 2 km is a more gentle descent from Box Hill Village. Here you can see the remains of Betchworth Quarry and Lime Kilns to the south of the path. When you reach Station Road you’ll be at the end of this section of the North Downs Way. Betchworth Station is 350m to the south of trail.

Richard gowerTrek, National Trust, National Trails, Surrey, England, Surrey HillsComment
Windsor Home Park Circular Walk

Approaching Windsor Castle on the Long Walk

Start & Finish: Windsor & Eton Bridge, Thames Street, Windsor SL4 1PX
Distance: 9 km (5.6 miles)
Elevation change: + / - 42 m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Thames Path
Other routes touched (cycle): N/A
Pubs / Cafes on route: Coffee Shop at Windsor Farm Shop (5.4 km in), many in Windsor Town Centre
Map: OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell
Links: Windsor, Windsor Home Park, Datchet, The Long Walk

This is part of a series of short circular walks containing the Thames Path National Trail. This one connects the 4th section of the Thames Path and Jubilee River series with the Runnymede and Old Windsor Circular. It’s also a great circuit of the perimeter of Windsor Castle and Home Park.

The walk starts at Windsor and Eton Bridge near Windsor Town Centre and follows the Thames Path in a north-easterly direction on the south side of the river. The first 1.3 km follows a path between the river and the railway line to Staines, passing Romney Lock. After the bridge that takes the rail line across the river the path follows the edge of the public part of Home Park. Continue following the river until Victoria Bridge. This is as far as you can go on the south side as Home Park becomes the private gardens of Windsor Castle the on other side of Victoria Bridge.

Cross over Victoria Bridge and take the path on the right to follow the Thames on the northern side. Here you’ll be able to see into the private areas of Home Park on the opposite side. The Thames Path joins the B470 after Datchet Golf Club and follows it for 130 metres, before briefly returning to the banks of the Thames for a short section to Albert Bridge. Cross Over Albert Bridge and follow the B3021 until the Old Windsor Roundabout. The Windsor Farm Shop is a good place to stop for a rest at this point.

At the Old Windsor Roundabout take a right and follow the A308 for 130 metres until you reach the Long Walk. Take a right onto the Long Walk to follow it all the way to the end at the castle. Here you’ll get great views of the castle ahead of you, the rest of the long walk behind you and the Frogmore Estate to the right.

At the end of the Long Walk, take a left onto Park Street, and continue onto High Street and Thames Street all the way back to the start at the Thames.

Richard gowerTrek, Thames, Windsor, Berkshire, EnglandComment
Walking The Pirbright Circular and Brookwood Cemetery

Brookwood Cemetery: graves along the route of the old Necropolis Railway

This was a two-for-one trip for us to walk the Pirbright Circular and visit the disused railway station at Brookwood. Both are distinct and interesting destinations in their own right and can be easily combined into a same-day trip.

The Pirbright Circular

Start / Finish: Pirbright Village Green, Ave De Cagny, Pirbright, Woking GU24 0JE
Distance: 6.6 km (4.1 miles)
Elevation Change: +/- 45m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): None
Cafe / pub on route: Around Pirbright Green: The Cricketers on the Green, White Hart Pirbright
Map: Guildford & Farnham Map | Godalming & Farnborough | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 145
Links: Pirbright, Surrey CC Pirbright Circular Leaflet

This is an easy, scenic walk around the boundary of the village of Pirbright. This was our latest walk in the Explore Surrey series whose website is a rich source of information about getting out and about in the county. As with all of their routes, their PDFs have all the details so I won’t cover them again here.

If you’re arriving by train to Brookwood Station it’s a 2 km walk to Pirbright Green around the outside of the cemetary. An alternative route is to enter the cemetery from the entrance on the south side of the train station and walk through the cemetery to Pirbright Green.

Brookwood Cemetery and The Necropolis Railway

Visiting the disused station at Brookwood Cemetery had been on my list for a while having watched the 2 YouTube videos embedded below. I recommend watching them both to understand more about the Cemetery and the Necropolis Railway before you go.

The best way to track down the old railway and station is to arrive by train to Brookwood Station from Waterloo. We were short on time and coming from outside of London so arrived by car and parked just inside the main gates at the entrance to the southern side of the cemetery off Cemetary Pales road. From here you can follow the path of the old railway as it curves to the south-east.

When we arrived at the old South Station, now part of a monastery, we met a monk and his dog taking the bins out. It seemed like he was quite familiar with people visiting the old station and gave us a bit of the history.

More on the railway: Wikipedia, Brookwood Cemetery Society

Richard gowerTrek, Disused Railway, Surrey, EnglandComment
Gran Canaria: Then and Now

Five years ago Timea and I visited Tenerife for our February end-of-winter getaway. One of the highlights was recreating some of the old photos from when I used to visit there with my family when I was growing up. Here’s the results. Five years later we booked Gran Canaria for our winter break and decided to do the same.

We went to Tenerife a lot as a family in the ‘80s as my parents shared an apartment there with my dad’s business partner and his family. We only went to Gran Canaria once and I’m guessing that it was 1983 when I was 7, going on 8. That would put it at exactly 40 years before I returned with Timea. I only had one memory of the inside of the hotel that we stayed in, plus a small collections of scanned in photos.

Flight to Gran Canaria

1983: Small boy, big window

2023: Big boy, small window

Hotel Paraiso Maspalomas

Coming back to Maspalomas after 40 years I assumed that the hotel that we stayed in might not still be there. As it turned out there’s a lot of very old hotels in the resort, mixed with some very modern luxury ones. After having a walk down the sea-front and not finding it, we decided to ask one of the older gentlemen who worked on reception at the hotel where we were staying. As it turned out he knew it well and actually worked there in the ‘80s, maybe at the time I was there before. He pin pointed it on a map for us and we visited there a few days later.

When we drove towards it the white and yellow curved balconies were obvious. Very little had changed since 1983 and much of the décor probably hasn’t been updated since then. The major difference is that it’s now a private apartment block rather than a hotel.

1983: View to the hotel rooms from the pool

2023: Same view. Rooms are now private apartments

1983: Dad looking out to the pool bar from our hotel room

2023: Pointing at the approximate location of the original room

1983: The big atrium inside the hotel

2023

1983: Me and Lisa (sister) in the atrium

2023

1983: In the pool

2023: Slightly pained expression due to sun in my eyes

1983: Me and dad in the pool

2023

1983: Me with my Nintendo Game and Watch. Likely Super Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong

2023: Nintendo replaced by iPhone. You can’t see it but I have the original photo (left) on the iPhone screen

1983: The water slide between the pools

2023: Slides barred off, presumably due to a health and safety incident

Barranco de Guayadeque

Apart from the hotel the other batch of old photos that I had were from a ravine where we went on a donkey safari. The only clue that I had was one photo displaying a sign for Bar Vega. I looked it up on Google Maps and it’s still there, although now called Restaurante Vega. The roads have had an upgrade in the past 40 years and it now takes only 35 minutes to get there from Maspalomas.

The ravine is famous for its cave dwellings where people have lived in the rocks for 100s of years. As we drove up the ravine road I remembered walking along a path past some of the cave houses. The road is only passable to tourist traffic until the restaurants, after which it continues as a narrower local road further up into the mountains.

Our first stop was Bar Vega where we easily found the spot from the original photo. We stayed there for lunch and showed the hold photos to the son of the owner. They told us that the other bar photos that we had were from the Restaurant La Era next door so we visited that too. The owner of La Era was very excited to see the old photos as asked to send her copied. She also told us about the Donkey Safari which we did in the ‘80s but no no longer operates.

1983: Bar Vega overlooking the Barranco (ravine) de Guyadeque

2023: Same view, same bar

1983: Restaurante La Era, next to Bar Vega

2023: Restaurante La Era. Original table and music area is now a bar

1983: Restaurante La Era overlooking the ravine

2023: Same spot - notice the stone pillar behind me

1983: overlooking the terraces just down the hill from the restaurants

2023: Old stone wall replace by a fence

Here’s a great clip from the 1980s travel show Wish You Were Here? featuring Playa del Ingles. I remember watching this show when I was growing up and it’s likely that we would have seen this clip before we went to Gran Canaria in 1983.

Playa del Ingles is the older part of a now continuous resort that includes the towns of San Agustín, San Fernando and Meloneras and is most commonly referred to as Maspalomas. For our return trip in 2023 we stayed in a newer hotel near the Dunes. We walked the 2 km to the centre of Playa del Ingles to find it looking much the same as in the Wish You Were Here? clip. The old hotels and bars are still there and still as tacky as you’d expect.

Don’t get put off though as the newer developments to the west are much nicer. We’re definitely not into beach holidays but found Maspolomas to be a great location for exploring the island by car. You can access most of the island within an hour’s drive.

Richard gowerSpain, Canary Islands, FamilyComment
Roque Nublo and Pico de las Nieves, Gran Canaria

Ascent to Roque Nublo from La Goleta

While we were in Gran Canaria for a short winter break we escaped the coast for a day to head into the mountains. Our main destination was the high-point of the island, but there’s a lot of interesting places to stop along the way. As Camino enthusiasts we would have loved to have walked the 67 km Camino de Gran Canaria from Maspolomas to Galdar, but this was a relaxing holiday rather than an adventure. We got to see some of the Camino though as the road to the island high-point runs parallel to the southern half of the walking route. The Camino starts at the Faro (lighthouse) in Meloneras on the western side of Maspolomas and we had already visited it after a walk across the dunes on our first day.

For our roadtrip to the high-point we took the GC-60 north out of Maspolomas. There’s a few interesting places to stop along the way:

  • Mirador Astronómico de la Degollada de las Yeguas. 12km out from Maspolomas, this is a viewpoint with amazing view both back to the coast and of the Barranco de Fataga. It is situated at an altitude of 1,480 meters, making it one of the best places on the island to observe the stars and the night sky.

  • Necrópolis de Arteara. 16km out from Maspolomas, this is an ancient burial site considered one of the most important pre-Hispanic archaeological sites in the Canary Islands. The site consists of over 900 tombs that were used by the Guanches, the aboriginal people of the Canary Islands. The tombs are arranged in a circular pattern and are made of stone slabs and boulders.

  • San Bartolomé de Tirajana. 16km out from Maspolomas, this is a pretty village in the mountains that’s a great place to stop for lunch on the trip. Don’t miss the Tunte Catholic Church (Iglesia San Bartolomé), a natural stop on the Camino route.

Roque Nublo

Start / Finish: Roque Nublo Trailhead, GC-600, 35299 San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Las Palmas
Distance: 3.1 km (1.9 miles)
Elevation Change: +/- 151m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): Route is along the S-70. Crosses the S-51 at the trailhead
Cafe / pub on route: Food van at trailhead by the road.
Map: Gran Canaria Tour and Trail Super-Durable Map
Guidebook: Walking on Gran Canaria: 45 day walks including five days on the GR131 coast-to-coast route (Cicerone Walking Guides)
Links: Roque Nublo, Tejeda

42 km out from Maspolomas, this is a famous volcanic rock formation located in the centre of the island. It stands at an impressive height of 80 meters and is a popular attraction for visitors to the island. Roque Nublo is a volcanic formation that dates back millions of years and is considered a sacred site by the aboriginal people of the Canary Islands, the Guanches.

The top Roque Nublo is the third altitude of the island of Gran Canaria, although accessing the summit requires rock climbing. For the rest of us the 2 mile oute-and-back walk from the parking spot on the GC600 is spectacular enough.

Pico de las Nieves

Also known as: Los Pechos
Significance: 2nd highest peak on Gran Canaria
Elevation: 1,951m
Date “climbed”: 20th February 2023
Coordinates: 27° 57' 43'' N, 15° 34' 18'' W

Start / Finish: Parking at Pico de los Pozos viewpoint, 35299 Gran Canaria
Distance: 0.1 km (0.1 miles)
Elevation Change: +/- 2m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): S-20, S-37 and S-50
Cafe / pub on route: Food van in car-park.
Map: Gran Canaria Tour and Trail Super-Durable Map
Guidebook: Walking on Gran Canaria: 45 day walks including five days on the GR131 coast-to-coast route (Cicerone Walking Guides)
Links: Pico de las Nieves, Morro de la Agujereada, Province of Las Palmas, Peakbagger: Pico de las Nieves

50 km out from Maspolomas, Pico de las Nieves was the main attraction for our day in the mountains. The summit was considered the highest peak on the island, and it was the high point that I found on my initial research about the island. It’s actually the 2nd highest peak of Gran Canaria, behind the neighboring Morro de la Agujereada (at 1,956m).

You can access the summit as a quick drive-by as there’s a road to a car-park very close to the top. From the car-park it’s a short climb up some steps to the stone pillar that marks the summit.

When you look across to Morro de la Agujereada it’s a wonder how anyone would have thought that Pico de las Nieves was higher. As much as I would have loved to have summited the real high point, it’s another one, like Roque Nublo, for the rock climbers.

To return to Maspolomas by car from Pico de las Nieves, continue east along the GC-130 then take the GC-120 from Cazadores towards the Airport. Take the GC-1 south to Maspolomas. Total driving time approx 1 hour.

Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Canary Islands, Spain, Island High PointsComment
Walking The Ebury Way Disused Railway

The River Chess at the end of the Ebury Way at Rickmansworth. The hotel in the centre is the site of the old Rickmansworth Church Street Station.

Start: Watford Junction Station, Station Rd, Watford WD17 1EU
Finish: Premier Inn Rickmansworth Hotel, Batchworth Lock House, Rickmansworth, WD3 1JB
Distance: 8.8 km (5.5 miles)
Elevation change: +39m / -61m. Net -22m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Abbey Line Trail, Croxley Green Boundary Walk, Grand Union Canal Towpath
Other routes touched (cycle): Colne Valley Cycle Route, Abbey Way, NCN 6, 61
London Coal Duty Posts: 45, 46
Pubs / Cafes on route: Many in Watford and Rickmansworth. On route: café in the Oxhey Activity Park at 3 km in.
Maps:
- London North Map | The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 173
- Chiltern Hills East Map | High Wycombe, Maidenshead & Rickmansworth | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 172
Links: Watford, Watford Junction Station, London Orphan Asylum, River Colne, Ebury Way, Croxley Common Moor, Rickmansworth

The Ebury Way is a walking and cycle path that runs along the course of the old Watford to Rickmansworth branch line. I have cycled it many times as a part of longer trips but it’s a short trail and it always went by too quickly to fully appreciate it. Having recently completed the Abbey Line Trail from St Albans to Watford Junction, it felt right to continue the rail-themed walk to Rickmansworth via the route of the old line.

Source; Wikipedia - creator Cnbrb

The original rail line followed the current route of the Overground service to Watford High Street Station but then continued to the south-west and split into 2 branches, one to the old Croxley Green Station and the other to Rickmansworth. The route branched again with a short section diverting north to Croxley Mills goods station. There’s an image on the Wikipedia page for the Watford & Rickmansworth Railway that shows the different routes.

The start of the Ebury Way is in Riverside Park just south of the old split to Croxley Green Station. It’s impractical, and not a scenic walk, to follow the old rail route to here from either Watford Junction or Watford High Street stations. A better walk is to follow the route of the Abbey Way / NCN 6,61 cycle route that follows the River Colne. From Watford Junction station you can get to this route by retracing the last 1 km of the Abbey Line Trail down Orphanage Road, Radlett Road and Link Road to Radlett Road Playing Fields. From here you can follow the cycle route to the south.

There’s a few things to look out for on this first section of the walk through Watford. At 1.6 km (1 mile) in, just after the huge brick rail bridge crossing the River Colne you can find a great example of one of the old London Coal Duty Posts. This one is a large stone obelisk, originally positioned on the opposite side of the river but repaired and moved to its current position in 1984.

After the Coal Duty Post Obelisk you’ll be in Waterfields Recreation Ground. At the point where the Colne takes a curve to the left you’ll see a metal sculpture of a man about to dive into a pool. The inscription reads: “In the early 1900’s this was the site of a fresh water Lido, an outdoor swimming pool where Watfordonians could dive and swim in the River Colne”. I hope that the river was a lot cleaner then as I wouldn’t want to get into it now.

After another 200m and after crossing under the A411 you’ll cross over Water’s Lane where there’s a similar sculpture, this time of a man leaning out of a window holding a net. The inscription on this one reads: “In the 1900’s houses on this lane were continuously flooded with stories of locals climbing in through their upstairs window from boats. This is how Water Lane got its name”.

As you cross over Water Lane look to the left across the bridge over the River Colne to see another Coal Duty Post, this one is a good example of the distinctive and more common white Type 2 cast iron posts.

For the next kilometer you’ll pass through the retails parks of the east side of Watford. There’s not much to see here until you cross under the large curved viaduct that carries the Overground from Watford High Street to Bushey. After the viaduct you’ll cross over Thomas Sawyer Way, into Oxhey Activity Park and back to the River Colne.

Follow the National Cycle Route 6/61 in an westerly direction next to the River Colne through Oxhey Activity Park, over the A4178 into Riverside Recreation Ground and then into Riverside Park. The route curves through Riverside Park before connecting with the route of the old railway. An Ebury Way Information Board and a Millennium National Cycle Network sign mark the official start of the Ebury Way. You’ll now be 4 km into the walk from Watford Junction station.

Navigation along the Ebury Way is as simple as you would expect from a disused railway and there’s regular signposts along the way. We noticed a lot of litter on the route which spoilt an otherwise pleasant trail.

After 2 km on the rail route (6 km from Watford Junction) you’ll reach the western edge of Croxley Common Moor, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Local Nature Reserve (LNR). This is also the point where the branch line to Croxley Mills split off from the Watford to Rickmansworth line. If you pass through the kissing gate into the common you can see the a footpath along the western side of the common that follows the route of the old track.

Continuing along the Ebury Way you’ll have uninspiring light-industrial buildings on your left and Croxley Common Moor on your right. At the eastern end of the moor you’ll pass under the railway bridge that carries the Metropolitan Line between Moor Park and Rickmansworth.

The final 1.5 km, after the railway bridge passes through a series of fishing lakes, and over the Grand Union Canal. The Ebury Way ends with another information board before crossing a bridge over the River Chess. This is a nice spot with barges and quirky moorings. Beyond the barges you’ll see the Premier Inn which is built on the site of the old Rickmansworth Church Street Station.

More Disused Railway Posts

Richard gowerTrek, Railway, Disused Railway, Colne Valley, Hertfordshire, EnglandComment
Walking The Abbey Line Trail

Ver Valley Meadows

The Abbey Line is a 10 km railway branch line connecting St Albans and Watford in Hertfordshire. The Abbey Line Trail follows the route through local countryside following quiet paths in an otherwise busy area. There’s 5 local stations between the start and end points giving several options to break up the walk into smaller sections.

The whole Abbey Line walking route is 15 km and would be a good 1 day hike in good weather. We did it in the winter and broke it up into 2 sections of around 8.5 km using Bricket Wood Station to access the start & end points.

As well as being a good spot to cut the trail in half, Bricket Wood also marks the end of the River Ver Trail. If you have already completed the River Ver Trail you could skip the first section and complete the Abbey Line from Bricket Wood to Watford Junction.

If you are using the train to return to the start point of your walks, be careful to check the timetable. Trains were running once an hour when we walked it and we missed one by a minute.

Section 1: St Albans Abbey Station to Bricket Wood

Start: St Albans Abbey Station, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 2AY
Finish: Bricket Wood Station, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3PE
Distance: 8.6 km (5.3 miles)
Elevation change: +43m / -45m. Net -2m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): River Ver Trail,
Other routes touched (cycle): The Alban Way, NCN 6, 61
Pubs / Cafes on route: Many in St. Albans, The Overdraft in Park Street (4 km in), Moor Mill Beefeater (6k in), The Gate pub is near the end of the route at Bricket Wood
Map: OS Explorer Map (182) St. Albans and Hatfield
Links: St Albans, St Albans Abbey Station, The Abbey Line, Abbey Line Community Partnership, Park Street, How Wood, Bricket Wood, Bricket Wood Station

 

The start of the Abbey Line at St Albans City Station will be familiar if you’ve done other walks in the area. This is also the end of the Alban Way, a disused rail line, now a walking and cycle path, that connected St Albans to Hatfield. Verulamium Park opposite also marks the start of the final section of the River Ver Trail connecting Kensworth with Bricket Wood.

When planning this trip my first thought was to skip the first section and start at Bricket Wood. The Abbey Line Trail follows the same route as the River Ver Trail for this first section and I initially wasn’t keen to do it again. However, my River Ver walk was an overnight Summer Solstice trip and much of it was in the dark so I decided to re-walk the section in better light. It’s a very pretty and interesting walk so I’m glad I did it again to take in the parts I missed the first time.

From St Albans Abbey Station the trail takes a right to follow the busy Holywell Hill road towards the city centre. After less than 100m you reach the bridge over the River Ver and can take a right onto the river-side footpath on the south side of the river. From here navigation is straightforward as the trail follows close to the river and is well-signed with either Abbey Line Trail or River Ver Trail stickers.

After 1km you’ll pass under the old railway bridge that carries the Alban Way over the River Ver before the old line takes a curve into St Albans City Station.

After 3km the trail passes under the A414 North Orbital Road and through the Ver Valley Meadows. Be careful here as the meadows can be very wet and you might, as we did, have to stay close to the eastern edge of the field to keep dry.

After the Ver Valley Meadows the trail joins the A5183 between Park Street and How Wood. This gives you your first chance to cut the trip into a shorter section and return by train. Unless the weather is really bad or you’re up for a very short trip, it’s worth continuing though. As you walk down the A5183 keep an eye out on the left hand side to see the remains of an embankment where a the Park Street Branch Line went over the road. This was a short section of track that connected the Abbey Line with the Borehamwood to Harpenden line connecting at Napsbury. Another clue to this old track is in the name of Branch Road which you’ll pass on the right before the next bridge over the Ver.

When you reach the bridge over the Ver leave the A5183 and take a right to follow the footpath on the south side of the river. Continue following the trail, passing under the M25 around 1 km later. About 1.5km from the M25 tunnel you’ll reach a bend in Drop Lane as it diverts north away from the River Ver. This marks the end of this first section of the Abbey Line Trail and the end of the River Ver Trail. Continue up Drop Lane for an extra 1km to reach Bricket Wood Station for the return trip back to St Albans Abbey.

Section 2: Bricket Wood to Watford Junction Station

Start: Bricket Wood Station, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 3PE
Finish: Watford Junction Station, Station Rd, Watford WD17 1EU
Distance: 8.3 km (5.2 miles)
Elevation change: +46m / -56m. Net -10m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): River Ver Trail, Hertfordshire Way,
Other routes touched (cycle): Colne Valley Cycle Route, NCN 6, 61
Pubs / Cafes on route: Many in Watford
Maps:
- St Albans & Hatfield Map | Hemel Hempstead & Welwyn Garden City | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 182
- London North Map | The City, West End, Enfield, Ealing, Harrow & Watford | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 173
Links: Bricket Wood, Bricket Wood Station, Munsden House, Munsden Estate, London Orphan Asylum, Watford, Watford Junction Station

 

From Bricket Wood Station cross over Station Road and follow Drop Lane back to the Abbey Line Trail at the River Ver. At the bend, take a right to follow the path on the right along the Ver in a south-westerly direction. You’ll reach the confluence with the River Colne and the end of the Ver. The rest of the Abbey Line Trail follows closely to the River Colne until Radlett Playing fields in Watford before taking a sharp turn up to Watford Junction Station.

Navigation is as straightforward as Section 1. The main thing that you need to look out for is where the tail takes a sharp right away from the Colne just after the confluence with the Ver. This takes you across the field and up a small hill where it takes a left to follow the direction of the Colne at a higher elevation.

Much of the first half of this section is through the grounds of the Munsden Estate. It’s a well-maintained private estate with several trails crossing it. As you traverse it you’ll start to see the taller buildings of Watford in the distance. After the estate you’ll cross over the M1 on a bridge then over the busy A41 Colne Way. We were able to cross straight over the A41 in a gap in traffic. Be careful though as it’s a very busy road so it’s safer to cross at the lights just to the north-west.

After the A41 the trail follows the Colne through the outskirts of Watford passing though Knutsford Playing fields. You can keep to the water’s edge here but it can be muddy after wet weather so an alternative is to walk through the middle of the playing fields or along Radlett Road.

Once you get to the bridge over the Colne at Link Road you’ll leave the Colne to head uphill to Watford Junction Station via Orphanage Road. Look out for buildings of the former London Orphan Asylum on the right of the road. These are now private homes.

The trail ends at Watford Junction Station where you can catch the train back to St Albans. If you’re not ready to finish walking, you can pick up the Ebury Way, a disused rail line that connected Watford Junction to Rickmansworth.

Richard gowerTrek, Railway, Disused Railway, Colne Valley, Hertfordshire, EnglandComment
Walking The North Downs Way Part 3 - Newlands Corner to Ranmore Common

Along the ridge between Sheer and Ranmore

Start: Newlands Corner Car Park, A25 Shere Road, Newland's Corner, Albury, GU4 8S
Finish: Ranmore Common East Car Park, Wotton, Dorking, RH5 6SR
Distance: 11.6 km (7.2 miles)
Elevation change: +128m / -107m. Net -21m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Fox Way, Prospects of Polesden, Ranmore SCC Circular
Other routes touched (cycle): Surrey Cycleway
Trig Pillar: TP2924 - Dunley Wood (just off the NDW route)
Pubs / Cafes on route: Newlands Corner Cafe at the end, plus Cafe CARB UP AND GO (mobile cafe) at Shere Woodlands Staple Lane Car Park (3 km in)
Map: Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate Map | Leatherhead & Caterham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 146
Guidebook: The North Downs Way National Trail from Farnham to Dover (Cicerone)
Links: Newlands Corner, The Optohedron, National Trust Abinger Roughs and Netley Park, Outer London Defence Ring, National Trust Denbies Hillside, Ranmore Common

This is the third of a series of short point-to-point walks along the North Downs Way. The full trail is a long distance path stretching from Farnham in Surrey to Dover in Kent. Our walks took in short sections of 10 km to 13 km which we did with a friend over the course of a couple of years when our schedules coincided. The North Downs Way is well sign-posted however I highly recommend taking a map or GPX route to keep you on track. The Cicerone book on the trail is a great guide to the points of interest along the way.

For this section we left one car at Newlands Corner and the other at the National Trust Car Park at Ranmore Common. Heading east from Newlands Corner, this section follows a relatively flat and straight route to Ranmore.

The first point of interest is a wood-and-metal sculpture called The Optohedron by Will Nash, part of a series of outdoor works of art in the Surrey Hills. Several more examples of these works can be found on our Greensand Way walks. Moving east there’s several large circular stone tanks that obviously had a use in the past but have now been abandoned. Comment below if you know what they are.

The main features of this part of the walk are the WW2 Pillboxes that formed part of the Outer London Defence Ring. This was one of the Stop Lines built to defend against German invasion and, thankfully, never used. Of the 8 that we counted along the walk, one is well maintained by the National Trust and you can easily get inside. The final one to the east of the walk is a great place to stand on the roof and get a view over the valley to Dorking.

For OS Trig Pillar collectors the Dunley Wood Trig is a short diversion from the route at 8 km in. Alternatively you can bag it on a 1 km circular walk from White Down Car Park which is on the short drive between the start and end points of this section.

If you fancy a longer walk for this section an alternative stopping place is Denbies Vinyard, 2km further along. For today we were happy with stopping at Ranmore and taking in the view before heading back.

The National Trust Sections

The Pillboxes

Richard gowerTrek, National Trust, National Trails, Surrey, England, Surrey HillsComment
Bushey Heath: Middlesex County Top & London Borough of Harrow High Point

Significance: Highest "peak" in Middlesex (Traditional CT), High Point of London Borough of Harrow
Member of: London Borough High Points
Parent Peak: Haddington Hill. NHN = Pavis Wood
Elevation (Bushey Heath): 155m, (Bushey Heath-Boundary): 153m
Date “climbed”: 13th May 2013 and 21st January 2023
Coordinates (Bushey Heath): 51° 37' 56'' N, 0° 20' 18'' W
Coordinates (Bushey Heath-Boundary): 51° 37' 52'' N, 0° 20' 10'' W
Nearest Station: Bushey (Overground, West Midland Trains): 4 km
On route of: On route of: N/A. The London Loop is 0.7 km to the south-east
Map: OS Explorer 173 London North and OS Explorer 172 Chiltern Hills East
Guidebooks: The UK's County Tops, Jonny Muir, Walking the County High Points of England, David Bathurst
Links:
- Wikipedia: Middlesex, Harrow, Bushey
- Peakbagger: Bushey Heath, Bushey Heath Boundary
- Hillbagger: Bushey Heath, Bushey Heath Boundary

My first visit to the Bushey Heath high point was in May 2013 in the early days of my County Top adventures. Knowing that this would be a boring destination I made a more interesting trip of it by cycling there along the Ebury Way from Rickmansworth. I found the point noted in Jonny Muir’s book, took a photo and considered it “bagged”. Or so I thought …

As it turned out, to fully tick the box of visiting the high point of both the Historic County of Middlesex and the London Borough of Harrow you need to also go a bit further to the North-West. The historic boundary of Hertfordshire and Middlesex is marked by a boundary stone on the A4140 opposite the Windmill Harvester. In 1965 this became the boundary of Hertfordshire and Harrow. In 1993 the Herts/Harrow boundary was moved to its current position running along Common Road / Magpie Hall Road.

So, nearly 10 years after my original visit to Bushey Heath, I returned to visit the old boundary stone to properly bag the high point.

Greater London Borough High Points formerly within Middlesex

Richard gowerUK County Tops, London, Middlesex, London Borough High Point, EnglandComment
Chiltern Walks: Piddington and Wheeler End

Farm near Piddington

Start & Finish: The Dashwood Roadhouse, Old Oxford Road, Piddington, Bucks, HP14 3BH
Distance: 8.5 km (5.3 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 145m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): Chilterns Cycleway
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Dashwood Roadhouse at the start and end
Map:
- OS Explorer Map (171) Chiltern Hills West, Henley-on-Thames and Wallingford
- OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East
Links: Piddington, Wheeler End

This is part of a series of short circular walks in the Chilterns. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.

For this walk we parked outside the Dashwood Roadhouse, formerly the Dashwood Arms. The pub is on the Old Oxford Road which runs parallel to the A40. There’s plenty of free parking spaces outside of the pub. From the pub we took a left then a left again onto Chipps Hill and a right onto a track that runs parallel to the A40 in a westerly direction. Keep heading west through Dell’s Wood until you get to a path junctions just before Bigmore Lane at 2.3 km.

Take a left at the path junction and climb up through the woods to reach some farm buildings. Continue heading south through fields then through woods as the path curves round to the east. Continue heading east through Wheeler End Common and Denham Wood. You’ll be close to the M40 here and there’s always a hum of traffic in the distance but not as loud as you might expect based on the map.

After Denham wood, the route curves up towards the north, reaching Bullock Farm Lane. Cross over the lane and descend through the woods and a field back to Piddington and the start point at the Dashwood Roadhouse.

Richard gowerTrek, Chilterns, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Whitehorse Hill: Present-Day Oxfordshire County Top

At the top of the White Horse

Significance: Highest peak in the present-day county of Oxfordshire
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Walbury Hill, NHN = Liddington Hill
Historic County: Berkshire (of which Walbury Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 261m
Date “climbed”: January 8th 2023
Coordinates: 51° 34' 31'' N, 1° 34' 0'' W
Map: Vale of White Horse Map | Abingdon-on-Thames, Wantage, Wallingford & Faringdon | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 170
Links: Wikipedia (Oxfordshire), Peakbagger, Hillbagger

Whitehorse Hill, also referred to as White Horse Hill is the highest point in the Present-Day or Ceremonial County of Oxfordshire. It’s not the Historic County Top though as that’s Bald Hill near Christmas Common in the Chilterns. Whitehorse Hill was originally in the Historic County of Berkshire before the boundary changes that formed the Ceremonial Counties. Compared with Bald Hill which has nothing to mark the summit, Whitehorse is a much more satisfying walk.

National Trust Short Walk

Start & Finish: National Trust White Horse Hill Car Park, Faringdon, SN7 (Free to National Trust members)
Distance: 2.5 km (1.6 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 50m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): White Horse Hill Circular
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: Vale of White Horse Map | Abingdon-on-Thames, Wantage, Wallingford & Faringdon | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 170
Links: Uffington Castle, White Horse and Dragon Hill (English Heritage), White Horse Hill (National Trust), White Horse Hill Circular Walk

We had originally planned to walk the 7 km White Horse Hill Circular Walk. We were there on a very rainy January day and managed to get to the car park in a short break in the rain and decided for a shorter walk instead. From the main National Trust car park you can either do a 2 km out and back to the Trig Pillar or add an extra 0.5 km to take a circuit of Uffington Castle and see the top of the White Horse.

Despite the wintery conditions we got a great view over the Berkshire Downs. We’ll likely return in better weather to do the longer walk and check out Drago Hill too.

OTHER HIGH POINT IN OXFORDSHIRE

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, National Trust, English Heritage, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, EnglandComment
LonDone parkrun Transport Connections

LonDone is the term for completing all parkrun events in Greater London. There are currently 62 parkrun events in Greater London. The first was Bushy Park which started on October 2nd 2004 and there’s typically a couple of new events added to the region each year. London is blessed with great public transportation links with most parkrun events within walking distance of a train, tube, tram or DLR stop. Travelling by bus gives you even more options.

Driving to the events is generally discouraged, but it will be the preferred option for some parkrunners for some events. Key considerations for drivers are parking options and whether the event is in, or the trip is through, the ULEZ or Congestion Charge zone.

Content on this page is sourced from the individual event pages, desktop research and input from the parkrun community. There make be some errors in the early release of this page and things can change. When planning your trip use this as a guide but always check the Course page of the relevant parkrun event and check other travel sites for any issues on your route for the day. Let me know if you spot any errors or have new information and I’ll make a quick update.

Links to key sections:

See my main parkrun LonDone page for more geekery on the Greater London parkrun events.

Public Transport: Nearest Stations and Stops

Notes:

  • Nearest station, excluding bus stops, is shown with a white background. Nearest alternative type shown with a light blue background.

  • Nearest and nearest alternative stations are all within walking distance of the start line. “Walking distance” is subjective but for the purposes of this I’ve determined it as “half-a-parkrun” (2.5 km).

  • Stations with an orange background are longer walks of between 2.5 km and 5 km.

  • “N/A” indicates that there’s no station of this type within a 5 km walk for the start line.

  • The Bus column shows the nearest stop to the start line. There’s normally several other stops nearby and on different routes.

Ally Pally to Fulham Palace:

Gladstone to Orpington:

Osterley to Wormwood Scrubs:

Parking, ULEZ and Congestion Charges

Driving to London parkrun events is generally discouraged and it can often be expensive. I learned that the hard way when I running late for Victoria Dock had to pay £20 for a short stay in the nearest car park.

If you are driving the main three things to know are about parking, the ULEZ zone and Congestion Charge.

  • Most events have a car park either in the park or nearby. Some can be small so plan to arrive early to make sure you get a space and have time to pay (if needed) and walk to the start. If there’s a charge many car parks have pay-by-app options. This is great if you already have the app but takes time if you’re a first-time user and need to set it up. Northala Fields is an example of app-only parking with no options to pay by cash or card at a machine. I’ve made note of any specific details on parking, but let me know if you have additional local knowledge.

  • The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is a large area of London where you have to pay a charge if your car doesn’t meet certain emissions standards. You can find out if your car is exempt, see the area covered, and pay the fee on this TFL page. From August 29th 2023 the ULEZ zone was expanded to include most of Greater London, and all London parkruns are now in the zone. 2 events; Bedfont Lakes and Riddlesdown are right on the edge of the zone. It’s possible to reach these by car and park outside of the ULEZ zone, however be careful not to cross into it on the drive there.

  • There are currently no parkrun events inside the Congestion Charge zone. As with the ULEZ Zone, be careful when planning your drive as you may have to pass through the zone even if the parkrun event is outside of it.

Ally Pally to Fulham Palace:

Gladstone to Orpington:

Osterley to Wormwood Scrubs:

Cafés and Toilets

Knowing whether there’s a toilet at the event is often important when planning your trip. Most events have one near the start line but if they don’t it’s worth checking to see what’s on your route, especially for long trips. The original information here is from the Course pages from each event. Let me know if you have additional information (e.g. opening times, disabled access) on each that would help other parkrunners.

The cafés shown here are either ones noted on the Course pages or the closest one if not mentioned. These are not recommendations.

Ally Pally to Fulham Palace:

Gladstone to Orpington:

Osterley to Wormwood Scrubs:

The LonDone parkrun tube and train map

There’s often chat in the Facebook parkrun groups about having a transport map showing the nearest stations to the London parkrun events. I’m certainly not the first to have this idea or to give it a go. Here’s my attempt at putting one together. Things to know are:

  • It shows nearest stations to parkruns and key interchanges, not all stations and lines.

  • Other stations may be more convenient for each parkrun, depending on where you’re coming from. Check the tables above for alternatives.

  • It’s intended to be an “artistic impression”, not for navigation.

Nearest airports to London parkrun events

I’m guessing that parkrun’s encouragement of using public transport doesn’t include flying to events. This section is likely to be pretty niche, but I included it anyway. The map and table below shows the nearest major London airport to each parkrun event. “Nearest” is defined as the quickest route via public transport rather than as the crow flies.

The reality is that anyone flying to London for a parkrun is likely to choose whichever airport has the best cost and route options from wherever they are flying in from. Every parkrun event is accessibly from each of these airports within 90 minutes, so flying into any London airport on a Friday gives you lots of options to get to the event by parkrun o’clock on the Saturday.

A few notes on the exercise:

  • I included major commercial airports and excluded RAF or smaller airfields such as Northolt or Biggin Hill.

  • London Southend (SEN) was in-scope but there is no London parkrun that is closer to it by public transport than to a different airport. Harrow Lodge is the closest event to SEN but it’s quicker to get there by public transport from London City Airport (LCY).

  • Walthamstow is the only parkun event that is closer to London Stansted (STN) than any other London airport. This is mostly due to LCY being very well connected to many public transport routes with fewer options into London from STN.

Ally Pally to Fulham Palace:

Gladstone to Orpington:

Osterley to Wormwood Scrubs:

More parkrun posts

parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

Featured and popular parkrun posts:

Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Railway, Underground, London, England Comments
UK National Parks, National Landscapes (AONB) and NSA High Points

If bagging all of the UK Historic and Present-Day County tops plus the Unitary Authorities isn’t enough for you, there’s also the high points of the National Parks, National Landscapes (AONBs) and National Scenic Areas (NSAs).

Contact me if you spot any mistakes and I’ll donate £1 to one of my supported causes for each correction made.

UK National Parks High Points

Of the 15 UK National Parks 10 have a high point that is also an Historic County Top. One other, Whernside is the high point of the Ceremonial County of North Yorkshire and was the high point of the Administrative County of the West Riding of Yorkshire. The highest National Park Peak that’s not also a County Top is Ben More (not to be confused with Ben More Assynt) in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

UK National Parks

  1. Cairngorms National Park (Scotland): Ben Macdui (1,309 metres).

  2. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (Scotland): Ben More (1,174 metres).

  3. Snowdonia National Park (Wales): Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa (1085 metres).

  4. Lake District National Park (England): Scafell Pike (978 metres).

  5. Brecon Beacons National Park (Wales): Pen y Fan (886 metres).

  6. Northumberland National Park (England): The Cheviot (815 metres).

  7. Yorkshire Dales National Park (England): Whernside (736 metres).

  8. Peak District National Park (England): Kinder Scout (636 metres).

  9. Dartmoor National Park (England): High Willhays (621 metres).

  10. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Wales): Foel Cwmcerwyn (536 metres).

  11. Exmoor National Park (England): Dunkery Beacon (519 metres).

  12. North York Moors National Park (England): Urra Moor - Round Hill (454 metres).

  13. South Downs National Park (England): Black Down (280 metres).

  14. New Forest National Park (England): Pipers Wait (129 metres) or Telegraph Hill (127 metres).

  15. The Broads National Park (England): Strumpshaw Hill - South Slope (40 metres).

England, Wales and Northern Ireland National Landscapes High Points

National Parks and National Landscapes are both protected areas in the United Kingdom, but they have different designations and management structures. National Parks are designated by the UK government for their outstanding natural beauty, cultural heritage and recreational opportunities. They are managed by National Park Authorities and have specific planning policies to protect their landscapes and wildlife. On the other hand, National Landscapes are also designated by the government for their outstanding natural beauty but are managed by local authorities and partnerships. They have different planning policies compared to National Parks. National Parks tend to be more remote and wilder, while National Landscapes are often found close to populated areas and include cultural heritage and agricultural landscapes. Both National Parks and National Landscapes are intended to be enjoyed and appreciated by the public but the management, planning policies, and protection of the areas can differ.

National Landscapes were previously called Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) until On 22 November 2023.

There are 46 National Landscapes in the UK of which 16 are the county tops of the Historic Counties that they are in. St Boniface Down is the high point of both the Ceremonial County of the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Wight National Landscape.

There were 2 National Landscapes that I couldn’t find a high point for when researching this: Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape and Lagan Valley National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Let me know if you know what these high points are and I can update the list.

  • North Pennines National Landscape (England). Cross Fell (893m).

  • Mourne Mountains National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Slieve Donard (850m).

  • Nidderdale National Landscape (England). Great Whernside (704m).

  • Sperrins National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Sawel Mountain (678m).

  • Ring of Gullion National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Slieve Gullion (576m).

  • Forest of Bowland National Landscape (England). Ward's Stone (561m).

  • Llŷn Peninsula National Landscape (Wales). Yr Eifl (561m).

  • Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape (Wales). Moel Famau (555m).

  • Antrim Coast and Glens National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Trostan (550m).

  • Shropshire Hills National Landscape (England). Brown Clee Hill (540m).

  • Malvern Hills National Landscape (England). Worcestershire Beacon (425m).

  • Cornwall National Landscape (England). Brown Willy (420m).

  • Binevenagh National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Binevenagh (385m).

  • Tamar Valley National Landscape (England). Kit Hill (334m).

  • Cotswolds National Landscape (England). Cleeve Common (330m).

  • Mendip Hills National Landscape (England). Beacon Batch (325m).

  • Blackdown Hills National Landscape (England). Staple Hill (315m).

  • Wye Valley National Landscape (England / Wales). Trellech Beacon (313m).

  • North Wessex Downs National Landscape (England). Walbury Hill (297m).

  • Surrey Hills National Landscape (England). Leith Hill (294m).

  • Dorset National Landscape (England). Lewesdon Hill (279m).

  • Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape (England). Win Green (277m).

  • North Devon Coast National Landscape (England). Berry Down near Combe Martin (269m).

  • Chiltern Hills National Landscape (England). Haddington Hill (267m).

  • Somerset - Quantock Hills National Landscape (England). Wills Neck (263m).

  • East Devon National Landscape (England). Gittisham Hill (259m).

  • Kent Downs National Landscape (England). Toy's Hill (257m).

  • Cannock Chase ANational Landscape NB (England). Castle Ring (242m).

  • High Weald National Landscape (England). Crowborough Beacon (242m).

  • Isle of Wight National Landscape (England). St Boniface Down (241m).

  • Anglesey National Landscape (Wales). Holyhead Mountain (220m).

  • South Devon National Landscape (England). Blackdown Camp (199m).

  • Gower Peninsula National Landscape (Wales). The Beacon at Rhossili Down (193m).

  • Howardian Hills National Landscape (England). Yearsley Cross (174m).

  • Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape (England). Wolds Top / Normanby Hill (168m).

  • Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape (England). Warton Crag (163m).

  • Strangford and Lecale National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Scrabo Hill (161m).

  • Causeway Coast National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Carnduff Hill (114m).

  • Norfolk Coast National Landscape (England). Beacon Hill (105m).

  • Northumberland Coast National Landscape (England). South Hill (75m).

  • Dedham Vale National Landscape (England). Broom Hill (69m).

  • Solway Coast National Landscape (England). Pudding Pie Hill (56m).

  • Isles of Scilly National Landscape (England). Telegraph on St Mary’s (49m).

  • Chichester Harbour National Landscape (England). c. two locations with 9m spot height (9m).

To be verified … couldn’t find these originally but have been identified by Joel Adcock.

  • Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape (England): Holbrook Park, (~44m)

  • Lagan Valley National Landscape (Northern Ireland). In garden of private property on Tullyard Rd, Lisburn BT27 5JN (164m)

Scottish NSA High Points

National Landscapes and National Scenic Areas (NSA) are both designations used in the United Kingdom to protect and promote areas of exceptional natural beauty. However, there are some key differences between the two. National Landscapes are designated by the UK government and are considered to be the most important landscapes in the country, with the highest level of protection afforded to them. NSAs, on the other hand, are designated by the Scottish government and, while they also offer protection to areas of exceptional natural beauty, they do not have the same level of legal protection as National Landscapes. Additionally, National Landscapes are managed by local authorities, while NSAs are managed by Scottish National Parks. Both National Landscapes and NSAs are intended to be enjoyed and appreciated by the public, but the management and protection of the areas can differ.

There are 40 National Scenic Areas (NSA) in Scotland, of which 8 are the county tops of the Historic Counties that they are in. There were 12 NSAs that I couldn’t find a high point for when researching this (scroll down to see). These are mostly in coastal areas without notable high points. Let me know if you know what these high points are and I can update the list.

  • Ben Nevis and Glen Coe NSA: Ben Nevis (1344m).

  • Cairngorm Mountains NSA: Ben Macdui (1309m).

  • Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon NSA: Ben Lawers (1214m).

  • Glen Affric NSA: Càrn Eige (1183m).

  • Deeside and Lochnagar NSA: Lochnagar / Beinn Chìochan (1156m).

  • Glen Strathfarrar NSA: Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais (1083m).

  • Kintail NSA: Sgurr Fhuaran (1068m).

  • Wester Ross NSA: An Teallach (1062m).

  • Knoydart NSA: Sgurr na Cìche (1040m).

  • Assynt-Coigach NSA: Ben More Assynt (998m).

  • Loch Lomond NSA: Ben Lomond (974m).

  • Cuillin Hills NSA: Sgùrr nan Gillean (964m).

  • North West Sutherland NSA: Foinaven (909m).

  • Loch Shiel NSA: Beinn Odhar Bheag (882m).

  • The Trossachs NSA: Ben Ledi (879m).

  • North Arran NSA: Goat Fell (873.5m).

  • Upper Tweeddale NSA: Broad Law (840m).

  • Small Isles NSA: Askival (812m).

  • South Lewis, Harris and North Uist NSA: Clisham (799m).

  • Jura NSA: Beinn an Òir (785m).

  • Trotternish NSA: The Storr (719m).

  • South Uist Machair NSA: Beinn Mhòr (620m).

  • Hoy and West Mainland NSA: Ward Hill (481m).

  • Knapdale NSA: Cruach Lusach (466m).

  • Scarba, Lunga and the Garvellachs NSA: Scarba (449m).

  • St Kilda NSA: Conachair (430m).

  • Eildon and Leaderfoot NSA: Eildon Hill (422m).

  • Lynn of Lorn NSA: Barr Mòr (127m).

To be verified … couldn’t find these originally but have been identified by Joel Adcock.

  • Dornoch Firth NSA: unnamed summit (387m)

  • East Stewartry Coast NSA: Bengairn (391m).

  • Fleet Valley NSA: Ben John (354m)

  • Kyle of Tongue NSA: Ben Hope (927m)

  • Kyles of Bute NSA: Meallan Riabhach (484m).

  • Loch na Keal, Isle of Mull NSA: Ben More (967m)

  • Loch Tummel NSA: Meall Tairneachan (787m)

  • Morar, Moidart and Ardnamurchan NSA: Meall nan Each (490m)

  • Nith Estuary NSA: Criffel (569m).

  • River Earn (Comrie to St. Fillans) NSA: Either slope of Beinn Fuath (~650 metres) or Mor Beinn (640m)

  • River Tay (Dunkeld) NSA: Creag Dhubh (498m)

  • Shetland NSA: The Sneug (418m)

More High Points

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, National Park, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern IrelandComment
Cycling The Phoenix Trail and Watlington & Princes Risborough Railway
Cycling The Phoenix Trail and Watlington & Princes Risborough Railway
IMG_2882.jpg

The Phoenix Trail

Start / Finish: Car Park at The Mount, Princes Risborough, HP27 9AN
Distance: 47.6 km (29.6 miles)
Elevation: +/- 313m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): Risborough Pink Route, Midshires Way, Oxfordshire Way, The Ridgeway, Aston Rowant Discovery Trail, The Chiltern Way
Other Routes Touched (cycle): NCN 57
Pubs / Cafes on route: Many in Princes Risborough, Thame and Watlington. We stopped at the Spire & Spoke in Watlington (27 km in) and the Lions of Bledlow (41 km in)
Maps: OS Explorer Map (180) Oxford, Witney and Woodstock and OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North
Links: Sustrans Phoenix Trail, Sustrans NCN 57, Wycombe Railway, Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway, Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, Princes Risborough, Thame, Tetsworth, Watlington, Chinnor, Bledlow

It’s now become an annual tradition of mine to do a muddy cycle trip on the day before starting work in the New Year. Having a micro-adventure under the belt is always a good win before trying to remember my work password, what I do and why I do it. My first weigh-in of the new year with a “Personal Best” kilo total was also another motivation to get out of the house.

This year’s trip with to explore the 2 disused railways from Princes Risborough station on the north edge of the Chilterns. The first one is a stretch of the old Wycombe Railway that’s now been adopted as a cycle path called The Phoenix Trail. The second is the old Princes Risborough to Watlington line. The first part of this to Chinnor is now as heritage rail line. The rest has been completely abandoned but you can find remains of the old stations if you know where to look.

If you’re arriving by car, a good place to part is The Mount, just off Princes Risborough High Street. Although you can also park at the rail station, The Mount is cheaper and often has more spaces. The Mount is also on NCN 57 so you can pick up the route from there and ride the 1 km to the station.

To access the Phoenix trail continue along the NCN 57 as it crosses the road bridge to the south of the station and passes through the village of Horsenden. Before reaching the start of the Trail you’ll pass over a level crossing that’s now part of the Princes Risborough to Chinnor Historic Railway.

Once on the Phoenix Trail navigation is as simple as you’d expect from a disused rail path. Along the way you’ll pass art installations and the locations of the three stations along the old track. The first station, Bledlow, is easy to spot as the building is still intact, albeit extended. You’ll find it on the left hand side of the Trail after crossing Sandpit Lane.

Towersey Halt, the second station is less obvious as nothing remains of it. The location is just after the bridge that crosses Chinnor Road. Further along at Thame the Trail passes through the middle of the still-intact platforms.

Approximately 1.5km after the old Thame station the Phoenix Trail abruptly stops and the NCN 57 takes a sharp turn to the right along Hatchett’s Lane. Here you have a choice of following the NCN 57 round to the roundabout and taking a left onto the A329 or you can continue along the path of the old rail line along a bumpy footpath. We took the footpath option to arrive at the A329 opposite a car dealership.

From here the Wycombe Railway continued west to the next station at Tiddington then on to Oxford. For our trip it was the end of the line as there’s no option to continue along the old rail route. We headed south along the A329, then took country roads to Watlington via Tetsworth.

Watlington is a great place to stop for a rest before exploring the more challenging final section of the route. My new favourite cycle cafe/pub is the Spire and Spoke on Hill Road. A couple of coffees and a carrot cake were perfect fuel for the rest of the ride.

After the Spire and Spoke, the remains of the old Watlington Station can be found on Station Road, just off the B4009 Watlington Road. The station, which was the end of the line from Princes Risborough, is on private land but you can see the roof and chimney from the gate on Station Road.

After Watlington Station, go back along Station Road and take a right onto the B4009 Watlington Road heading north-east. After 3km you’ll reach the B4009/M40 Bus Link with parking spots at the side of the road. This is the location of the old Lewknor Bridge Halt. According to the Wikipedia article, the steps up to the Halt are still there. We only found the steps down to Hill Road on the northern side which are probably not the same.

Further along the B4009 the road goes under the M40. After the motorway exit take a right onto Aston Lane and continue until you reach some woodland on the left before the first house. Some remains of the old Aston Rowant Station can be found in the woods. We decided not to explore that day but I might return another time.

Further up Aston Lane, take a left onto The Ridgeway and follow it towards Princes Risborough. We were there after a lot of rain and this second of the trail was a mud-bath. Even on a dry day I recommend taking on the route with a mountain bike and definitely not a road bike. There were several spots along this section where we had to get off and push.

After ~1.5km along The Ridgeway the trail crosses Kingston Hill (Road) and you’ll see the old Kingston Crossing Halt, now a private cottage in a good condition. Next continue along the Ridgeway to Chinnor Hill and take a short diversion north along Chinnor Hill Road to visit the well-preserved Chinnor Station, now the end-point of the Princes Risborough to Chinnor Heritage Railway.

After Chinnor return to the Ridgeway and continue towards Princes Risborough. Just over 1 km after Chinnor Station take a left hand bridleway to leave The Ridgeway to Hempton Wainhill. Wainhill Crossing Halt, rebuilt by the Princes Risborough to Chinnor Heritage Railway is on the left hand side of the lane. From here retrace your route back up to the Ridgeway.

At the top of the hill leave The Ridgeway and continue along the lane down the hill following the Midshires Way. This will lead you to the village of Bledlow where the Lions Of Bledlow pub is a god place for a final stop before the final stage of the route. After the pub follow Church End (road), take a left onto Perry Lane and head north. Perry Lane crosses under a railway bridge that carries the Historic Railway. This is the site of the old Bledlow Bridge Halt Station. You can’t access the station from the road but it is visible from the Historic Railway.

At the end of Perry Lane take a right onto the B4009 Lower Icknield Way and follow it in a north-eastly direction towards Princes Risborough. After 1 km you’ll arrive back at the bridge were the Phoenix Trail begins. Leave the B4009 and follow the NCN 57 back through Horsenden to The Mount.

Disused Stations on the Phoenix Trail

Displayed in order of the cycle route from Princes Risborough to Thame. Click on each photo to connect to the Wikipedia article for the station.

Disused Stations on the Princes Risborough to Watlington Line

Displayed in order of the cycle route from Watlington to Princes Risborough. Click on each photo to connect to the Wikipedia article for the station.

The Wycombe Railway and Princes Risborough to Watlington Railway Lines

More Disused Railway Posts

This is a great video by Paul and Rebecca Whitewick that tells the story of the Watlington to Princes Risborough line.

Richard gowerCycle, NCN, Disused Railway, Chilterns, England, Oxfordshire, BuckinghamshireComment