Newsletter and

Programme September 2015

www.stalbansrambler.com

Now that summer holidays are fading into the distance and the children are back to school, we have lots of walking for

you to join in with coming up in the next few months.

23 SAR members are off to ALSACE for a week of walking in the glorious French countryside. The grapes will be ripen-

ing for another vintage and Alsace in September usually has fine weather. Our final weekend trip of the year is in Oc-

tober and takes us to the ISLE OF WIGHT. This trip is fully booked but contact Paul if you are interested.

The last evening walk of the year is on 3RD SEPTEMBER and is in the area around HARPENDEN. Day walks coming up

include FLAMSTEAD and GREAT GADDESDEN in September and WENDOVER in October. Morning walks are in POTTEN

END and BROOKMANS PARK. And of course TRIMBLES continue as always.

In addition there are a couple of special events for your diary.

Firstly we are running a special event as a fundraiser for the relief efforts in NEPAL. See below for details

Then on November 28th there is the SAR social, which is taking place at Redbourn Parish Centre with a Spanish

theme, with music woven round history and a Spanish themed supper. BOOK NOW!

Dates for your Diary

Several members of SAR have visited this amazing country and were shocked to hear of the devastation wrought by the earthquakes that occurred in April and May. Whole communities were wiped out and it will take a very long time to rebuild the infrastructure. Fortunately the summer months are when the monsoon season happens so it is now a quiet season for tourism in general and for trekking in particular and there is time for some rebuilding and to assess the safety for trekkers to return in the new trekking season. We visited NEPAL in October and November last year and were particularly affected when we saw that the valley we visited was one of the worst affected. We had booked our return visit for October 2015 before the earthquake and are now waiting to hear whether we are able to go. In the meantime we are trying to raise funds for the area and to this end we are putting on a talk at REDBOURN PARISH CENTRE with EXODUS TRAVELS, the company we have travelled to Nepal with, to show the progress of the relief efforts they have already made. There will also be information about other trips

that they run, including Croatia, Madeira, and Catalunya. Exodus are supporting the event and providing light refresh-ments so all the money raised will go straight to the funds for NEPAL. When we visit we also hope to take with us the things that are required (possibly fleeces as winter will be coming, medicines and other items (as long as our luggage will allow.) If you would like to attend, we are requesting a minimum of £5 to ensure you have a place, required asap to ensure we can plan for the correct numbers. Friends and family are welcome to attend and we hope you can consider supporting this event.

Appeal for Nepal Earthquake relief. 29th September. Talk by Exodus Travels

Left: the peaceful vil-lage of LANGTANG when we were there in October 2014 Right : The same scene in April 2015

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New members

We are always delighted to have new members walking with us and try to extend a warm welcome when we meet them so say hello! When you meet new members on a walk

Loop the Loop!

The London Loop. About 8 SAR members have expressed an interest in walking the London Loop, a long distance path around outer Lon-don, and the EVC have given the go ahead to the provisional plans. The fifteen sections will be walked over two years with 3 days being included in the regular Sunday walks programme. SAR members will of course be free to join any, or as many of the walks as they wish.

The proposed dates for 2016 are as follows-

Sun Feb 14th (regular SAR walk day) Erith- Old Bexley.

Sun Mar 6th Old Bexley- Jubilee Park.

Sat April 30th Jubilee Park- West Wickham Common.

Sun June 19th West Wickham Common- Hamsey Green.

Sun July 17th Hamsey Green- Banstead Downs.

Sun Aug 21st Banstead Downs- Kingston Bridge.

Sat Oct 15th Kingston Bridge- The Causeway.

Sun Dec 4th (regular SAR walk day) The Causeway- Uxbridge Lock.

These walks will be advertised in the usual way, in the Newsletter followed by a round robin email, but if you want to

know more contact Tina

Happy Birthday to the Pennine Way

The PENNINE WAY is 50 years old in 2015.

Something to celebrate, as it was the first of the long

distance trails to be opened. It took 20 years from the

idea being put forward in 1935 to the whole 267 miles

being in place, but in the years since 1965 numerous

national trails and long distance paths have been

opened ,from CAPE WRATH in the north to the SOUTH

WEST COASTAL PATH at the other end of the country.

These vary between short trails such as THE TWO CAS-

TLES TRAIL (about 24 miles) to the said SOUTH WEST

COASTAL PATH at 630 miles.

Most years SAR members walk all or part of one of

these paths. Most recently we were on the GREAT GLEN

WAY in the north of Scotland and next year we will walk

the DALES WAY. Previously SAR has run trips on the

WEST HIGHLAND WAY and notably the COAST TO COAST

walk

Hertfordshire Year of walking

2015 is the HERTFORDSHIRE YEAR OF WALKING.

The aim is to get the people of Hertfordshire out and about

getting fitter and enjoying being outdoors.

A great shame then that the County Council did not promote

this better through walking groups like SAR. We are already

keen to walk and to encourage new members to join in. The

shorter walks that are now running regularly are ideal for peo-

ple new to walking or coming back to walking after a gap.

Our Wednesday morning walks offer a perfect introduction.

The walks are fairly short (not more than five or six miles and

the distance is covered at a steady pace.) At the end, there is

an opportunity to join fellow walkers for a drink (there is al-

ways a pub somewhere around) or a bite of lunch. Perfect to

let new members or visitors get to know more about the

group and our activities.

There have been lots of activities going on and the Council

has been offering support to people wanting to start walking

groups or promote activities.

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MONTH

DATE TIME LOCATION

SEPTEMBER

3(Thur) 6-12 13 16 27 29**

Evening Away All Day Morning Morning Evening

Harpenden Alsace Flamstead/Gt Gaddesden Potten End Batchwood Redbourn (Nepal talk)

OCTOBER

4 9-12 21 25

All Day Away Morning Morning

Wendover Isle of Wight Brookmans Park Heartwood

NOVEMBER

8 18 28 29

All Day Morning Evening Morning

Chelsea Ashridge/Ivinghoe Redbourn Verulam

DECEMBER

13 16 26 27

All Day Morning Daytime Morning

Harefield London Colney Wheathampstead Batchwood

JANUARY

1 10 20 24/31?

Daytime All Day Morning Morning

? Waltham Cross Sandridge Heartwood

FEBRUARY

14 17 28

All Day Morning Morning

LOOP- Erith- start TBA Verulam

AWAY EVENTS both WEEKEND and FULL WEEK are in GREEN ALL DAY RAMBLES are in Black - These day walks take place on the second Sunday in the month, and are the SAR signature traditional „a la carte‟ offerings. They vary in character and timing with the leaders, but the day walks are generally 10 to 12 miles in length, with an average walking speed of 2-2.5 mph. Many leaders are exploring new routes for them, some of which are local and others of which start up to an hours drive away. MORNING RAMBLES are in Purple - These are on the third Wednesday morning in the month, followed by an op-tional café or pub lunch. They are half-day rambles, usually 5 to 7 miles in length, led at our regular walking speed of 2-2.5 mph. Exceptions make life interesting though, so there are some! EVENING/ SPECIAL RAMBLES are in Red - Summer evening rambles, of about 5 miles in length, are offered on a day suiting the leader, in the first week of the month. There are sometimes extra rambles, like on Boxing Day.

MORNING TRIMbles are in Blue - A TRIMble is for those who want to keep speed up (three miles an hour) and value

the chance to walk 7 miles in an efficient length of time to do plenty of other things in the day. They take place on the

fourth or fifth Sunday in the month, starting at 9.30am and finishing at noon. We currently rotate three local rural cir-

cuits for these brisk walks.

SAR Six Month Events Plan July to December 2015

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If you want to take part

in any of our

activities, read on!

Joining a day walk

Please ring the contact a few days in advance to let them know you are planning to come and for full details: start time, directions, car sharing, etc. They will look out for you, espe-

cially if you are a new member.

If you‟re subsequently unable to come please try to let the organ-iser know, so we don‟t keep the whole party waiting. Most or-ganisers can give you a mobile

phone number.

Joining a trip away

Express interest!

Helps us get a handle on likely numbers. It does NOT constitute a firm booking, but please let organisers know if you change your mind

Book now!

To secure a place you need to confirm your participation with the named contact and send them a deposit cheque payable to St Albans Rambler. All monies paid to SAR are ac-cepted on the understanding that members agree the terms in the Finance Policy. Fully

booked!

If you‟re interested in an event flagged fully booked, do ring the e v e n t c o n t a c t . Participants drop out sometimes, especially for events planned a long way in advance. We may still be able to find you a space. And apologies if you find many events fully booked. We have to work well in advance to secure the accommodation we want, especially at peak times.

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Sunday 13th September Day walk: Flamstead to Great Gaddesden circular

This circular 10.8 mile walk will begin in Flamstead. We will walk to Great Gaddes-

don via Nirvana and Bridens Camp and then back to Flamstead via Gaddesden

Row and Jockey End. The walk is over typical rolling Hertfordshire countryside

through fields and woods and ends at the pub in Flamstead.

Thursday 3rd September Evening walk Harpenden circular

This 5.5 mile circular walk begins at the Amenbury Lane car park (at the Leisure Centre) Harpenden and proceeds through Rothamstead Park to the Nicky Line (disused railway track ) hence to Redbourn. We return to Harpenden via Hammonds End Farm and Rothampstead Park. There is a choice of pubs at the end of the walk for those wanting refreshments. .

Wednesday 16th September Morning walk: Potten End, Berkhamsted

This circular walk starts and finishes at Martin's Pond pub, The Green, Potten End.

The route follows the course of Grim's Ditch, an iron age earthworks, through lovely

countryside with beautiful views past Berkhamsted Castle, along Grand Union Ca-

nal, to Berkhamsted Common and through Frithsden Beeches back to Potten End.

Distance of route is around 7 miles. Plenty of car parking opposite Martin's Pond

pub where we can also have a drink or lunch after the walk.

Programme September- November 2015

Sunday 6th September to Saturday 12th September

Alsace Walking Week

Nestled on the borders of Switzerland and Germany and separated from the rest of

France by the Vosges Mountains, Alsace enjoys an excellent climate with Septem-

ber a particularly great time for walking.

Our walking starts in the midst of the Alsace vineyards near the superb city of Col-

mar, world renowned for its paintings and sculptures. Our walk will lead us through

Grand Cru vineyards and flower decked wine villages with cobbled streets and half-

timbered houses. .

We will visit some of the most beautiful villages in France, such as Riquewihr,

Turckheim and Eguisheim. The forests and hills of the Vosges Mountains of Alsace

are celebrated for their unspoiled beauty and numerous castle ruins.

At the end of each full day we can relax and enjoy the excellent Alsatian wines and

cuisine. Alsace is a wonderful place for gourmets as it offers more Michelin starred

restaurants than any other region of France! Great wines too.

FULLY BOOKED!

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Your ideas?

Please ring or email one of the

Events Coordination Team if

you have an idea for a walk or

event or have seen a good

place to stay. Even if you don‟t

want to organise or lead, we

can pass ideas on for further

investigation. Or just have a

chat to any committee member

on one of our walks

Your safety

Leaders take reasonable care

for the safety of the party. But

it‟s your responsibility to see

that you are properly equipped,

to take responsibility for your

own safety and that of others.

SAR has appropriate Public

Liability Insurance but you

should have your own personal

accident cover.

Committee meeting

Our next committee meeting will

be on 14th October If you have

items for consideration please

send to Julie by 10th October

Newsletter

The next newsletter will be on

17th October 2015. If you have

anything for inclusion, please

send to Diane by 14th October

NOTE this is quite early as we

are likely to be away on 1st

November

Contributions from members

are always welcomed.

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Sunday 27th September TRIMble: Batchwood

We start from the car park at Batchwood to follow an improved circuit, so now is

your chance to have a brisk morning walk from Batchwood through Childwickbury

and Redbournbury. If you enjoy the chance to keep a steady pace to walk seven

miles by 12.00 noon, we will be delighted if you can join us.

Sunday 4th October All Day Sunday Ramble: Wendover Woods and the Grand Union Canal

Starts/finishes at Car Park next to library, High Street, Wendover HP22 6DX. Meet

10.00 for 10.15 start.

October should be an excellent time of year for this beautiful circular walk of just

over 10 miles as it takes us through extensive areas of woodland which should be

demonstrating the many colours of early autumn by then.

From the centre of Wendover the walk follows the route of The Ridgeway, firstly

through farmland, and then through woodlands, where it rises steadily towards

Hales End before entering Wendover Woods. As we rise through Wendover

Woods we will be greeted by occasional but superb views across the Vale of

Aylesbury. Towards the northern end of the woods we drop down through more

open countryside to a very quiet stretch of the Grand Union Canal (Wendover Arm)

which we follow all the way back into Wendover, the walk along the canal bank

being such an excellent contrast to the earlier stretches of the walk.

Tuesday 29th September Special Evening event and fundraiser for earthquake relief in NEPAL

Several members of SAR have made their way to Nepal over the years and all of us

were sad to hear of the devastation wrought by the earthquakes in April and May

this year. This is a fundraising event to aid the relief effort in Nepal

If you can support this fundraiser, please reserve your place by sending a

cheque for £5 as soon as possible to Ralph at the address on the back page

and for further information contact us on 01727 838438

ralphlevey@btinternet.com

Friday 9th-Monday 12th October Isle of Wight

We will be staying in the “west wing” of Northcourt House in the village of Shorwell not far from Brighstone in the south west of the island. Northcourt House is the largest of the island‟s Jacobean manor houses dating from 1615 on the site of a 13th century monastery. Our accommodation consists of 7 double or twin bedded rooms, together with 7 bathrooms, either en-suite or separate, so we hope to be a party of 14.

FULLY BOOKED!

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Sunday 25th October TRIMble: Heartwood Come and see Heartwood Forest in its autumn glory. Join us on a brisk 7 mile walk, setting off at 09:30am - back by Noon. Are you up for it?

Wednesday 21st October Morning walk: Brookmans Park

This 6 mile walk around Brookmans Park and North Mymms gives us good views of the grounds of the Royal Vet-

erinary College and takes us to the remote church of St. Mary in North Mymms.

There will be a pub at the end for either lunch or a reviving drink.

Wednesday 18th November Morning walk: Ashridge Estate to Ivinghoe Beacon

This morning walk is quite a favourite with Ramblers. We will start from the car park by the National Trust Café at the

Bridgewater monument and make our way through the oak, beech and sycamore woodlands up to Ivinghoe Beacon

with it‟s splendid views over surrounding countryside. We will wend our way back to the café where we can have lunch

or, if you prefer, there are other options in nearby Aldbury.

This is always a lovely place to visit – hope to see you then

Sunday 8th November Day walk: Chelsea

Meeting at 10.00am at Sloane Square Tube Station we head towards Chelsea Embankment via The Royal Hospital

Chelsea and Ranelagh Gardens. Walking down the Embankment we will take in the artist and intellectual corner, pass-

ing Chelsea Physic Garden, a large number of blue plaques, old churches and various squares before arriving at Lots

Power Station and World's End Estate. From here we make our way up to Brompton Cemetery and then on to

'Chelsea's Cathedral'.

The next stop is Holland Park, passing by Leighton House and St Marys Abbot and finishing the walk at High Street

Kensington. Those wishing to shop at Harrods or Harvey Nics can do so at their leisure.

There will be comfort stops and depending on the weather the opportunity to eat a packed lunch in one of the parks.

Those not wishing to participate in a longer walk can finish at Kings Road and make their way back to Sloane Square

Station.

(Further details see http://northcourthouse.co.uk/stay-with-us/little-northcourt/)

There are footpaths directly from the House onto the various trails and the village has the usual facilities by way of a

village shop, church and pub. The island is well served by buses, Shorwell being on the route from Newport to Fresh-

water/Yarmouth. Our accommodation is self-catering and Anna intends to prepare the evening meals as well as hav-

ing all the provisions required for breakfast and packed lunches for everyone.

We will be walking both Saturday and Sunday but have nothing planned for the Monday when we will have to vacate

the property around 10:00am, but can always consider something to suit our party.

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AWAY TRIPS - 2016

For all trips you are interested in, it is very important that you contact the organiser at the earliest to express

your interest. This is to ensure that sufficient accommodation is booked for popular trips . For trips that are

FULLY BOOKED, it is always worth contacting the organiser as places often become available. Your name will be

put on a waiting list.

Sunday 29th November

TRIMble: Verulam

This brisk circuit starts in Verulam Road by the BP Garage and includes Verulamium Park, open country south of St

Albans and the permissive path through the Gorhambury estate, It covers a distance of between 7 and 8 miles at three

miles an hour, returning about noon. If you can maintain a speed of a mile in 20 minutes for a morning, why not join in?

Friday 18th March to Monday 21st March 2016 Hastings and the Kent Coast

The first trip of the SAR 25th Anniversary year follows the “luxury” weekend model of a hotel in a place of historical in-

terest with bad weather options and options for non-walking partners. There are excellent coastal walks and places of

interest such as Rye, Winchelsea and the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway. On both Saturday and Sunday

there will be the choice between a longer walk of 10-12 miles and a shorter walk of 6-8 miles. On Monday a morning

walk will be followed by a lunch/refreshment stop before we part ways for the journey home. Our seafront hotel offers 3

nights DBB for £126 shared (+£48 single supplement). http://www.royalvichotel.co.uk/

On Friday there will be the opportunity to stop 20 miles north of Hastings for an optional lunch and a combined tour of

Chapel Down Vineyard and Small Hythe, a beautiful 16th Century National Trust house and gardens, home of Victorian

actress Dame Ellen Terry (NT members £7, Non-NT members £13.30). http://www.chapeldown.com/visit-chapel-down

Following the great success of our Stratford-upon-Avon, Lewes and Salisbury weekends, this trip is already attracting a

great deal of interest so come and join us and be part of the SAR 25th Anniversary celebrations.

There are still a few spaces on this trip so to secure a place please send a £25 cheque payable to St Albans Rambler

to Ralph as soon as possible

BOOK NOW!

Saturday 28th November Spanish themed evening in Redbourn Parish Centre

This year‟s end of season get-together will have a Spanish theme with Spanish style buffet and Spanish music to enter-tain us. This is a great opportunity to meet friends you may not have seen for a while and enjoy a relaxed social evening. As the date is only 3 months away, we are asking you to pay the full amount now and we are keeping the price at £15, the same as last year

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Friday 15th April to Monday 18th April 2016 Suffolk Broads and Coast

On the edge of Oulton Marsh near Lowestoft, Camps Heath Barn is an excellent self catering property with fine views

over the nature reserve managed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Walks include the Angles Way which passes the end of the

garden of the property. There is a good mix of double and twin rooms, at a cost of £117.86 per person for a 3 night stay

(based on 14). http://www.campsheathbarn.co.uk/

On Friday there will be the option to visit Southwold for a tour/tasting at the Adnams Distillery where they make their

Copper House Dry Gin, voted “the World‟s Best Gin” at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2013.

https://tours.adnams.co.uk/ Whilst the quantity available for tasting may be modest, the visit will be followed by lunch

and a leisurely 4 mile circular walk around Southwold, before the 14 mile drive to Camps Heath Barn.

We will provide food for breakfasts and packed lunches and will cater for evening meals.

Although this trip is fully booked, you can put your name on the waiting list by contacting Ralph.

FULLY BOOKED!

Camps Heath Barn is a lovely tranquil place to stay with fine views over the Broads and an ex-cellent starting point for walks

Sunday 5th June to Sunday 12th June 2016

Trails of Hidden Tuscany

Garafagnana Adventures operate from the Agriturismo Braccicocorti, a

typical Garafagnana farm, run by the Giovannetti family, where we can

be assured of a warm welcome and the opportunity to try some local

specialities, many of which are organic products from the farm. 16 peo-

ple can be accommodated at the farm and a further 8 at the neighbour-

ing Agriturismo il Carlotto.

Garafagnana Adventures was set up by Rupert, a British guide who mar-

ried the daughter of the Giovannetti family back in 2002. He will organise

our day walks around the Hidden Trails of Tuscany. If there are 24 of us on the trip then there should be an opportunity

to choose between moderate and more challenging walks each day.

Details can be found at http://www.braccicorti.it/en/index3.php Booked direct, the cost of the package comprising accommodation, meals, guided walks and transport is circa

650 Euros. Airport transfers to/from Pisa airport are included but we need to budget for a further £150 for

Easyjet flights to Pisa from Luton. To reserve a place send a cheque for £50 payable to St Albans Rambler to

Ralph (address on the back page) and for more information

BOOK NOW!

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Monday September 26th to Tuesday 4th October 2016

The Dales Way (Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere)

This trek featured in Clare Balding‟s Radio 4 “Ramblings”

programme. Based on covering the 80 miles in 7 days (8

nights) the cost with Absolute Escapes is £545 for standard

accommodation with luggage transfers. For repeat business

with Absolute Escapes we have negotiated a 5% discount

for SAR members.

Please note that to avoid 17 miles on Day 3, Absolute Escapes have agreed to even out the mileage by lengthening

Day 2 to 15 miles and shortening Day 3 to 11 miles, but otherwise the itinerary is as shown on their website. As accom-

modation is relatively scarce on some sections of the walk, early booking is recommended.

https://www.absoluteescapes.com/Dales-Way-Overview.html

Friday 21st October to Monday 24th October 2016

North Wiltshire Cotswolds

In searching for “luxury” weekend ideas we found the Angel Hotel, Chippenham which is used by The Ramblers in

some of their Cotswold holidays. By booking direct the rate for 3 nights DBB is £157.50 (single supplement tbc). The

Angel is a great base for exploring the hills, rivers and villages around Lacock, Castle Combe and Bradford-on-Avon.

The hotel also has a heated swimming pool and a gymnasium.

Although the programme for next year is filling up quickly, there is still space for another away trip.

I would like to hear from anyone who has ideas for a walking weekend, especially if it can be done in the summer

months, as that is when we currently have a gap. If you have an idea but are not keen to organise a trip on your own,

there are always experienced leaders willing to support those that come forward. So if you have a favourite part of the

country that you would like to share with fellow walkers, contact me and I am more than happy to discuss what you can

offer and how to go about setting things up. Ralph

Page 9

BOOK NOW!

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Wednesday 1ST July. Evening walk: Park Street, Rivers Ver and Colne.

On a lovely summer evening, with a record high temperature,

a group of eight set off undeterred by the heat for a sedate

stroll following the Rivers Ver and Colne.

At the confluence of the rivers, the group stood and enjoyed

the views. Further on we took a short break by the River Ver

where Julie surprised everyone by nimbly crossing the river

on stepping stones.

The return route crossed over the busy M25 motorway and

the group received encouraging horn blasts from the vehicles

passing below.

At the end of the walk everyone parted in good humour al-

though hot and sticky – no doubt heading off for a well de-

served cold drink.

Roger and Martine

Sunday 8th July Day walk: Ridgmont

A small but enthusiastic group set off from All Saints Church at Ridgmont to complete a loop walk that includes a sec-

tion of the Greensand Ridge. The walkers crossed the M1, heading across ripening grain fields, before heading gradu-

ally uphill to Jackdaw Hill wedged between Millbrook Golf Course and the vehicle proving ground. The roar of a single

vehicle under test could be heard, but there were no actual sightings (pity

as the 1 in 1 test gradient would have been fun to watch). We caught

sight of Millbrook church, famed for its ironstone structure (according to

Liz). We continued across fields, at times waste high in nettles and al-

most impassable blackberry canes and reached the wind turbine on the

shores of the man-made Stewartby Lake. The complete area has been

reclaimed with only 4 towering chimneys of the ancient brick works re-

maining; now a recreational area with boating, cycle tracks etc. We en-

joyed lunch overlooking the Lake, timing departure so as to take shelter

from a heavy shower (taking advantage of the local facilities to have a

coffee). The group continued to the unusual church at Marston Moretaine, unfortunately locked. The church which

dates from the 15th century houses reputedly the best maintained „doom painting‟ in the UK; the church stands adjacent

to a watchtower (as an alternative to the normal steeple) where residents once sheltered from marauding raiders. The

group continued across further grain fields, clambering over fairly formidable steps to cross the railway line. Unfortu-

nately the next heavy shower was unavoidable, though the soaking group soon dried out by the time they reached a

lookout overlooking Lidlington. The 12 miles were completed by retracing steps back to Ridgmont where a few enjoyed

a welcome refreshment at the Rose and Crown. Thanks go to Liz for suggesting this walk as part of a series of walks

that will be undertaken to complete the Greensand Ridge Walk.

Recent Local Walks

A small group brave re-cord temperatures

Carefully over the step-ping stones, though a dip might have been wel-come

Left: Stewartby Lake

Right: Lunchtime

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Sunday 25th July

TRIMble: Heartwood Forest

A good turnout and cheerful smiles for a thoroughly wet TRIMble

Wednesday 15th July Morning Walk: Flamstead to Markyate A select bunch of seven, ably led by Anna Upton, followed a Snap, Crackle, Pop! of a walk from Flamstead, home to no fewer than 65 listed buildings, along a small part of the route of that well known Roman road, Watling Street that con-nects Dover to Wroxeter. The half way point was Markyate where we did a U-turn and picked up the Hertfordshire Way crossing numerous fields of barley, oil seed rape and wheat up to our waists, provoking thoughts of the Elysian Fields of ancient times and the immortal words of the song ”Fields of Gold”: -

You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky as we walk in fields of gold. A golden walk back to Flamstead. It doesn‟t get much better than this. Mark Archer

Tuesday 4th August Evening walk: Leverstock Green and Bedmond Twenty one SAR members gathered on a pleasant summer evening to walk across the fields from Leverstock Green to Bedmond and back. As so often happens with walks in Hertfordshire, there were many comments about how we are in the middle of a busy road system with towns on all sides, yet we can stand at the edge of a wood looking over a fine pastoral scene that is as tranquil as it would have been a hundred years ago. Can this really be on the edge of Hemel Hempstead only a few minutes from busy motorways? With Anna and Paul keeping watch for the dogs, we walked across fields, through woodland and even across some-one‟s garden (still on a footpath!). It was interesting to note that by the time we returned to Leverstock Green for a cold drink in the Leather Bottle, light was fading and showing us that the year is turning, something you are not always aware of when you are inside in the evening.

Sunday 8 August Day Walk: Goring About five years ago 14 of us walked with Mike Fitzpatrick along the Thames pathway from Goring and into the coun-tryside beyond. On the 8 August we (13 of us this time) again met in Goring to walk in the opposite direction, led this time by Liz Holliday. Beginning at the Wheel Orchard car park we set off to a local coffee shop to fortify ourselves for the trek ahead. Then it was straight across the Thames to Streatley and north along the river pathway. There was plenty of gentle cruising on

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the river and a few rowers out with their coach. We passed houses at Moulsford mentioned in „Three Men in a Boat‟

and locations used in „Midsummer Murders‟. Then we turned westward up into the hills.

Climbing the gentle slopes of Cholsey Downs to Lowbury Hill we reached a vantage point with a panoramic view of

distant horizons, golden corn fields and Didcot power station. We lunched at that point much to the curiosity of a large

group of heifers and bullocks who soon gave up interest in us and thankfully wandered off to pastures new.

After lunch we passed through the village of Aldworth and St Mary‟s church where there are the 14 century Aldworth

Giants, larger than life effigies of several generation of the de la Beche family. Also in the churchyard is a memorial to

Lawrence Binyon author of the poem For the Fallen, used at Remembrance Day services. After this we visited „The

Bell Inn‟ for a welcome drink.

19th August Morning walk: Wimpole

We twenty one walkers met up at the stable block of Wimpole Hall and Liz led us across fields and beyond Home Farm to the wooded walk to the north. Memories of our encounter with the ferocious bullocks of Sarratt gave rise to some trepidation as we walked through a field grazed by a herd of Chillingworth cattle. Fortunately they weren't as interested in us as we were wary of them. Elm tree survivors of Dutch disease still grow in the woods alongside the path and hedgehogs reportedly thrive in the undergrowth though we weren't fortunate

enough to catch a sighting of these timid creatures. We eventually emerged from the trees and enjoyed a brief tour of the Folly, regarded as the Rolls Royce of follies, built for the 1st Earl of Hardwick in mid eighteenth century. There's a Chinese Bridge at the bottom of the slope and we used it to cross the lake to reach an avenue of limes. We then walked in front of the hall itself and crossed the two and a half mile south avenue to return to the stable block. Liz deserved our thanks for lead-ing us on such an interesting Wednesday morning ramble of four and a half miles.

Top: Wimpole Hall Left: SAR members at the folly Right: the folly

Sunday 23 August TRIMble: Verulam

We welcomed Rosemary Shaw to our select group of 7 for her first SAR walk. Luckily, we kept the hot dry weather

throughout (bit of a change from the last TRIMble) starting the route through St Michael‟s Village and the pleasantly

rural Gorhambury estate. Finishing through Verulamium Park, we were relieved to see that there were still a few ducks

(as well as coots, swans and geese) in evidence. Thanks to Sonja for setting the pace and getting us round in good

time. And well done Rosemary - not only did she keep the pace but she also still remembered everyone‟s name at the

end

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Friday 3rd to Monday 6th July Weekend trip: Monmouthshire/Herefordshire

On Friday 3rd July a goodly number of St Albans ramblers met in the beautiful Border country just outside Abergavenny

but firmly in Wales. Raring to go we scaled the Skirrid (1,594 feet) in no time as an opening warmup and a chance of a

bird‟s eye view of the weekend walking that was to follow. The circular route we were about to enjoy over the weekend

covers about 21 miles.

Welsh border country, with its historic strategic role of securing military con-

trol dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, proved a stunning lo-

cation for a SAR‟s weekend away.

Tony and Yvonne had explored the narrow country lanes to discover the

delightful remote Old Rectory in the settlement of Llangattock Lingoed. The

old stone house and beautifully refurbished tithe barn was the base for our

trip – with some ramblers choosing accommodation close by or, in Glenis‟s

case, with her son and his family. The nearby Hunters Moon pub provided a

welcoming venue for an evening‟s chat over the pleasures of the day and did

eventually get round to laying on a good dinner as well.

The overriding theme was the imposing ruins of the 3 red sandstone Norman castles of Grosmont, Skenfrith and the

White Castle that had once held such a commanding presence in the area and protected the route from Monmouth to

Abergavenny.

However, warring factions were far from the minds of our ramblers, who drank in views of lush pastures with grazing

sheep and crops and attractive woodland areas, ringed by range after range of hilltops and mountains. Over the week-

end, we had outstanding views over to the Brecon Beacons, the Black mountains, the slender ridge of Offa‟s dyke foot-

path, the Cotswolds to the north east and the Mendips hills beyond the Severn estuary.

There is always a price to pay for such outstanding views: the effort of gaining height. There were some pretty steep

sections where we were urged on by Tony‟s mellifluous reference to a “short incline” or “we‟ll just walk along there” and

Yvonne‟s promise of a treat such as the Monmouth bench where a break to take on several gulps of water was essen-

tial.

Resourceful Yvonne, ever aware of the importance of victualling, and to the

surprise of all, had found a wayside chapel for our morning coffee break and

then later urged us on to reach Grosmont before the Post Office closed and our

last chance of a Saturday paper and an ice cream would vanish.

Our walk was also characterised by an extraordinary number of stiles. Nearly

all of these were high and frequently set into the hillside, thus increasing the

difficulty of scrambling over and the athleticism required: a touch on the wane

by the end of the day.

Our first day ended on a pleasant shady downhill track into Skenfrith where we could hear the wafting sounds of music

and see the colourful striped pavilions of a Sealed Knot history pageant. Our ramblers weren‟t the only ones sweating

in the afternoon sun - the actors in fustian costume were looking red faced too.

Rendezvous on Skirrid summit

Stile number 30 or so

Recent Trips Away

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At the end of the day, we were pleased to see the minibus which was providing the transport logistics for the weekend

and were whisked back along those narrow country lanes for a good night‟s rest.

Sunday on returning to Skenfrith we had the time to further explore the Cas-

tle and the delightful Norman church in the

village before continuing our Trail towards White Castle. This is hilly walking

country, plenty of downs followed by the ups but today was undoubtedly

easier and the scenery rather more open with farms, large fields and even

more sheep. We were suddenly overtaken by a fierce storm and most of us

somehow crammed into a rickety old shed filled with logs - this was fine until

someone wondered whether there could be vipers in the woodpile? Where-

upon we all quietly thought we would prefer the heavy rain outside!

Lunch was taken cowering under dripping trees - a good test for hardy walkers and it does spoil the sandwiches. Natu-

rally as soon as we started off again the rain vanished and the sun emerged. We had a good look round White Castle

which is the best preserved and least crumbling of the three. Down the last hill and we had soon completed the whole

of the Three Castles Way (medals all round but still in the post!).

There was just a little 2 mile leg left back to the B & B along Offa‟s Dyke for a quick shower and change for supper.

With some indulgence the group used a mini bus for our evening trip to The Carpenters Arms pub in Walterstone

across the border into Herefordshire. Vera the owner, now in her late 80‟s and who was born in the pub, still sits in her

favourite seat welcomes and chats to all who come in (not difficult as this was by the bar). En route to the pub we

called to see Glenis‟s son Jason and family who have recently resettled in this beautiful area and are doing an amazing

job of renovating and refurbishing a large old hotel into smart self-catering accommodation. (St Albans Rambler watch

this space) Somehow they are doing all the work themselves with hard graft, enthusiasm and great flair - what it is to

be young.

The weather on Monday looked threatening and while some had decided to

return home a rump of our group tackled the nearby famous Sugar Loaf moun-

tain (1,955 feet). Having emerged from a steep climb up through stunning an-

cient woods the rain stopped and the sun came out for our easy spiralling as-

cent. A grassy path led down to the cars and typically we found that the pub

chosen for lunch was closed on Mondays! Anyway all the walking had been

brilliant and we hope that everyone went home fitter than when they arrived

albeit ready for a good rest.

We loved it all Jane, Yvonne and Tony

Climbing Sugar Loaf Mountain

Returning via Offa’s Dyke in the shadow of Skirrid