Hike For Charity

Sat, Oct 18 · 10:25 AM BST

Thames Path, autumn leaves & Windsor ~ 22Km/12 miles

datchet train station, Datchet, GB

Do this walk because - it takes in historic landmarks, autumn colours along the Thames and Virginia Water, and finishes with stunning views of Windsor Castle and a grand arrival via the Long Walk.

(We're doing this hike with Variety is the Spice Meetup group.)

Walk facts
Distance: Approximately 19 km / 12 miles
Duration: Walking time circa 5.5 hours.
Grade: Moderate. We will maintain a steady pace over varied surfaces.
Donation to GOSH: £5 cash on the day
What to take: A packed lunch and plenty of water.
Also, we're not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of activity.

Walk description
From the station we'll follow the scenic Thames Path to the historic site of Runnymede. Leaving the Thames Path we'll head for Virginia Water where we'll take a break for lunch. Toilets & café are available here.

After lunch, we'll continue our walk through Virginia Water to admire the autumn colours and enjoy a magnificent view of Windsor Castle from the bronze statue, often referred to as The Copper Horse

From the statue, we'll follow the iconic 'Long Walk' all the way into Windsor, where we can relax with a well-earned drink. From here, its a short walk to one of the two nearby railway stations.

Meeting at
Datchet railway station. We'll be outside the station exit holding a GOSH banner, please see the photo below.
Meeting time: 10.25 am. We'll leave at 10.30 am.

TRAVEL
by train
The day starts at Datchet station and finishes in Windsor.
Buy a day Return to Windsor & Eton Riverside station. It will cost £17.80 but with Groupsave or a Network Railcard, it's £11.85 (as of 19/8/25).
From London: catch the 9.33 am from London Waterloo arriving Datchet at 10.24 am.
Coming back: there are 2 trains an hour going back to London from
Windsor.

Plan your route: TFL and The Trainline

If you're driving there is a car park at Datchet railway station & also near Windsor & Eton Riverside railway station. A train between these stations runs at 30 minute intervals with a journey time under 5 minutes.

Limited spaces will be available in a car traveling from Reading to Datchet. Message Carl R for information.

KEY INFORMATION
YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Group save tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take. Specifically make sure you bring good hiking boots and that you are ready for muddy conditions . Please - no trainers, they are not suitable for walking in the wintry muddy conditions.

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to GOSH. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊

Sun, Oct 26 · 11:30 AM GMT

The London Loop 5 & 6 ~ Hamsey Green > Banstead Downs (18 km, 11 m)

Co-Operative Store, 351 Limpsfield Road, Greater London, GB

Do this walk because – its the 5th & 6th section of the London Loop & we plan to complete all 24 sections in 24 months.

In cases where a section is less than 16km in length we may increase the distance by combining two sections, or by extending the walk.
See.... London LOOP - Transport for London

(We're doing this hike with Variety is the Spice Meetup group.)

Walk facts (Section 5 & 6)
Length: Approximately 18 km /11 miles.
Duration: actual walking time, circa 5 hours.
Walk grade: Moderate. Some hills with total ascent 300m.
Weather: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2643743

Donation to charity: £5 cash on the day
What to take: A packed lunch and plenty of water.
Also, we're not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of activity.

Walk description
Our route will generally follow the route given on the Ramblers website
London Loop section 5 of 24: Hamsey Green to Coulsdon South
This is a very attractive section. The terrain is mainly rough tracks, footpaths and grassy fields. Parts can be very muddy after wet weather.
London Loop section 6 of 24: Coulsdon South to Banstead Downs
This section starts along the streets of Coulsdon and then through attractive countryside.

Pushed for time?
Public transport options are fairly good if you need to bail out along the way. It is possible to get buses to stations at Godstone Road and at Coulsdon Road. We'll walk past Coulsdon South station.

Facilities along the route

• Shops and cafés at Hamsey Green
• Pubs at Coulsdon Common (The Fox) & near Kenley Common (Wattendon Arms).
• Kiosk at Coulsdon South station.
• Public toilets at Farthing Downs.
• Toilets & café at Oaks Park.

Meeting at
The Co-Operative store, 351 Limpsfield Rd, Hamsey Green, South Croydon CR2 9BY. We'll be outside the store at 11.20 am. We'll start walking at 11.30 am.

TRAVEL
by train
Plan your route: TFL and The Trainline

KEY INFORMATION
YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Group save tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take. Specifically make sure you bring good hiking boots and that you are ready for muddy conditions . Please - no trainers, they are not suitable for walking in the wintry muddy conditions.

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for charity

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to charity. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊

Sat, Nov 1 · 10:40 AM GMT

The Ridgeway, River Thames & Wallingford ~ 18Km/11 miles

Cholsey Train Station, Cholsey, OX10 9QD, GB

Do this Autumn walk because - it combines literary history, charming villages, riverside scenery, and a rewarding finish in one of Oxfordshire’s prettiest spots.

(We're doing this hike with Variety is the Spice Meetup group.)

Walk facts
Distance: Approximately 18 km / 11 miles
Duration: Walking time circa 4.5 hours.
Grade: Easy. We will maintain a steady pace over varied surfaces.
Donation to GOSH: £5 cash on the day
What to take: A packed lunch and plenty of water.
Also, we're not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of activity.

Walk description
From Cholsey station, we'll follow the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway line to St. Mary's Church where the famous crime novelist Agatha Christie is buried.

We'll then continue into the historic market town of Wallingford, where we'll see a life-sized bronze statue of Agatha Christie. There's also the opportunity for a takeaway coffee and a toilet stop if needed.

Crossing Wallingford bridge, we pick up a scenic path leading to the Ridgeway National Trail, taking us through the picturesque villages of North and South Stoke, and then on to Goring.

Some famous people have lived around here over the years including Michael Caine, Clara Butt, Ian Gillan, George Michael.

We'll finish our adventure with a well deserved drink in Goring before heading for the nearby railway station.

Meeting at
Cholsey railway station. We'll be outside the station exit holding a GOSH banner, please see the photo below.
Meeting time: 10.40 am. We'll leave at 10.45 am.

TRAVEL
by train
The day starts at Cholsey station and finishes in Goring.
Buy a day Return to Cholsey station. It will cost £33.40 but with Groupsave or a Network Railcard, it's £22.20 (as of 25/8/25).
From London: catch the 9.38 am from London Paddington, arriving Cholsey at 10.40 am.
Coming back: there are 2 trains an hour going back to London from Goring & Streatley.

Plan your route: TFL and The Trainline

If you're driving there is a car park at Cholsey railway station & also at Goring & Streatley railway station. A train between these stations runs at 30 minute intervals with a journey time around 5 minutes.

Limited spaces will be available in a car traveling from Reading to Goring. Message Carl R for information.

KEY INFORMATION
YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Group save tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take. Specifically make sure you bring good hiking boots and that you are ready for muddy conditions . Please - no trainers, they are not suitable for walking in the wintry muddy conditions.

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to GOSH. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊

Sat, Nov 15 · 11:30 AM GMT

The London Loop 7 ~ The London Loop ~ Banstead Downs > Ewell (10km, 6 miles)

Banstead station, Banstead Road, Banstead, Surrey, SM7 1PZ, London, GB

Do this walk because – its the 7th section of the London Loop & we plan to complete all 24 sections in 24 months.

In cases where a section is less than 16km in length we may increase the distance by combining two sections, or by extending the walk.
See.... London LOOP - Transport for London

(We're doing this hike with Variety is the Spice Meetup group.)

Walk facts (Section 7)
Length: Approximately 10 km /6 miles.
Duration: actual walking time, circa 3 hours.
Walk grade: Easy.
Weather: https: London - BBC Weather

Donation to charity: £5 cash on the day
What to take: A packed lunch and plenty of water.
Also, we're not insured, so please have your own insurance for this type of activity.

Walk description
Our route will generally follow the route given on the Ramblers website
London Loop section 7 of 24: Banstead Downs to Ewell
Easy walking on mainly level ground. This is one of the shorter sections of the Loop through areas of interest.

Pushed for time?
Public transport options are fairly good if you need to bail out along the way.

Facilities along the route

• Café and toilets at Nonsuch Mansion
• Café and toilets at Bourne Hall Park.
• Shops at Ewell village.

Meeting at
Banstead railway station. We'll be outside the station at 11.30 am. We'll start walking at 11.35 am.

TRAVEL
by train
Plan your route: TFL and The Trainline

KEY INFORMATION
YOU MUST READ THE THREE SECTIONS BELOW - if you join this trip, you're confirming that you have.

1. The perilous bit
2. Our FAQs, including an explanation of Group save tickets which will save you money.
3. See here for what to wear and take. Specifically make sure you bring good hiking boots and that you are ready for muddy conditions . Please - no trainers, they are not suitable for walking in the wintry muddy conditions.

AND FINALLY

• We're raising money for charity

We’ll deduct Meetup fees but all the profits will go to charity. After each hike, we’ll let you know exactly how much we’ve all raised. And if you’d like to join us and raise money by leading some hikes, please get in touch – the more the merrier 😊