Walking and Climbing

Well it had to happen, I'm leaving the North East and moving into a box in the city. While I'm sure the urban jungle will bring its own challenges I was wondering if anyone knew any gems within an hour or two that would be good for keeping me out and about?

I know there's our newest National Park in the form of the South Downs and I'm going to be on the edge of Epping Forest in my new pad so I can try kit out there. Any other ideas for keeping the smog out of my lungs?

Hard luck, MG. It takes 2 hours 20 minutes to get from Paddington to Abergavenny on the train (including the change at Newport), so the Brecon Beacons might be suitable for a weekend wildcamping trip.

Never been to the Beacons but that's not bad at all. Definitely worth looking at a weekend up there with that sort of timing.

 The good transport out of London is reassuring, with the Sleeper its easier for me to get to some places now than when I was a hundred-odd miles nearer!

get the "time out" books for walks using public transport. excellent directions. you can get lost if you really try hard to.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_8?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=time+out&sprefix=time+out#/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_16?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=time+out+country+walks&sprefix=time+out+country&rh=n%3A266239%2Ck%3Atime+out+country+walks 

google "southern downlander" to get to the cheap downlander ticket offered by southern railway - you'll never find it on their site as it's rather well hidden. £12.50 unlimited travel on southern from london to ashford in the east and southampton in the west and buses around brighton and eastbourne. an absolute steal. 

the last leg of the vanguard way - berwick to seaford is a cracker. there is a very pleasant circular walk from lewes which you can make as long or as short as you like. lewes up to the golf course and across to glynde. south up on to the downs and then to southease. from southease follow the south downs way until harry's mount then head back to lewes. easy to see on a map.

i quite like from southease to exceat (or up to berwick) along the south downs way (bus from exceat to seaford/brighton/eastbourne) for a nice leg stretcher.

folkestone/dover/canterbury way now very quick to get to from st pancras on the high speed service fro just a couple of quid extra - dover to london 1hr 7mins instead of 2 hrs. the north downs way from wye to folkestone/dover way is very pleasant.

closer to london are walks up or down the western side of the railway line between leatherhead and horsham (which takes in leith hill - highest point on the south east...i think). the walks are rather more pleasant than the map would suggest and also hold the fascination of the changing seasons. between leatherhead and dorking is box hill and surrounding country - one of my favourite places - which is quick and easy to get to.

and of course epping forest which is a great place for wandering about in.

by the way. use 25k maps. 50k is useless.

and...despite yet another price increase the netwok travelcard will pay for itself in no time.

Thanks for all that Parky, don't worry about my maps, already got a very orange shopping basket building at dash4it building up as I'm getting restless feet. Even up in the Moors 25k was essential as fences and funny shaped sheepholds were some of the more solid landmarks going.

There's also the Chilterns, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which stretch from Bedfordshire to the Thames Gap at Goring and are readily accessible from several railway lines and the Metropolitan Line which goes as far as Amersham. Try the lovely walk from Great Missenden to Wendover in late April/early May when the bluebells are at their best and the glorious beechwoods are putting on their mantle of delicate, virginal green. The view from the summit of Coombe Hill over the Vale of Aylesbury is remarkably extensive.

I don't know Essex very well but places such as Finchingfield, Barfield, Castle Hedingham and Steeple Bumpstead (the name alone is worth a long walk!) are well worth exploring.

There is much splendid walking in the south!

 Hugh

I too would recommend the Chiltern area which is easily accessible on trains from Marylebone.

If you enjoy walking along canal towpaths, the Grand Union links central London (Regents Park and Paddington) with many places that have good links by underground or train. Among them Brentford (train from Waterloo) and the Thames, West Drayton and Slough (train from Paddington), Uxbridge (Metropolitan Line from Baker Street) and the Colne Valley, Rickmansworth (Metropolitan Line from Baker Street), Watford (Metropolitan Line from Baker Street or train from Euston). A bit further out are Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, and Berkhamstead (all by train from Euston).

You'll also find some nice walks in the Tring area. As well as the scarp of the Chilterns (and Coombe Hill as mentioned by Hugh) there are several canal reservoirs at Marsworth. The main line of the canal passes Marsworth too and there are two branches of the canal - one to Aylesbury and one to Wendover (both towns are on the Chiltern Railways line from Marylebone).  You can alight at Wendover, walk the disused canal branch towpath to Marsworth then from there walk the towpath of the Aylesbury canal branch to rejoin the train - about twelve miles walk IIRC.

If you are going to live in London and use public transport, your first purchase should be an Oyster Card. If you're going to cycle in town, your first purchase should be a facemask to filter out the worst of the diesel particulates.

Good luck!