Weekend Walks

The club aims to put on local walks every weekend and where possible on both Saturdays and Sundays.

All the walks are led by a leader who will guide you along footpaths and bridleways through the countryside.

In recent months we have enjoyed walks in the Chilterns around Hambledon, Henley, Marlow, over the Berkshire Downs, along the Ridgeway and further afield in Surrey, Hampshire and Oxfordshire.

There is usually a morning coffee stop on all walks. On longer walks there will also be a lunch stop (bring packed lunch). We generally try to arrange the lunch stop near a country pub, so that those who want to can enjoy a sociable drink.

Weekends Away

We arrange club trips away to the hills and along the coastal paths around Britain . About twice a year we have a weekend in some good walking country. We usually travel by coach, around 30 of us, and stay together in a small hotel.

There is a choice of walks at two or three grades each day, varying from gentle strolls of about 5-6 miles (with perhaps a visit to a place of interest) to more energetic walks up to 9-10 miles, or even 12-15 miles if some of our mountain section members are on the trip.

Exmoor, Dartmoor, the Quantocks, the Cotswold Hills and the Cornish Coast Path are all popular destinations as are the Brecon Beacons, the Gower and mid-Wales.

Sometimes we arrange a week's holiday further afield to the Yorkshire Dales or the Lake District.

Health, beauty and happiness in Llandrindod Wells

Club trip to Wales 6th October 2007

The weather was dry but overcast as 28 ramblers met at Reading Station to travel to mid-Wales. Chris (our driver) made us welcome and we had a smooth drive, starting the first walks at lunchtime. Our destination was Llandrindod Wells. This is a Victorian Spa town which boomed 100 years ago when visitors came to drink, bath or have a water-pressure massage in the saline or sulphur springs.

Walkers for the A,B,C and D walks arranged themselves according to age, experience and inclination (or foolhardiness). A Party alighted at Llandegely for a 7.5-mile vigorous walk over Llandegely Rocks (1,430ft ) and then down to the lake. B and C Party walked via Alpine Bridge and did not escape the reality of the topography. For every up there is a down, and for every large up there is usually an equivalent very large down. But oh, for the very quietness, space, fresh air and sheer lung-busting exhilaration of the view from the top! D Party led their own expedition to the man-made lake in the centre of the town and were back at the Metropole Hotel to greet us all. The Metropole Hotel architecture is the most amazing style of Victorian whimsy, clad in forest-green stucco. It has two turrets and 250 bedrooms. Originally built in 1872 to accommodate 40 visitors who came to “take the waters”, it is a family hotel still run by a fifth generation manager, David Baird-Murray. It was very comfortable accommodation and the meals were of a high standard.

On Saturday evening, some of us had to have compulsory karaoke in our bedrooms until midnight. This was due to two coach parties of buxom ladies from the Women’s League of Health and Beauty descending on the hotel for their annual knees-up in the ballroom below! A gentleman walker was heard to remark that ladies at that volume (in more senses than one) were very scary and he was not sure that he would be able to fight his way to the bar!

On Sunday, the weather was overcast but brightening and the groups started their walks at the Elan Visitor Centre. This is at the foot of the Caban-couch reservoir. The reservoir was built to pipe clean water, by gravity feed, to Birmingham, and is still in use. The groups walked up past the Dam Busters’ practice dam at Ty’n-y-Pant. What a magical experience. The mist was just lingering in fairylike wisps over the lake. The air was so still. Not a ripple in the lake. The reflection of the mixed autumnal tints of the trees and hillside in the lake was mind-blowing. The mirror of the distant bridges made a picture postcard of a secret place, forgotten by time.

A and B Party continued their walks to 1,837ft to Gro Hill across (and in) open moorland. Our very own world bog snorkelling champion, Tom Harrison led the B Party in practice. The bog raft was tufty and wet. It could be traversed at speed. The minute that you stopped, you sank into the mire, having difficulty in heaving the sunken leg out without overbalancing. On the descent, I tripped and holding out my hands to save myself, was astonished to find the ground receding as I slid bodily down the hillside on my front. A lot of wet casualties returned to the visitor centre to dry out!

On Monday, the coach took us to Rhayader. The day was warmer and clear. Although Tom had stated that his walks were not of “bog standard”, there was a surprising reluctance of walkers to join his B Party Group! After a seriously lung-bursting ascent from Rhayader we walked (variously) down into the valley, through the dappled shade under the trees, and crossed the “Wibbly Wobbly Bridge” to Elan. C and D Party returned to the Halt Café for early lunch. A and b (small b) Parties went up along the ridge of the Wye Valley. As we walked, the sun then came out. It was glorious. The brash slashes of autumnal colours in the sudden sunlight with the smell of undergrowth and bracken. No sound other than light footsteps and the lazy buzz of insects in the gorse. Truly wonderful for October.

For forthcoming weekend trips, see the Walks Programmes.