Stanmore to Harrow Weald Walk

Saturday 24th May, and it’s another of the hilly London walks, this one starting at Stanmore, at the far end of the Jubilee Line. Boarding the tube at Bond Street, there were lots of football fans wearing red and white striped shirts, heading to the Premier League play off final between Sheffield United and Sunderland at Wembley. Claire, Madeleine, Lynne and I were all on the same tube train, so arriving at Stanmore we then met up with Louise, who had arrived earlier, and set off.

Exiting the station, we headed uphill passing some smart houses to enter Stanmore Country Park and continued climbing gradually uphill thorough woods and open grasslands to reach the summit of the common where there is a fabulous viewpoint with an information board identifying various landmarks in the distance and the Wembley Arch being very prominent.

We then continued, passing a rugby club, a small hamlet with village green, a couple of ponds which date back to Roman times and a cricket ground where a game was about to get underway. Crossing the road we continued through woodland to a small car park before entering a private road lined with some very posh houses before entering Bentley Priory Open Space/Nature Reserve, where long horn cattle were grazing.

We passed the cattle and soon came to a fenced compound on our left where we spotted some deer in the compound. However, having done the walk previously, I realised we had gone wrong and missed a turn. Still good job we did or we wouldn’t have seen the deer. Re-tracing our steps to the cattle, we rejoined the walk and soon stopped in front of Bentley Priory, which was a World War 2 RAF Command Centre, for lunch and saw a red kite being mobbed by 2 crows.

After lunch we continued through woods to the Grim’s Dyke House/Hotel, which was once owned by W.S. Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, who sadly died there in a tragic accident. We made our way through the surrounding woods with colourful rhododendrons making the woods feel like a fairy-tale enchanted forest, to a tranquil pond.

Retracing our steps through the “Enchanted Forest” we reached a final viewpoint with good views over Harrow and west London, before calling at a pleasant pub for some refreshment. After that it was a short walk to a bus stop and a short ride back to the Jubilee line to return home. The walk had been about 6 miles (I got that right for once) and the weather had been comfortable, cool but dry, all in all a good walk.

Trev Eley,  27th May 2025

Photos by Madeleine

Caister Holiday 2025

Monday 5th May, 10.32 a.m. at Stratford Station, and I’m waiting for the train, due in 5 minutes, to start our holiday at Caister. Oh, I’m also waiting for Louise, who is booked on the same train, which one would arrive first? Eventually, Louise arrived, followed A MINUTE later by the train, talk about cutting it fine!

After an uneventful journey, we arrived at the holiday caravan park, signed in, tried to find the short cut to the caravan, which we eventually found and then unpacked. Sue was still to arrive so we decided to walk into Caister, have a look around the village, visit the very windswept beach and get the shopping. By the time we returned Sue had arrived. Jinan was originally coming, but sadly had to pull out, so we all had the luxury of a room to ourselves, and being the gentleman that I am, I baggsied the main bedroom and left the smaller twin rooms to the girls.

In the evening we met up with Annick and Peter, who were staying in a caravan with Frances and Parviz, for a meal at the Mash and Barrel, the camp’s traditional pub style restaurant, and it was pretty good. Afterwards we checked the entertainment at the “Live Lounge” the resort’s entertainment centre. I think it’s best described as “variable”, being largely aimed at the camp’s smaller visitors, although the last act was enjoyable

On Tuesday, we were going for a six mile circular walk along the coast into Great Yarmouth, returning along the Broads and through countryside to the camp. We met up with Frances and Parviz and headed to the beach, walking along the sand and promenade and with a bracing sea breeze. On reaching the Venetian Waterways, it started to rain slightly, so we headed for a cafe for a tea break, thinking it would be sunny when we left. Well, it might not have been sunny, but the rain had stopped.

We soon reached Great Yarmouth where Frances and Parviz left to explore and we headed to the yacht station to start back along the River Bure, with the occasional boat cruising along it. Having had lunch by the river, we continued to a lonely avenue of trees, and uphill for some good views over the Broads, before reaching Caister. It felt a long 6 miles, and arriving back at the campsite we found we had actually walked 10 miles (I’d forgotten to add on the mile to and from the walk). In the evening we all went to the campsite restaurant.

Wednesday was to be an easier day (not for me it wasn’t). Louise, Sue and I caught the bus to Great Yarmouth to visit the Time and Tide museum, which details Great Yarmouth’s history. The museum was in an old herring processing plant, and in the courtyard there was a Punch and Judy show, being enjoyed by a class of school-kids who were really loving the show. Moving on through the museum there was a lot about the old fishing industry, and the town’s history, oh and some low doorways, which weren’t always well signed, as I painfully found out (idiot!).

We then had lunch before wandering back into town and returning to the campsite. Sue and Louise went to the prize bingo, whilst I decided to check a possible walk for next day. I really should have learnt from Durham that I shouldn’t go out alone without a responsible adult. The walk looked promising, rural footpaths and quiet roads, but returning to walk along the beach to the campsite, I tripped over a semi submerged railing and twisted my knee, so had to hobble the mile back to the campsite. We’d booked a meal at a pub in town, and Sue kindly offered to drive us there, but we walked into town, albeit slower than expected, for a nice meal.

On Thursday morning we awoke to bright sunshine (about time too). After a test walk to the shops, we decided against a long walk and went into Great Yarmouth again. This time we visited the Elizabethan house, which was pretty interesting and according to legend was where the Parliamentarians decided to execute Charles I after the Civil War. After the museum we walked along the seafront to the Pleasure Beach, had lunch and headed to the crazy golf where we were joined by Frances and Parviz. I narrowly won it, beating Frances by just 1 shot with Louise and Parviz contesting the wooden spoon.

Afterwards, we returned to the campsite and all went for a game of prize bingo with a couple of us getting close to, but sadly not quite winning, the substantial jackpot of almost £180. Afterwards, we enjoyed a meal on site before visiting the entertainment in the live lounge or playing on the machines in the arcade, before returning to the caravan.

On Friday we packed, left the site and Sue dropped Louise and me off at the station for our train home. It had been a good holiday, our caravan was comfortable and spacious, and it had been a very relaxing and enjoyable break. I just mustn’t go out on my own next time!

Trev (Pathfinder Hoppity) Eley

Walthamstow Village walk

Waiting for the walk to start outside Walthamstow Central station on 9th May, I was interested to count the number of e-bicycles on the road. The answer was Nil, they were all on the pavement.

We walked up Hoe Street, turned right into Church Hill and right again to enter the peace and calm of the village. We stopped at Vinegar Alley and the Monoux alms houses then went on to St Mary’s Church where we stopped for a tea and cake. Our leader Kathy had done a lot of research and told us the church was the oldest building in the village, dating back to the 12th century. It had connections to William Morris, Sir George Monoux and - I like this - Samuel Pepys. Apparently, Pepys once visited the church and found the sermon so boring he pulled out a pocket sized book of Latin to read instead.

Refreshed, we went on past the Squires alms houses and Vestry House, the last currently closed for refurbishment.

The pedestrianised area of Orford Road was charming with lots of small shops, the former town hall and eateries. We walked on to arrive at God’s Own Junkyard. This is an eccentric emporium, decorated with period posters and illuminated with neon signs of every description. See the photo to appreciate the effect. A real mixture of miscellany, all of it apparently for sale.

We walked back to The Village Pub in the pedestrianised area for a pleasant lunch and then back to the traffic maelstrom that is Hoe Street and on to our homes.

Brian U.  12th May 2025

Circular walk from Chingford Golf Club

We had a beautiful 3.5 mile walk on a sunny Saturday 5th April when 8 of us met at The Holly Trail Café for a cuppa before setting off for Pole Hill. This is a good view-point looking across Chingford in one direction and the Enfield/River Lee reservoirs, with London beyond in the far distance. There’s a trig point at the view-point as well as an obelisk commemorating T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), who in 1919 bought several acres of land and built himself a small hut here.

View of the forest canopy from Yates Meadow. Pole Hill is to the right of the picture.

We then headed away from the reservoirs - via a tree resembling a totem pole - making towards another view point: Yardley Hill. The instructions in the book HillWalking London were a little vague, as well as Google Maps placing the spot a bit to the east of it’s true position, so we didn’t quite make it. We then walked in the woods behind Yates Meadow towards Gilwell Park where we saw a beautiful butterfly (maybe a Peacock?), but then turned into the Meadow at the far end where there was another good view of the reservoirs and across the Lee Valley to Alexandra Palace.

We then headed downhill past a small stables with a couple of ponies, then on to Bury Road where we followed a footpath parallel to the road and on the edge of the wood, to get us back to the café.

Richard.  15th April 2025     Photo by Madeleine