The London Cultureseekers Group

THE TRIP IS NOW FULL, IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND, ADD YOURSELF TO THE WAITING LIST AND I WILL CONTACT YOU IF A PLACE BECOMES AVAILABLE.

Come along on Saturday 12th July for a coach trip to Hertfordshire, visiting a Lavender Farm and Two historic villages.

About the day
The county of Herfordshire sits just north of London and is one of the greenist counties in southern England. It has some very pretty villages set in rolling countryside and lots of history.

We are travelling by coach to:

Ashwell
The pretty village is dominated by the church of St. Mary the Virgin which contains lots of medieval graffiti. The oldest graffiti dates back to 1350 and is scribed into the church stone in Latin by someone talking about the affects of the Black Death on the village. The village also has lots of medieval houses and a spring which is the source of the River Cam.

Hitchin Lavender
Just outside the town of Hitchin is a pretty lavender farm. We are going in July when the lavender is at its best. The main field is home to over 30 acres of lavender, creating a sea of purple. The farm is the largest lavender farm in the UK that allows visitors to pick lavender – you can purchase picking bags at the gate when we arrive. There is also a 2-acre display field showcasing around 60 different varieties of lavender. On site there is a tearoom - the Old Barn Tearoom, situated in a 17th century barn.

Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted is a pretty settlement that's over 1000 years old. From 1066 to 1495, its castle was a favoured residence of royalty and notable historical figures. In the middle ages, it was known for cloth production from wool and today the Grand Union Canal runs through the centre of town which has many independent shops and restaurants.

Cost
Entry to the Lavender Farm is £9 per person. Payable by cash, bank transfer or PayPal on the day.

Running through the heart of London; the River Thames has played a central role in the history of the city, and when the tide is low, the capital’s longest archaeological site is revealed.

Come along on Sunday 13th July to explore its history!

About the foreshore
I will be your guide as we will be going down to the Thames foreshore at low tide, where we will have about 1h 30mins to have a look around for objects before the tide comes in.

I will tell you more about foreshore, the industry in the area and will be on hand to identify and date objects you find. Most objects you can spot sitting on the foreshore after being washed in on the tide (we are not allowed to dig or scrape the foreshore surface).

You will find everything from bits of pottery, clay pipes, bottles, animal bones to ship items. Most of the things we find are from the Medieval to the Victorian period or you might be lucky and find something Roman or older.

Footwear
The foreshore is very stoney and sometimes muddy, so please wear sensible shoes (preferably walking boots/shoes or wellington boots). Plastic gloves and bags will be provided.

The Thames Foreshore is private land, so before we go down, I will give everyone a short talk on health & safety on the foreshore.

Payment
Full Members of the group will be free, everyone else the cost is £7 per person (payable in advance when you RSVP or cash on the day).

Come along on Saturday 19th July for a peaceful boat trip up the River Thames from Westminster to Hampton Court!

About the boat trip
We will be catching the boat at Westminster Pier for a relaxing boat trip upriver to Hampton Court. Due to the speed restrictions on that part of the Thames and the number of locks, it will take over 2 hours. This is the only boat company that goes west and it normally only has one trip a day to Hampton Court.

The trip will have full commentary on the things you can see along the river. It will cover: the Houses of Parliament, Battersea Power Station, Chelsea Harbour, Chiswick House, Kew Gardens, Syon House, Marble Hill House, Ham House and Hampton Court Palace. We will also see lots of wildlife, pass under 15 bridges and many locks, including Teddington lock.

The boat stops along the way at Richmond, then Kew and then the final stop at Hampton Court. Its a single journey and we will get to Hampton Court at about 1:15 - 1:45pm.

Its a public boat, so there will be other people on board and it can take 120 passengers.

On board
You can either sit inside the boat under cover or outside on the deck, there are plenty of seats.

There are toilets on the boat along with refreshments, but please bring your own food and drink as well to eat on board.

Arrival at Hampton Court
Then when we get to Hampton Court, you can either:

• Head back on the train (trains going back from Hampton Station at: 1:24pm & 1:54pm and then the same times past every hour). Trains goes back to Waterloo and takes about 35mins.
• Visit Hampton Court
• Look around the town
• Get a tea/coffee at the Hampton Court Café

Cost
The cost is £26.60 + booking fee per person for adults (cheaper option for children and over 60's).

Come along on Sunday 20th July for a Social walk along the Regent's Canal, from Limehouse Basin to Hackney Wick.

This is part of 3 walks along London's canals that we will be doing, the last one is:

Sun 17th Aug - Hackney Wick to Kings Cross

About the walk
London's canal's and the architecture of the buildings that back onto them are a part of many Londoner's don't get to see, the Regent's Canal which we will be walking along was built in 1816 as part of a regeneration of the area.

We will be having a social walk along the Regent's Canal, from Limehouse Basin to Hackney Wick. The walk is along the canalpath and is about 3 miles.

Along the route, we will go through: Mile End Park and Victoria Park.

The nearest station after we finish is Cambridge Heath, which is 2 stops on the London Overground to Liverpool Street. Or its a 10min walk to Bethnal Green Tube Station.

Cost
Cost is free for Full Members and £5 per person for everyone else (payable by cash, Bank Transfer or PayPal on the day).