Here are some of my UK hikes and activities from 2017, which often end up being walks close to where I live in Hertfordshire, not far from the town of Royston, where I live. Occasionally I do undertake walks further afield, with my good friend Tammy, in her neck of the woods, close to the North or South Downs.
Please click on each of the links below to view the full blog and album of photos.
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Eastbourne ‘Seven Sisters’ walk Saturday 4th Nov 2017
A walk was arranged by my good friend Zoltan on a weekend trip from the continent, to meet up with old acquaintances Martin and Vanda from the Xerox Hiking Club. Having travelled down to their home in Twickenham at an early hour, we journeyed on to meet up with our Hungarian friend, who had booked into a hotel in the town of Eastbourne. The plan was to leave one car in Eastbourne and rive back to the start at Seven Sisters Country Park near the Cuckmere River, not far from Seaford. The path follows the Eastbourne coastal cliff-tops past Birling Gap and Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain.
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Goudhurst – Cranbrook High Weald circular walk – Aug 2017
The south of England, in particular the North and South Downs and the area in between, known as the Weald, had become an area of particular interest for me, notwithstanding its numerous hiking possibilities. Having stopped off recently in the Kentish village of Goudhurst whilst returning from the 1066 walk, I had paid homage to the family history by visiting the pub once owned by my great grandmother in 1911. This account could arguably be re-titled as ‘Walking into family history in the Kentish countryside’. The word Goudhurst is derived from Goud Hurst, the “Good Hurst” (an opening in a forest) due to the hill’s strategic position within the local landscape.
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1066 Country Walks – Battle to Hastings – August 2017
Southern England boasts some of the finest walking in the United Kingdom. The Weald is an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. The name “Weald” is derived from the Old English weald, meaning “forest” (cognate of German Wald). The High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty lies in the centre and extends across the counties of Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent. On the southern edge of High Weald lies the small town of Battle, the site of the Battle of Hastings, where William, Duke of Normandy, defeated King Harold II to become William I in 1066.
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Great & Little Hormead, Furneaux Pelham – Herts Walk August 2017
Much of the hoped-for weather in the month of August in the south-east of the United Kingdom had flattered to deceive, as usually tends to be the case. The summer Bank Holiday weekend however lived up to its name, with record-breaking temperatures having been forecast. Sunday 27th August proved no exception. The route chosen for the day involved setting off from the Three Tuns pub in the charming village of Great Hormead, located near Buntingford, in Hertfordshire. There are two churches in close proximity to one another, and St Nicholas at Great Hormead is the larger one, founded in the early 13th century, and considerably extended in the 14th, including the creation of the tower. It’s also the younger one, as an earlier church had already been founded up the road at Little Hormead.
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Lea River to Epping Forest Walk March 2017
Enjoyed a walk with Tammy in the heart of Essex country near Harlow, just north of the M25 and Epping Forest. Not quite the start of spring. The chosen route necessitated leaving cars left at either end, one at Roydon station on the Lea River canal, the other at the Visitor’s Centre in the heart of Epping Forest. The walk, which followed the Three Forests Way, covered a distance of 11.8 miles over 6 hours or more across a varied landscape of open terrain and harvested farmland, Nazeingwood Common being a good example, as well as the forested areas close to Epping Forest, near the village of Upshire, often muddy underfoot after heavy rains. What with Tammy’s excellent GPS device and my unquestionable map-reading skills as backup, we couldn’t go wrong! As we approached our destination, even a group of Duke of Edinburgh hopefuls trying to find their way around Epping Forest benefited from our experience.
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Barkway circular walk Feb 2017
During a lull in the wake of storm Doris battering the UK shores, the sunshine broke through on the morning of Sunday, 26th February, before the next cold front made its way across the British Isles. Taking advantage of the break, I set off on a four hour circular walk from Barkway via Nuthampstead, Cheapside (near Anstey), across London Road, towards Buckland, before returning to Barkway along Church Lane.
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Walking Rivers Rib and Ash valleys Feb 2017
Bleak skies but mild, rainless conditions, perfect for a walk across along the river valleys of the Rib and Ash, East Herfordshire. It was an occasion to put my Hungarian friend, Zoltan, on a visit from Zurich, through his paces on English soil. He rose to the challenge, though it probably paled in comparison to that offered by the lofty peaks of Switzerland. The walk is a short drive from Royston to Standon, west of Bishop’s Stortford. The path starts on the outskirts of the town, heading due south through the village of Latchford, which lies directly adjacent to the Rib.
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A spectator to a Royston winter hill run Feb 2017
Mad dogs and Englishmen, it seems, are more likely to go out in all sorts of weather, fair or foul. Pick a Sunday when you’re out for a walk yourself, with temperatures barely above freezing. The local athletics club, in their wisdom, schedule a 5 mile run across Therfield Heath, on the outskirts of Royston, Hertfordshire. Nothing the elements can throw at them will deter an Englishman or woman, for that matter, from making the most of even the most adverse of weather conditions. A resilient bunch, to say the least.
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Therfield winter landscapes Jan 2017
On my return from warmer climes during annual holiday to escape the UK mid-winter, a walk his lasting several hours, starting out from the Fox and Duck in the heart of the village of Therfield, North Hertfordshire, not far from Royston, where I live. The circular route, largely flat, trundles on through Reed End towards Buckland, Barkway and Reed, straddling both sides of the A10, once an old Roman Road. Temperatures on this day in early Spring rose to no more than a few degrees above freezing.
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A frosty start to a Royston walk, Jan 2016
A frosty start to the day with temperatures at 1 degree above freezing, in contrast to the summer temperatures I encounter on my annual holidays in Cape Town. That did not deter me on this occasion. Life goes on despite the inclement weather conditions, something I’ve learnt from the British bulldog spirit. This is a regular walk of mine, starting out directly from my front door. I’ve done it more times than I care to remember. There are some variations to the route but can be narrowed down to one of three possible options, on this occasion a circular walk via Therfield, Thrift Farm and Therfield Heath. Th frost thawed a tad and blue skies put in an appearance but it still felt cold. Folk passing by gazed at my hiking shorts in astonishment. “Didn’t realize it was summer”, said one. Always three hours well spent.
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