FREE Outdoor Trips From London

"The day starts with a cockerel crowing and waking Heimdall, the watchman, who blows his horn Gjallir to call the gods. Nature is in confusion and the seals rush onto the land."
Ragnarök

Vikings settled in the 9th-C and from 1016 to 1042, England was Danish. Barely a trace remains in this part of the country; however this walk to idyllic Wealden countryside passes through a Viking place. Follow through a door telling the legend of Ragnarök, to find what lies behind.

Hyrst at the time meant a wooded hill. Sissinghurst Castle garden is famous for its roses. These live behind a National Trust paywall; however we shall see as much of the site as possible from adjacent public footpaths.

Outward Travel: Take the train departing 9.43 AM from London Bridge to STAPLEHURST. The return train fare with a Network Card or GroupSave is £14.75. The organiser will be standing in front of the ticket office at London Bridge from 9.15 wearing yellow to act as a focal point for people to arrange group train tickets.

Walk start: 10.35 AM from Staplehurst rail station. Bring a packed lunch. Village / pub stop. Circular walk.

How to join?

• The walk is entirely free of charge;
• You only arrange for your own travel and pub expenses;
• Understand our terms and conditions below (the "IMPORTANT" part);
• Understand how to stay safe outdoors, as you will be responsible for yourself. See our quick safety tips:

https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

What to bring

• Plenty of water, 1-2 litres recommended
• Enough snacks and packed lunch to keep you energized along the walk
• Extra snacks and an extra packed lunch just in case
• Rainproof (ideally waterproof) clothing, sturdy shoes/boots you don't mind getting muddy
• Spare socks
• Walking poles and/or an umbrella :-)
• Yourself...
• ...and your camera!
• Cash for train ticket
• Cash for pub at the end of the walk?

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!

IMPORTANT

Please bear in mind this is a free of charge, self-guided trip with a hobby group. It is not organized by a business nor any entity with commercial purposes.

Any trip details, travel advice, route planning, instructions and other content in our group merely represent our shared personal knowledge, research and suggestions as outdoor enthusiasts. As this is no business, there is no "product", "service" or "package" and also no "tour guide", "operator" or "walk leader".

Each participant is responsible for their own safety. Even if some of us are very experienced walking outdoors, nobody assumes responsibility for any kind of injury, damage or loss that may happen.

Despite this, we take extreme precautions and all trips we plan are very safe, fun, highly educational and popular. Our experienced members volunteer their time and effort to shape a pleasant and quality adventure for everyone :-)

By participating you acknowledge and agree with this disclaimer.

Here are our tips on staying safe during outdoor trips:

https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, INSURANCE

Although we provide detailed suggestions, each participant is expected to arrange their own travel - this gives everyone the freedom and choice. Anyone interested in travel or outdoor insurance should also arrange this on their own. As mentioned above we always take extreme precautions, but some people may still feel safer if covered.

As most of our trips are confirmed or postponed very close to the event date - heavily depending on the weather forecasts - we advise not to buy this until the last minute. People getting tickets from the same station are encouraged to meet early on the day to benefit from discounts such as GroupSave.

Join us for a varied and fascinating circular hike starting and finishing at Weybridge Station, taking in a mix of history, open countryside, formal gardens and peaceful riverside walking.
From the station we head towards Brooklands, the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation. Here we’ll see the surviving sections of the famous Brooklands racetrack, along with views across the old airfield where pioneering aircraft were once built and tested. The scale and atmosphere of this unique historic site are still very much alive today.
Leaving Brooklands behind, we cross into greener landscapes as we make our way towards RHS Wisley. We won’t be entering the gardens, but we’ll walk past the boundaries of this world-famous horticultural centre, enjoying views of its trees, glasshouses and surrounding parkland as we pass through the countryside that frames it.
The second half of the walk brings us down to the tranquil River Wey, where we follow towpaths and riverside trails. This section offers flat, easy walking, reflections on the water, narrowboats, wildlife and a welcome sense of calm after the more open and historic landscapes earlier in the day.

Terrain: Mostly flat, with a mix of paths, towpaths and tracks
Start/Finish: Weybridge Station
A great choice for anyone who enjoys long walks with plenty of variety, from industrial and aviation history to peaceful riverside paths and countryside views.

Outward travel: Get the 09:40 train from London Waterloo to Weybridge arriving 10:18. Buy a super off peak day return to Weybridge, the cost should be £7.65 with a network railcard or groupsave ticket.

Walk starts at 10:20 from Weybridge station.
Walk ends at approx 17:00 at Weybridge station.

As the walk is limited to 60 the amount of people that can join so please only rsvp if you are 100% sure you will attend.

Bring a packed lunch. Pub stop for lunch but there might not be time to order food. As the walk is flat, pace will be brisk - upto 3mph and it might be quite muddy so wear appropriate footwear!
I will get the train from Vauxhall so will meet you all at weybridge

How to join?

• The walk is entirely free of charge;
• You only arrange for your own travel and pub expenses;
• Understand our terms and conditions below (the "IMPORTANT" part);
• Understand how to stay safe outdoors, as you will be responsible for yourself. See our quick safety tips:
  https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/
• Please answer the RSVP question; Guests with missing or incorrect answers will be removed from the list!

What to bring

• Plenty of water, 1-2 litres recommended
• Enough snacks and packed lunch to keep you energized along the walk
• Extra snacks and an extra packed lunch just in case
• Rainproof (ideally waterproof) clothing, sturdy shoes/boots you don't mind getting muddy
• Spare socks
• Walking poles and/or an umbrella :-)
• Yourself...
• ...and your camera!
• Cash for train ticket
• Cash for pub at the end of the walk?

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!

IMPORTANT
Please bear in mind this is a free of charge, self-guided trip with a hobby group. It is not organized by a business nor any entity with commercial purposes.
Any trip details, travel advice, route planning, instructions and other content in our group merely represent our shared personal knowledge, research and suggestions as outdoor enthusiasts. As this is no business, there is no "product", "service" or "package" and also no "tour guide", "operator" or "walk leader".
Each participant is responsible for their own safety. Even if some of us are very experienced walking outdoors, nobody assumes responsibility for any kind of injury, damage or loss that may happen.
Despite this, we take extreme precautions and all trips we plan are very safe, fun, highly educational and popular. Our experienced members volunteer their time and effort to shape a pleasant and quality adventure for everyone :-)
By participating you acknowledge and agree with this disclaimer.

Here are our tips on staying safe during outdoor trips:
https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, INSURANCE
Although we provide detailed suggestions, each participant is expected to arrange their own travel - this gives everyone the freedom and choice. Anyone interested in travel or outdoor insurance should also arrange this on their own. As mentioned above we always take extreme precautions, but some people may still feel safer if covered.
As most of our trips are confirmed or postponed very close to the event date - heavily depending on the weather forecasts - we advise not to buy this until the last minute. People getting tickets from the same station are encouraged to meet early on the day to benefit from discounts such as GroupSave.

Any questions, feel free to ask below or send a private message!