Jon's Trails

I am taking you to a stunning place less than an hour away from London in an area of outstanding natural beauty, the Ouse Valley. We will climb a couple of hills, walk pass a stunning lake and historical buildings and of course, the star of the day, the famous Balcombe viaduct where you will have some time for your new favourite insta- photo!

Although I can never predict how early or late the autumn colours will be at their peak, we should have a good idea and hopefully a wonderful show of colours around the reservoir and the viaduct.

Located between Haywards Heath and Balcombe, Ouse Valley Viaduct offers quite the dramatic view. A structural marvel, the viaduct was originally built in 1838 to carry the London-Brighton line over the River Ouse.
It has been estimated that around 11 million bricks were used in construction. Once a treat known only to locals, it is now an Instagram hotspot!
This will be a unique experience with everything you can dream of; nature, architecture, history and amazing pics of you in a very cool place.

As always, this day will be filled with fun and we will probably end up at a restaurant or pub for some more fun.

So click the book button and join me in this gorgeous place.
INFORMATION

COST:
£17 via PayPal for the guide's fee
About £15 in cash for the train, we will have a 35% discount with a group saver if we buy our train tickets together and will get an off peak day return meaning that we do not actually pay for the return journey.

INCLUDED:
Guided trip
The photographs that I will have taken on the day and that I will share on the WhatsApp group.
A great time with lovely people

NOT INCLUDED:
Train
Anything not mentioned above

WHAT TO BRING:
Waterproof shoes for the hike, preferably hiking shoes, otherwise good trainers;
Weather appropriate clothes, including waterproofs if there is a chance of rain;
Water bottle;
Packed lunch and snacks.

MEETING POINT:
London Victoria station at 9 am, just by the Pret a manger and the Starbucks that are next to each others. I will send the location when I am there.

ATTENTION:
Our trips will not be cancelled due to weather conditions so please ensure that you do wear and carry appropriate clothing. 😄

POLICIES:
1: This group is designed for the pleasure and enjoyment of all of us, we do not accept any derogatory comments or behaviours towards anyone. Racism, discrimination and other unacceptable behaviours will only lead to your rejection to any of our trips and this without exception. Everyone is welcome, we have religious and non-religious people, gay, straight, bisexual people, all shades and colours or nationality, people of all ages, sex and political believes and mutual respect is the fundamental spirit of this group.
2: Our trips are only refundable up to 30 days before departure, if you wish to cancel after that, you will be offered a transfer to another trip for the same price or you may resell your slot to somebody else.
3: If we do cancel the entirety of the trip on our side, you will be fully refunded.

Hey, hey, hey! Autumn is coming and what do we do in autumn? We walk in the great British countryside that will be filled with colours, poesy and scents. A romantic glow will surround us along the path through various historical buildings and glorious forests.

The hike will take you through magical woodlands and countryside and no less than 3 castles!
And psssst, it is also HALLOWEEN! and what else can we do but walk through haunted woods and castle grounds.

You will hike from Leigh to Hever, through the medieval village of Penshurst, some pretty woodlands, you will walk past Penshurts castle and Chiddinstone castle and will end the trip with a visit of the world famous Hever Castle, former home of Anne Boleyn, if you fancy who still haunt the royal residence... creepy...

The castle dates back to the 14th century, and was once the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII and Mother of Elizabeth I. It formed the unlikely backdrop to a sequence of tumultuous events that changed the course of Britain’s history, monarchy and religion. Yes, Hever Castle is widely reported as being haunted, most notably by the ghost of Anne Boleyn, who is said to walk the grounds, particularly on Christmas Eve, over the bridge on the river Eden, and manifest in the castle. However, there are also reports of other entities, such as a menacing figure in the bedrooms, a mischievous poltergeist, and other unexplained phenomena like feelings of a presence and strange odors.

The castle is a wonder of architecture and history with its own little medieval village.
You will be given the opportunity to visit the castle and its gardens (entry is £25), or to be taken back to the station if you prefer. This is a jewel not to be missed! Attention, if you decide to visit, you will make your own way back to the station.
Afterwards, as always, we can pop into a pub or a restaurant for a cheeky drink or a nice meal or simply head back to good old London.

INFORMATION:

MEETING POINT:
London Charing Cross at 08:30am(The station might change so please check your inbox for more info and the link to the Whatsapp group.)

DISTANCE:
7miles/12km (about 3 hours with a break+ the visit of the castle)
PRICE:
£17 for the guide's fee
INCLUDED:
- Guide fee
- Paypal fees
- Meetup fees
NOT INCLUDED:
-Transport via train: About £20 return
-Visit of Hever Castle and gardens if you wish to visit(£23 for basic, cheaper for concessions)
-Anything not mentioned above
REFUNDS:
- Refunds are only possible up to 14 days before departure. After that, you may be transferred to another hike of the same price.
ATTENTION:
Our trips will not be cancelled due to weather conditions so please ensure that you do wear and carry appropriate clothing. 😄
POLICIES:
1: This group is designed for the pleasure and enjoyment of all of us, we do not accept any derogatory comments or behaviours towards anyone. Racism, discrimination and other unacceptable behaviours will only lead to your rejection of any of our trips and this is without exception. Everyone is welcome, we have religious and non-religious people, gay, straight, bisexual people, all shades and colours or nationalities, people of all ages, sex and political beliefs and mutual respect is the fundamental spirit of this group.
2: Our trips are only refundable up to 14 days before departure, if you wish to cancel after that, you will be offered a transfer to another trip for the same price or you may resell your slot to somebody else.
3: If we do cancel the entirety of the trip on our site, you will be fully refunded
4: Pleasure ensure that you check this page regularly as times and meeting locations might change.
5:In the eventuality that our trains are delayed, or cancelled which is out of my control, I do not pay for taxis or alternative route, if this happens, you will be able to claim delay repay from the train companies who will reimburse your train ticket and some eventual costs occurred. B signing up to my events, you agree to this.

It is this time of the year again and I am taking you on a journey into a world of cuteness where not carrying your camera will not be allowed.
LET'S GO SEE THE BABY SEALS!

ATTENTION, BOOKINGS WILL CLOSE A WEEK BEFORE DEPARTURE AND IT IS ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS as this trip is limited to 12 people.

Due to the popularity of this trip I have decided to do it again.
Norfolk is THE place where you can see one of Britain's most fantastic show; the grey seal breeding season.

Norfolk holds the world's two largest Atlantic grey seals colonies and I am taking you there. You will be able to observe at often just a couple of metres away the 7000 seals that come to these sandy beaches every year to give birth to those gorgeous white furry creatures.
You will not get enough of it, believe me.

We will be able to observe seals of every ages from the tiny few hours old white pups, to the full fat adolescents and up to the big males who weight hundreds of kilos and who will be fighting a bit further down on the sand. Volunteers will be there to answer all our questions and to keep us from getting too close to those beautiful creatures, often unsuccessfully as those cubs being of a curious nature will approach us often far too close to inspect us.

The seals will be the highlight of or trip but will not be our only journey as we will hike the dunes of Norfolk which are home to a pair of barn owl and where shorties spend the winter.
We meet at 08.00 am at Liverpool Street station, and off we go, we should be back in London by 9.30pm.
Due to other commitments, I can only do this one trip to Norfolk this year so book your spot asap if you want to see the cutie balls of fur.
As always we will grab a meal at the end of the trip before we head back to London with a few hundred photos. I have a professional camera and will share it with you.
We will not rush for this trip, we will stop for plenty of photos so if you are coming for a hardcore hike I would not recommend.
There are no dogs allowed on this trip I am afraid for obvious reasons.
TRANSPORT:
VIA train and bus (about 3 hours)
COST:
£ 80
I tried to keep it as cheap as possible but the train prices went up as well as buses and in this case my costs too.
The fee is refundable up to 2 weeks before departure and non-refundable after that, but you may resell and you can try to find someone to take your place.

INCLUDED:
Guided hike
Fast train to Norfolk and back and a short bus journey
A great time with lovely people

NOT INCLUDED:
Food and drinks
Anything not mentioned above
WHAT TO BRING:
Waterproof shoes for the hike, preferably hiking shoes, otherwise good trainers
Weather appropriate clothes
Water bottle;
MEETING POINT:
Liverpool Street Station. At 8am

A WHATSAPP GROUP WILL BE CREATED A FEW DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE WITH MORE INFO.

ATTENTION:
Our trips will not be cancelled due to weather conditions so please ensure that you do wear and carry appropriate clothing. 😄

POLICIES:
1: This group is designed for the pleasure and enjoyment of all of us, we do not accept any derogatory comments or behaviours towards anyone. Racism, discrimination and other unacceptable behaviours will only lead to your rejection to any of our trips and this without exception. Everyone is welcome, we have religious and non-religious people, gay, straight, bisexual people, all shades and colours or nationality, people of all ages, sex and political believes and mutual respect is the fundamental spirit of this group.
2: Our trips are only refundable up to 14 days before departure, if you wish to cancel after that, you will be offered a transfer to another trip for the same price or you may resell your slot to somebody else.
3: If we do cancel the entirety of the trip on our side, you will be fully refunded
4:In the eventuality that our trains are delayed, or cancelled which is out of my control, I do not pay for taxis or alternative route, if this happens, you will be able to claim delay repay from the train companies who will reimburse your train ticket and some eventual costs occurred. By signing up to my events, you agree to this.