Bluebells make light waves blue (15 miles)

"The experiments I am about to relate may be repeated with great ease, whenever the sun shines."

Armed with little more than a piece of board into which he cut a couple of slits, in 1803 Thomas Young proved for the first time that light travels in waves. A year later he was developing theory of capillary phenomena and surface tension. Also defined the term 'energy'. When not expanding knowledge of physics, there was time to decipher the Rosetta Stone and define as a group Indo-European languages.

Thomas ended up at Farnborough in Kent, whose church sits on the very edge of open countryside and invisible from the metropolis that lurks behind.

Along the way to Farnborough village this walk will visit bluebell woods whose flowers will be doing their best to keep going for the longest possible in the lightly shaded sunshine.

WALK START: 10.50 AM outside CHELSFIELD rail station (Zone 6). The walk ends at ORPINGTON rail station (Zone 6). Village stop at lunchtime. Bring a packed lunch.

TRAVEL: The 10.10 from London Bridge arrives at CHELSFIELD at 10.47. Alternatively the 10.24 from London Bridge will allow you to catch the same train by changing at Orpington. Travelcards, Oyster & Contactless cover all travel.

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 and (if required) accommodation - this gives everyone the freedom and choice to join from wherever they want and stay wherever they want. 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.
We advise not to buy tickets until the day. 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!