Hillingdon

 National Grade: Moderate  Distance: 9.3miles / 15m  Leader: Fiona Kennedy  Date: July 29th 2026 

With one of the hottest days of this hot summer forecast this was a late replacement into the programme and Fiona had a shorter and much more shady walk ready to go in Black Park and Langley Park. Eight of us turned up to join Fiona so there was no backing down! The sun was beating down from a spotless blue sky as we met in the shade near the Go-Ape ticket office and after our introductory words and with coffees drunk, we set off and soon were at the tranquil lake. Despite being school holidays, it was relatively quiet. Thankfully this walk was in the shade of woodland for much of the day and with a gentle breeze never felt too hot. Crossing the busy A412, we stopped in Langley Park to admire the view of a sightline to Windsor Castle. Zooming in with our phones allowed us to see the familiar castle shimmering in the distant haze. A passer by offered to take a group picture so we are all in it this time. We shortly arrived at our first cafe stop where we sat and chatted and had drinks and ice creams. There was a more leisurely feel to the walk than on some Wednesdays. Our walk weaved around through named gardens and arboretums and we learned of how Langley Park was associated with the 3rd Duke of Marlborough, who after being evicted from his family home in Blenheim Palace, acquired Langley Park in 1738. At that time, rhododendrons were becoming very popular and the grounds of Langley Park were planted up with rhododendron groves, many of which exist today and our walk weaved through many of them. We walked up close to Langley Park house which was very impressive and certainly well outside our price range! Fiona told us how much of the overall planting and landscaping in the park was designed by our frequently encountered Capability Brown. Actually called Lancelot Brown, he acquired the nickname Capability from his frequently quoted expression to his clients that’s his creations had “Capability for improvement”.

Crossing back over the A412, we returned to Black Park and shortly afterwards we arrived at lunch stop around shady picnic tables and a cafe by Blackpark Lake. Refills of water and more ice creams were popular additions to our picnic lunch. Moving on again after lunch we weaved through the woodland heading northwards to arrive behind Pinewood Studios. Although we could only see it through the boundary fence, the buildings were massive and the site appeared very prosperous. No doubt a good sign of the healthy state of British film production. No celebs were spotted and we continued on, crossing the route of the Black Park Park Runs on at least two occasions. The return leg to the car park took us through Go-Ape and children having fun high up in the tree tops. One little girl lost her nerve right at the end and had to be coaxed back from the brink of her zip wire return back to ground. Despite the temperature well into the mid 30s, the walk had been pleasantly shady and comfortable. We thanked Fiona for pulling this together at short notice and returned to our air conditioned cars for our relatively short journeys home.

Report by Simon Thornhill

 National Grade: Moderate Distance:11.8mi / 19 km  Leader:  Caroline W.  Date: Sunday, 26th Jul 2026

 This was my first Sunday walk as leader this year as I have been so busy leading walking holidays abroad, so I chose one of my favourite walks from my small repertoire.

Once again the Waltham Wanderer attracted a good crowd swelling the numbers to 11. As well as some Hillingdon regulars, we had walkers join us from East Berks, Henley and Goring and Loddon Valley as well as two ladies Kathleen and Wendy who were both interested in joining the Ramblers. 

We all eventually found parking spaces as the kids’ park run has grown in popularity since last year and cars had taken up most of the spaces and the roads outside. Once briefed on the walk we headed out thankful that the forecast was for a cloudy day so it wouldn’t be as hot as it has been of late.

After a brief stop at White Waltham church we continued on to the cricket green in the village where we paused for our morning break. Denise kindly turned down the recommendation from a walker who stopped to talk to her as he had recently moved from Uxbridge to the area and was keen to tell her where to walk. Denise assured him she was in safe hands with the leader in orange!

One of my favourite parts of this walk is Shottesbrook where the view across to the church is stunning and the path is usually dotted with sheep . Today though the sheep were taking shade under the trees, the grass so dry there was little for them to eat.

We then headed out along a few footpaths and bridleway we only ever use on this particular walk and both
Wendy and Kathleen remarked they had never walked in this area before. In the fields we could see how dry everything is, with huge cracks opening up in the ground in many places.

A welcome lunch stop in Waltham St Lawrence several of us had our lunch on the benches at the entrance to the churchyard which was due to host another afternoon tea later on. Alas we were too early! Others obtained drinks from the Bell pub to see them through the afternoon.

Setting off again we had to stop to admire the dahlias in one garden in the village which were stunning and even higher than the garden wall. Heading back to Shottesbrook once again we were disappointed that the church was still closed so we were unable to have a look inside.

At White Waltham there was now a cricket match on the green but only local teams playing so I didn’t think there was any danger of us getting hit by a six! From there we headed up to Waltham Place where a few tried the blackberries which were still a little way off being ripe.

A few light aircraft were hovering overhead as we headed back towards Ockwells Manor which is still undergoing renovation and covered in scaffolding. Much of the manor’s grounds have now been transformed for polo horses but it remains to be seen what will become of the manor itself.

Back just after 3pm it was an early finish but the car park and surrounding roads were once again as busy as this morning had been, with clearly many families not having yet gone off on their holidays. With thanks to Denise and Barbara for back marking, everyone said how nice it had been. We should be getting one new member as Kathleen said she had enjoyed the walk and was keen to join the Ramblers and come out again.

Report by: Caroline W

 National Grade: Moderate  Distance: 10.2miles / 16.4km  Leader: Denise Cherry  Date: July 22nd 2026 

A late change of walk as a result of a running injury by our intended leader led to Denise stepping in and returning to the very attractive area around West Wycombe. Seventeen of us met at the free car park near the Mausoleum on the hill top and prepared ourselves for a warm and sunny day. Denise told us that she hadn’t recced the walk but knew it well and may be flagging by the afternoon so to be patient. Starting at the top we only had downhill to go and we took the steep but scenic path through wild flowers to arrive at West Wycombe village where Denise had a little known building to show us. This was up through the churchyard and we had a quick look at a beautiful gated house completely surfaced in knapped flints and decorative mouldings. Moving on, we headed easterly gaining height again and stopped to look back at the scene with the Mausoleum on its hill top. As has become normal in this particularly dry summer, the fields were mostly parched yellow but the trees and hedgerows were managing to cope better and remained green. Many crops have been harvested already. We continued through woodland and along field tops to arrive at Downley. Here we lost two of our number who had stopped to look at some clever chalk artwork outside the village school just as the rest of us deviated off the expected path. They were not lost for long, though and the wait on the Common was welcome. More craftwork was on show as an old knarled tree had been turned into a pixie haven with little wooden houses placed inside holes in the tree. Our route then took us to Hughenden Manor where we stopped in the shady courtyard for coffee. Passing through Hughenden Valley our attention was drawn by a 3/4 full size wooden giraffe standing by the front door of a large detached house. Lunch was in the shady woods shortly afterwards where we found logs to sit or the low brick-wall remains of an old water pumping device. Our walk then continued and we experienced quite a number of contours going steadily up and down but with lovely views at every corner. Fields of head-height sweetcorn were particularly healthy looking despite the dry conditions and we felt like explorers (but without machetes!) heading into the these tall crops along the narrow paths through them. We had been encouraged on by talk of the tea room at Naphill and thankfully we arrived before they closed so we all had some refreshment, whether it was a pot of tea, artfully decorated coffee or a locally made Beechdene ice cream. Charles nearly chose the dog ice cream by mistake!

Refreshed, we headed off again into the hot afternoon sunshine and weaved our way along and through another luxuriant sweetcorn field until we saw the encouraging sight of the Mausoleum. Encouraging in that we were not far from our cars but not so encouraging that we had a steep hill to climb! The last bit was a struggle but “flagging” Denise showed no sign of the flagging and like the Grand Old Duke of York, marched  us strongly up to the top. Driven by Beechdene Ice Cream and walk leader’s adrenaline, I expect. We thanked her and said our goodbyes as our 4-wheeled ovens were allowed to cool down before heading home.

Report by Simon Thornhill

 National Grade: Moderate  Distance: 10.5miles / 13.7km  Leader: Fiona Kennedy  Date: July 15th 2026 

Fiona chose a significantly shady walk today which suited the hot and sunny conditions well. Twenty of us met in the free church car park at Penn Street. Our walk took us through the dappled shade of Penn Wood and Common Wood before emerging an hour later near Penn, where we stopped for our morning break by the pond. The warm sunshine had encouraged out quite a few locals but there were enough seats for everyone who wanted one. Moving on, Fiona led us down a quiet residential road and it was apparent that Penn was a prosperous village with many large gated properties and period cottages. Emerging from Penn, we passed the development that is turning the former Rayners school into a luxury hotel and spa complex. All behind closed construction hoarding we only had the artists impression to go on to see what it might become. With a large lake and landscaped gardens it did look like it would be impressive. Shortly afterwards we found ourselves in a very odd looking rather long corridor of what appeared to be dead Leylandii. Ugly and lifeless for the most part, it was nice to emerge into scenery and sunshine again. We were starting to notice that this was a walk with a predominance of styles. A landscaping development puzzled us as to what it was achieving. Without rain soon, we concluded that all the new planting would not last very long. Then we were into fields of very ripe-looking crops. Maybe prematurely dry and ready for harvest. Our layman farming ideas did not answer many of the questions but we did feel relatively confident in our crop identification abilities. We shortly arrived into Forty Green and passed the highly characterful Royal Standard of England which claims to be the oldest free-house in England. But Fiona had other ideas for our lunch stop and we continued on back to the eastern outskirts of Penn. There we stopped for our picnic in Holy Trinity churchyard and also a liquid refreshment at The Crown pub. This was also quite a characterful pub and with its sofas and comfy chairs we looked for a while to have decided that this was the end of the walk! However we had to return to our cars so back on our feet, we set off out across sun-drenched fields of crops and arrived at Winchmore Hill, passing Penn House on the way, where I snapped our group photo in the shade of trees along their main entrance drive. 

The gently rolling landscape looked so pretty with yellow fields, rich green woodland and bright blue skies. A gentle breeze for much of the day meant that we did not feel too hot when out across open countryside. We weaved our way back to Penn Street with one final gentle hill through freshly cut wheat and all the straw left piled into pleasing soft and warm strips across the field. Arriving back at our cars we thanked Fiona and complimented her on finding a decently shaded walk for a very warm day. Many of us looking forward to the England match that evening, we headed home.

Report by Simon Thornhill

   National Grade:Leisurely Distance: 7mi /11.3km  Leader: Barbara MacD Date: Jul 14th 2026

 The group photo this week was a selfie as there were only 3 of us on this Tuesday walk led by Barbara. Temperatures were a little lower than the previous week and we enjoyed a lovely country walk.
The morning was cloudy and cool, especially in the shady woods. Leaving Hodgemoor wood we joined the Chiltern Heritage Trail and followed it towards Coleshill to the outskirts of Brentford Grange Farm, then south past Stockings farm to cross the busy Amersham Road near Magpie Lane. 

This is typical Chiltern countryside with rolling fields some harvested already, a large field with cows and at least 1 bull though far enough away not to notice us.  We got a good view of the windmill at Coleshill, saw a couple of deer and a host of butterflies who seemed to be enjoying the heatwave. There were mainly Gatekeepers but also a couple of Red Admirals one of whom rested on Julie’s sleeve for a while.   

When we reached a narrow path Barbara strode ahead clearing any overgrowth with her trusty secateurs.

Arriving at the southern end of Hodgemoor woods on our return we stopped to explore an abandoned and graffitied building that appeared to be some sort of former pump house. We speculated that Simon T would know but Mr Google eventually revealed that this was indeed once a pump house and was probably built to feed ornamental gardens at Rawlings farm. There’s always something new to discover!

We really enjoyed this walk and hope it will be repeated possibly during bluebell season. 

Report by:  Catherine Kelly

  National Grade:Leisurely Distance: 6mi /9.7km  Leader: Jon K Date: Jul 11th 2026

Four hardy souls  joined Jon on yet another hot day……not the hottest but certainly hot enough for us all to take comfort from Jon’s promise that much of the walk would be in the shade.  As an added inducement we were promised a pub stop.

Burnham Beeches is a popular spot.  The car park was busy.  But within a few minutes of leaving the start point we found ourselves enjoying the peace and quiet of a woodland walk as we headed towards Upper and Middle Ponds.  In fact our only companions were a a group of ponies running through the woods.  Someone noted that they were not sticking to the bridle path.  

After leaving woodland behind us Jon explained that we would be walking across some open fields.  Although the sun was shining we were able to keep to the field edges where there was some shade, and the prospect of a drink at the Blackwood Arms at Littleworth Common kept us going.  The pub proved to be a welcome rest point.  The garden was very attractive and one could see why film and TV directors have chosen the pub for films such as “My Week with Marilyn” as well as an episode of “Midsomer Murders”.

After leaving the pub we started our return journey.  We walked through Dorney Wood and then, after crossing Park Lane, we headed north into the remote Staplefurze and Whitespark Woods.   Although we didn’t see many birds or mammals the footpaths and fallen trees were alive with insect life.

Just before we arrived back at the car park and a welcome ice cream, Jon stopped us to explain how most of Burnham Beeches  was requisitioned by the Army during World War II so that it could be used as a military base for storing vehicles.  The dense tree cover hid the vehicles from enemy reconnaissance aircraft.  In order to ensure access and hard standing the army used around 275,000 tons of rubble along some of the paths.   Much of the rubble came from buildings destroyed during the Blitz.  Although evidence of those wartime years is now largely gone, some paths still have old bricks and other debris embedded in them.

Many thanks to Jon for leading such an interesting walk and for looking after us so well.

Report by:  Rob Jones-Owen

      National Grade:Moderate  Distance: 8.5 mi /13.7km  Leader: Ian F. Date:  Jul 8th 2026

This walk was a late substitution due to the heatwave. The originally scheduled walk was longer and in a more exposed area so Ian F kindly stepped in to offer us an alternative with more opportunities for stops and shade.
Forecast temperatures were over 30 degrees and for those who weren’t put off by the heat there was the added hurdle of problems on the Metropolitan line so it was a pleasant surprise to find that 16 of us were determined or foolhardy enough to make it to the start point at Chalfont and Latimer. In fact, on this occasion the Met line problems favoured us because Haresh and Pushpa had intended to go on an earlier shorter walk but missed the start time.

We set off, making a bee line for West Wood, and breathed a sigh of relief as we felt the temperature dropping as soon as we reached the shade of the trees. Hogging the shade as much as possible we then made our way to Chenies Manor where we stopped for a hydration break while admiring the grade 1 listed building.
We followed the River Chess for a while and stopped at a crossing where we enjoyed a cool and shady respite as we sat on the boardwalk for lunch. Ian informed us that this was lunch part 1 as there was a pub stop to come.
The steepest part of the walk followed but we were rewarded by arriving at The Cock Inn, a lovely old pub with thick walls and an opportunity to supplement our lunch rations and top up our water bottles at the ‘human hydration station’.
As usual there was discussion about walking kit but rather than how well our waterproofs were performing or the best gaiters, this time we were intrigued by Haresh and Pushpa’s sun reflecting umbrellas, Jane’s Ice Cooling Towel and of course my Outback sun hat got another outing.

After lunch we circled back towards the river Chess and stopped for our now traditional photo on the narrow bridge near Sarratt which has railing on just one side. Thanks to Mariella for taking the group photo and even risking an unscheduled dip in the Chess as she carefully made her way along the back of the group to get off the bridge!

Emerging from the shade into the streets of Chorleywood we noticed how much hotter it seemed. The lure of an air conditioned cafe that Sara had discovered in Chorleywood proved irresistible for a few of us so we took a break there while everybody else headed for the station.
We are lucky to have the Chess Valley within easy reach and grateful to Ian for stepping in to lead this lovely walk.

Report by:  Catherine Kelly

 National Grade: Leisurely  Distance: 8.5miles / 13.7km  Leader: Judy Purves  Date: July 7th 2026 

A hot day was forecast but with a sea breeze, the more acceptable temperatures encouraged eight of us to join Judy at Fenchurch Street for a day by the sea (well, the tidal mudflats between Benfleet and Leigh on Sea, at least). By chance, we met Anne at Fenchurch Street who happened to be travelling on the same train but to a different destination. Once at Benfleet we set off up a small hill and soon out into Hadleigh Country Park. The views over the Thames Estuary towards Tilbury and across Canvey Island were very impressive. The scene was made of a multitude of tiny muddy watercourses with thick tidal vegetation. The tide was out so most of the small sailing boats were sitting in the mud waiting to be released again by the next incoming tide. Judy warned us to look out for snakes and be observant of butterflies. No snakes were seen but several kinds of butterflies were very evident. Our walk through the country park was largely in the shade and we climbed up until we arrived at the visitor centre. This was owned by the Salvation Army and there was a cafe, toilets, picnic areas and play equipment for children. We mostly sat in the shade for our morning break. An information board described how 100 years ago, the area was once used for brick-making and had its own narrow gauge railway to take the bricks down to ships moored in the Thames. Continuing on after the break we headed towards Hadleigh Castle and passed the Salvation Army Rare Breeds Farm on the way. The castle consists of a number of remains of walls and a large tower with a few smaller remains of towers. An information board shows how it would have looked in 1239 and it became a favourite royal residence for King Edward III. It certainly has commanding views over the estuary. In more recent times, the castle was a favourite of John Constable too who loved to visit and paint it.

Coming down slowly from the castle towards the coast at Leigh on Sea, there was a gentle sea breeze to keep the heat at bay a little. The C2C trains frequently plied their way back and forth and were very evident in this flat and exposed landscape. Cargo ships were observed much further out in the main body of the Thames. Arriving into the pretty village of Leigh on Sea we said goodbye to three of our number, two of whom took the train back. The rest of us looked for shade and a place to have lunch and a drink. Simon C, Sara and myself found an unoccupied picnic bench outside a sea-front pub. Not totally unoccupied though as there was a baby buggy alongside it but no sign of the owner. We sat down and noticed two baby feet sticking out. Shortly afterwards a man came to us and asked if we would look after his baby while he went into the pub. Slightly surprised, we said yes and expected him to come out with a drink. Half an hour went past and no sign of the man. We were ready to leave but couldn’t just walk off and leave our newly acquired baby so we started to look for him. No sooner had we stepped away and he reappeared and retrieved his baby. Very odd, we all thought and had a laugh about it afterwards.

Our walk after lunch was on Two Tree Island. This is now a quiet nature reserve just outside Leigh. There are well defined footpaths through the impenetrable foliage and extensive views across this tidal marshy island. At one point we heard singing and there was a guitarist playing and singing to the abandoned shell of an old sunken wrecked ship. Essex life, we thought! A bird hide gave us a temporary sit down. No birds were seen, however. We decided a mini-group photo would be nice. Looking at the photo afterwards, Catherine’s face was completely hidden by a metal strap. Later on she cleverly removed herself from the photo but there is a tiny clue left behind as to where she was sitting!

We decided that it was getting too hot to continue so we walked the short distance to Leigh station and caught the beautifully air conditioned C2C train back to London and straight into the 5pm rush hour. Back to London reality! Thank you Judy for a very pleasant day out and rather different to many of our walks.

Report by Simon Thornhill