- Virginia Water, Runnymede & Windsor Great Park - 16 miles (26 kilometres)Virginia Water Station, Virginia Water, GU25 4AA£12.00
Today’s Love To Hike is a circular 16 miles (26 kilometres) route that starts and finishes in Virginia Water, a well-to-do, commuter village in north west Surrey.
The route includes the Magna Carta Monument and John F Kennedy Memorial at Runnymede, the Cumberland Obelisk, Cumberland Pond, the magnificent 30-metre high totem pole carved from a single red cedar tree, and a full circuit of the beautiful and peaceful Virginia Water lake including the Roman ruins plundered from Leptis Magna in Libya two centuries ago.
The route is mainly flat with only 270m of climbing.
Lunch: Picnic
Drivers: Car park at Virginia Water station.
Toilets: There are toilets at Virginia Water station, Runnymede, Saville Gardens, and Windsor Great Park.
Price: £12 per person for a full day’s hike guided by Giles Brokensha.
Note: The price of the hike excludes transport, parking, and lunch.
Mobile for the day: 07916 366702.
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/527954508076020/ - please join and like
ROUTE
From the station, we hike through the pretty village of Virginia Water, which in 2013, became the first and only town in the UK to have an average house price of more than £1m.
At the roundabout, we turn north, following quiet woodland paths to Callow Hill and the commuter town of Egham. We pass through Egham town centre, and shortly afterwards, reach Runnymede Meadows which overlooks the River Thames.
We hike the full length of the meadows heading north west to arrrive at the Magna Carta Monument, which commemorates the charter of rights agreed to by King John of England on 15 June 1215. Runnymede is considered to be the birthplace of modern democracy.
Magna Carta, means ‘The Great Charter’ and is one of the most famous documents in the world. Magna Carta established for the first time the principle that everybody, including the king, was subject to the law. Although nearly a third of the text was deleted or substantially rewritten within ten years, and almost all the clauses have been repealed in modern times, Magna Carta remains a cornerstone of the British constitution.
Most of the 63 clauses granted by King John dealt with specific grievances relating to his rule. However, buried within them were a number of fundamental values that both challenged the autocracy of the king and proved highly adaptable in future centuries. Most famously, the 39th clause gave all ‘free men’ the right to justice and a fair trial. Some of Magna Carta’s core principles are echoed in the United States Bill of Rights (1791) and in many other constitutional documents around the world, as well as in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the European Convention on Human Rights (1950).
After a toilet stop close to the Magna Carta Monument, we head south west to reach the John F Kennedy Memorial. In May 1965, this acre of Crown land was given to the American people in perpetuity under the control and management of the Kennedy Memorial Trust. It is immaculately maintained and no passport is required for entry.
We then hike past Castehill Farm, and after one kilometre join Wick Lane, which takes us to Windsor Great Park. Upon entering the park, there will be a toilet stop at the Saville Gardens.
From here, we head south to reach the Cumberland Obelisk and Obelisk Pond. The Cumberland Obelisk was erected by King George II in honour of his son, the Duke of Cumberland.
From the Cumberland Obelisk, we head south to reach the Totem Pole, a gift from the people of Canada to The Queen in June 1958. The pole is 100 feet high (30 metres), one foot for every year, and marks the centenary of British Columbia which was proclaimed a Crown Colony in 1858.
From the totem pole, we join the banks of Virginia Water Lake which has a surface area of 24 hectares and featured in the Harry Potter movies.
Started in 1746, dammed and flooded in 1753 under the Duke of Cumberland, the magnificent lake was finally completed in 1780 and includes an artificial waterfall.
Before leaving the park, we pass some Roman ruins which were brought to the UK in 1818 from Leptis Magna in Libya.
After the ruins, we pass the artificial waterfall to reach the Visitor Centre where there will be a final toilet stop.
We then follow Christchurch Road past numerous mansions back to Virginia Water station.
LUNCH
Lunch will be a picnic at suitable spot between 1230-1300.
TRAINS
Depart: Leaves London Waterloo at 0839 to arrive in Virginia Water at 0927. You can also join this train at Vauxhall (0843), Clapham Junction (0849) or Richmond (0859).
Return: Return trains to London Waterloo leave Virginia Water at 01, 14, and 31 minutes past the hour and take around 50 minutes depending on the route.
Train fare: The off-peak return fare from London Waterloo to Virginia Water is £16.20. With GroupSave, the price per person for a group of 3 to 9 is reduced by 34% to only £10.69. If you would like to form a group, please post a comment on this site and arrange to meet under the clock at London Waterloo by 0825.
DRIVERS
Virginia Water station is on B389 and to the west of the M3 and M25 intersection. If coming via the M25, come off at either junction 11 or 13.
WHAT TO BRING
· Hand sanitiser.
· Sturdy, waterproof hiking boots that have been broken-in, ideally with ankle support. No trainers.
· Waterproof jacket: whatever the weather, we hike.
· Water: 2 litres minimum.
· Pre-packed picnic lunch and snacks: it’s a long hike.
· Day pack.
· Long trousers: zip-offs are perfect for hot days.
· Sunglasses, hat and sunscreen if hot and sunny.
· Gaiters or waterproof over trousers if rain is expected.
· Dry base layer for the journey home.
PRICE
£12 per person payable in advance upon booking for a full day’s hike guided by Giles Brokensha.
BOOKING
To book, click on the ‘Yes’ button just below ‘Are you going?’ in the top right hand corner. You can pay from either your PayPal account or with your debit or credit card.
CANCELLATIONS
When you cancel seven or more days before a Love To Hike, you receive a £12 credit towards any future Love To Hike event.
DISCLAIMER
When participating in any outdoor activity, there is always the risk of injury and death. When hiking with Love To Hike, you acknowledge that:
- You are fully aware of all of the risks involved and accept full responsibility for whatever may happen to you during or after the hike.
- You are in good health, ‘fit to hike’ and capable of keeping the pace for the duration of the hike.
- You shall wear sturdy hiking boots that have been broken-in, are in good condition (not brand new), and clothing that is appropriate for the time of year and any weather conditions that may arise during the hike.
- You shall not hold responsible, nor pursue any legal, injury or financial compensation claim against Love To Hike and or the hike leader for anything that may happen to you during or after the hike.
- British Wildlife Centre & South East Surrey Explorer – 15 miles (25 kilometres)Lingfield Station Car Park, Lingfield£12.00
The highlight of today’s Love To Hike is a three-hour visit to the British Wildlife Centre (BWC) in Lingfield. Founded in 1997, the BWC has the finest collection of native species of fauna in the country.
The circular 15 miles (25 kilometres) route explores the rarely visited south-eastern corner of Surrey that surrounds the village and ancient parish of Lingfield, near the border with Kent and Sussex.
The route is mostly flat, with only 150m of ascent, and follows various quiet, breathtaking, rural paths including a stretch of Tandridge Border Path between East Grinstead and Lingfield.
Lunch: Picnic
Toilets: There are toilets at Lingfield station, and at the BWC.
Drivers: Car park at the station.
Price: £12.00 per person for a full day’s hike guided by Eliza Wyrzykowska plus the £15.00 entry fee for the BWC.
It is strongly recommended that you pre-book your BWC ticket at https://britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/bwc-onlineshop/paymentreceived/ as there are only x50 pay-on-the-day admissions. This means entry is only guaranteed when you pre-book online.
Note: The price of the hike excludes transport, parking, and lunch.
Mobile for the day: 07990 489040.
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/527954508076020/ - please join.
ROUTE
From the station, we head south to pass Lingfield Park Racecourse, the busiest horse racing course in Europe. Opened in 1890, it boasts over 75 meetings a year, including flat, and all-weather jump racing.
Continuing in a south-westerly direction, we hike through some breathtaking Surrey countryside, until we reach Ward’s Farm, the highest point on the route. From here, we carry on north and then west, to reach the BWC.
The BWC is a private zoo specialising in British wildlife and participates in captive breeding programmes. The BWC has over 40 different native species, including red deer, weasels, pine martens, red foxes, river otters, hedgehogs, free-flying owls, along with a badger house and keeper talks every half hour.Check out this short video:
https://britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/planyourvisit/your-visit/
After our visit to the BWC, we explore the countryside to the west and north of Lingfield as we return to the station by a series of quiet paths.LUNCH
Lunch will be a picnic at the BWC upon our arrival. There is also a coffee shop at the BWC.
TRAINS
Depart: Leaves London Victoria at 0850 to arrive at Lingfield at 0941. You can also join this train at Clapham Junction (0857) and East Croydon (0910).
Return: Return trains to London leave Lingfield at 13 and 43 minutes past the hour and take 49 minutes.
Train fare: The off-peak return fare from London Victoria to Lingfield is £19.10. With GroupSave, the price per person for a group of 3 to 9 is reduced by 34% to only £12.61. If you would like to form a group, please post a comment on this site and arrange to meet inside London Victoria station by 0835.
DRIVERS
Lingfield station is 9 miles south of the M25 junction 6. Follow the A22 heading south. Turn left onto the B2029, then left onto the B2028, and finally left into Station Road.
WHAT TO BRING
· Hand sanitiser.
· Sturdy, waterproof hiking boots that have been broken-in, ideally with ankle support. No trainers.
· Waterproof jacket: whatever the weather, we hike.
· Water: 2 litres minimum.
· Pre-packed picnic lunch and snacks: it’s a long hike.
· Day pack.
· Long trousers: zip-offs are perfect for warm days.
· Sunglasses, hat and sunscreen if warm and sunny.
· Gaiters or waterproof over trousers if rain is expected.
· Dry base layer for the journey home.
PRICE
£12.00 per person payable in advance upon booking for a full day’s hike guided by Eliza Wyrzykowska.
BOOKING
To book, click on the ‘Yes’ button just below ‘Are you going?’ in the top right hand corner. You can pay from either your PayPal account or with your debit or credit card.
CANCELLATIONS
When you cancel seven or more days before a Love To Hike, you receive a £12 credit towards any future Love To Hike event.
DISCLAIMER
When participating in any outdoor activity, there is always the risk of injury and death. When hiking with Love To Hike, you acknowledge that:
- You are fully aware of all of the risks involved and accept full responsibility for whatever may happen to you during or after the hike.
- You are in good health, ‘fit to hike’ and capable of keeping the pace for the duration of the hike.
- You shall wear sturdy hiking boots that have been broken-in, are in good condition (not brand new), and clothing that is appropriate for the time of year and any weather conditions that may arise during the hike.
- You shall not hold responsible, nor pursue any legal, injury or financial compensation claim against Love To Hike and or the hike leader for anything that may happen to you during or after the hike.