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Monday
23rd January - Nat Ram Annual Walkers Dinner - London
Not
so much a walk, more of a tube ride! . This is the official launch
of the 2017 Walks Programme. It is at the Oxford Pub in Kentish
Town from 6pm to 10pm. It's a great opportunity to meet old friends,
discuss the walks, have a nice meal, great beer etc. Four hours
of nude bliss in mid-Winter in Central London - it's worth it
almost for its novelty value! Open only to Nat Ram and SOC walkers
and their friends. Tickets are £28.00 and need to be reserved
in advance from Steve Allott.
See
photo of the event
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Thursday
4th May - Leith Hill -Dorking
At
11 miles this is one of our shorter of our walks, but an ideal
one to start the new walking season. It is a popular walk, much
enjoyed and provides an excellent route through pleasant sheltered
woodland and very attractive valleys sloping gently up to Leith
Hill Tower. At 1000ft (317m) above sea level it is the highest
point in SE England. From here it is possible to see some of
the high buildings in Central London. In the other direction
you can look out across Gatwick Airport and see as far as the
South Downs.
See
photos of the event
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Tuesday
16th May - Chiltern Scarp -High Wycombe
On
leaving the pub, we pile into some of the cars to reach our starting
point on The Ridgeway Path. Passing under the M40, we climb to
the summit of Beacon Hill for an early lunch. This walk includes
two assaults on the scarp and is not suitable for weak hearts
or knees.
See
photos of the walk
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Tuesday
6th June - Dean's Bottom - Goring
This
is now a popular walk our programme, and it is the sixth walk
in our collection to make use - briefly this time - of The Ridgeway
long distance path. We meet in a tiny Berkshire hamlet and walk
through superb downland scenery in a large figure of eight. There
are ups and downs, so you have to be able to cope with several
steep climbs.
See
photos of the walk
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Wednesday
14th June - Acking Dyke - Salisbury
Ackling
Dyke is a name bestowed locally on the Roman road between Sarum
(now Salisbury) and Poole harbour, which we follow for several
miles. We are again on the high chalk downland and much of the
scenery is spectacular with lunch in a secluded Alpine meadow.
See
photos of the walk
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Thursday
22nd June - Bury Down - Didcot
This
is a wonderful walk over the downs between Reading and Didcot.
From the village, we will climb up onto and along the Ridgeway
with its great views, before turning south to drop down through
a winding valley to make a wide circle back to our start point.
See
photos of the walk
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Tuesday
27th June - Weald Side - Cowden
This
was a new walk for 2016 located near Cowden in Kent. We explore
the gently rolling countryside on the Kent / Surrey border, crowned
by the Dry Hill iron age hill fort. A patchwork of meadows, woods
and ponds, with enchanting views over the Eden valley to the
North and the Sussex Weald to the South.
See
photos of the walk
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Tuesday
4th July - Wepham Down - Arundel
This
was new in 2015. We have created a brilliant walk - very open
and nude friendly with magnificent views and explores the high
chalk downland. Parts of it are quite remote, almost reminiscent
of the Lakes!
See
photos of the walk
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Wednesday 12th July - Whiteways
- Amberley
This
was a much revised and improved walk in 2015. This walk starts
from a car park rather than a pub, although refreshments and
toilets are available in the car park. It follows the best bits
of the old Whiteways walk, but much of it is new. The revised
walk goes north to follow the high downland for some magnificent
open walking along the South Downs Way.
See
photos of the walk
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Thursday
20th July - Box Hill Maze - Dorking
This was a new walk for 2013 and has proved very popular. It
starts where the River Mole cuts through the North Downs and
follows an amazing tangle of footpaths through beautiful wooded
and also open territory with splendid views. But you have to
be able to cope with several steep climbs. Please note that due
to the nature of the walk it will start at 12 mid-day prompt!
See
photos of the walk
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Tuesday
25th July - Friston Forest - Eastbourne
This
beautiful walk featured in our first 1993 programme and is still
a favourite, with forest, open downs and precipitous chalk cliffs.
As the walk is not a closed circuit we board a bus and start
the walk alongside the Cuckmere River where a quick swim might
be in order, before leaving it to climb up through a winding
valley and emerge on the top of the downs. We finish up by striding
across closely cropped turf along the top of the famous Seven
Sisters chalk cliffs to Birling Gap before walking back to the
start point.
See
photos of the walk
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Wednesday
2nd August - Red Shoot - Ringwood
This
year we repeat our usual route heading north from the the pub
up onto the New Forest. The walk typifies the Forest with vast
expanses of heather and heathland along with magnificent views.
Not to mention ponies, ponds, and relics from WW2!
See
photos of the walk
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Tuesday
8th August - Titty Hill (New) - Midhurst
This
is a new walk for 2017 and is in the country west of Midhurst
and north of the A272. After leaving the pub and walking through
the village, we reach the River Rother and follow it upstream,
and through Chithurst, before swinging away to the north. The
countryside is varied with open fields, woods, and common land.
There are some steep climbs, and descents, and some good views
to towards the South Downs. The last hour or so walk back is
either level or downhill, again with open views towards the South
Down. We rejoin the River Rother at Stedham Mill, which is very
picturesque for the final stretch back to the pub.
See
photos of the walk
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Wednesday
16th August - Sugar Hill - Swindon
This
is a magnificent walk on the high chalk downland between Hungerford
and Swindon. Its start point a the pretty village with pub and
village green. The walk follows the ridge up to the impressive
Liddington Castle which was one of the earliest Iron Age hill
forts in Britain, with first occupation dating to the seventh
century BC! We then follow a fine route along a west facing escarpment
partly parallel to, and then on, the Ridgeway before heading
east back to the village.
See
photos of the walk
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Tuesday
22nd August - Arun Gap (New) - Arundel
This is a new walk for 2017 . It explores the northern end of
the Arun Gap and the downland ridge on the far side. A good half
of the way is flat with much of it along the banks of the peaceful
tidal Arun through both open meadow [with wide views to the Downs
on either side] and woodland. We divert off the riverside path
through an old quarry up on to the ridge to the west, with superb
views over the Arun Gap, north over the Weald as far as Leith
Hill, and south to Arundel Castle and Cathedral and beyond to
the sea.
See
photos of the walk
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Saturday
9th September - Hoo Peninsula - Gravesend
This
walk is in a most unusual setting exploring a huge and virtually
deserted area of marshland alongside the Thames Estuary, which
is why we can do it on a Saturday. This area is full of historical
interest, it being the setting for Charles Dickens 'Great Expectations'.
In addition there is much evidence of WWII, not to mention its
chequered smuggling history!
See
photos of the walk
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Thursday
14th September - Grovely - Salisbury
This
was a new walk in 2014 and proved a great success. For many years
we have looked north across the wide valley when walking along
the top of escarpment that is a major feature of our Broad Chalke
walk, and admired a wooded parallel ridge with woods on top but
open sides. When we investigated we were far from disappointed.
See
photos of the walk
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Wednesday
20th September - Mayfield - Mayfield
It
follows a delightful wiggling route through a mixture of pasture
and woodland combining great views across the Weald with some
enchanting almost Alpine settings. We stopped then for lunch
in Wadhurst Park where herds of deer are often seen grazing.
See
photos of the walk
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Tuesday
10th October - Mereworth Forest - Maidstone
This
walk takes us through extensive woodland but there are open stretches
where the Medway valley can be viewed. It is well sheltered so
we walk here early or late in the season, and if it does rain
hard we can drive to Silverleigh in West Kingsdown for indoor
naturism.
See
photos of the walk
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