Walking groups in the
London area

Every Saturday and Sunday thousands of people leave the cities of England to enjoy a day walking in the English countryside.
From 18 to 80 (and occasionally outside those ages!), we all know the joy of escaping the concrete and tarmac, the noise and pollution, and taking a trip to a place that we've sometimes never heard of before, and spending a day walking in the countryside, admiring the views, breathing fresh air, and all at the same time as improving our physical fitness in the company of other, like-minded people.

Most of us belong to some walking group, and my aim in writing this page is to make it easier for newcomers to know what to expect.
I personally am a member of the Ramblers, and many of us have discussed the need for information for those joining for the first time, so i will concentrate on the Ramblers, but first i will mention some alternatives.



NEW!!! To give you an idea of what we get up to at the weekend, i'm composing a diary of all the rambles i go on in 2005, and it can be accessed by clicking here

time out walking club

This group has sprung from the hugely successful book time out country walks which has just moved into its' second edition.
Walking with this group couldn't be easier - you simply buy the book, and within its' pages are lists of walks which you are free to do at any time, but also suggestions for dates on which you might like to do them ( there are walks for every weekend ). Evidently, enough people have been following the suggested dates to make these walks quite a sociable affair, and if you follow one of these walks on a suggested date, and see somebody else walking in the same direction as you, with a copy of the book, half of your introductions are already made!
There are all sorts of people who follow the Time Out walks, of every walking ability ( there are varying lengths of walk to suit all tastes and abilities ) and every strata of society, and i have heard of many friendships ( and relationships!!! ) formed on these walks, so if you think this might appeal to you, check out the link a few lines above.

long distance walkers association

Strictly speaking i should not mention the LDWA on a page directed at newcomers to walking - these peope take their walks seriously! If, like my sister, one of your hobbies is running marathons you might be alright, but even then most marathon runners don't take too kindly to hills. Most of the walks in the programme are in excess of 20 miles, particularly in summer ( when there are more daylight hours ), but if you are interested you can view their current programme here.This same site also has walks for other parts of the country as well. The members of the LDWA are primarily interested in WALKING. This may sound like an obvious statement, but serves to emphasize that people join walking groups for differing reasons, perhaps to meet people, to see the countryside, to improve their physical fitness, or, indeed, to walk, or a combination of these. You may not even really know when you first join a group which aspects will prove to be most important to you, and it is only getting out there and trying it which will determine the walks which you will gain most satisfaction from.

the ramblers

Most of the people who walk in the countryside each weekend are members of The Ramblers. They may not be walking an official Rambler's walk that day, but the chances are that they are members. As i mentioned above, many of us who walk regularly feel that there is a lack of information given to people when they first join, and i will try to explain how the Ramblers Association is organized here.
The Ramblers in Great Britain are split into hundreds of local walking groups, and when you first contact them ( their web-site is here) you will be sent a current programme of walks for the group LOCAL TO THE AREA WHERE YOU LIVE. You do not have to pay anything at all to be sent a programme at the beginning - everyone is free to join 2 or 3 walks to begin with, in order to find out if this is what you are looking for, prior to paying the annual membership fee.
Now, it is obviously handy to have your local programme sent to you, but what the Ramblers Association themselves never make clear is that each group has its' own character and identity, with a different type of membership than, perhaps, a geographically adjacent area, and each group has a definite policy on the lengths and types of walks they offer in their programme. Some groups have a more elderly average age so the average speed of the walks is slower, some concentrate on trains rather than cars as the mode of transport to get to the start of each walk, some offer walks averaging 7 or 8 miles while some average 15 or 16, some offer walks every weekend whilst for some it's closer to every month. In short, by all means try out your local group, but do not be afraid to ask questions, and the best place to ask them is on a walk, as the chances are that there will be one or two people who have tried out all of the surrounding groups ( i've walked with 6 or 7 groups all told, prior to settling on 2 or 3 favourites ), and will be able to advise you on which ones might suit you best.
The local groups are centered on small areas, e.g. in London we have South Bank, Blackheath, North East london, Hammersmith & Fulham, Richmond etc., but many of the groups close to each other will walk in the same places in the space of a year, it is just a question of how far they walk once they're there, how fast etc.

Ramblers tend to be a friendly group, "bonded" together by the trials and tribulations they might have experienced at some stage in the past, foisted upon them by the vagaries of rail travel in the U.K. or the weather ( and weather forecasters! ), and you will find most happy to spend 10 minutes discussing their experiences with various groups, or what they have heard from other Ramblers. Once you have paid your annual membership fee ( which is currently about £25, with concessions available, for which you get a welter of information, including a small book listing cheap hostels, hotels and b&b's all over the country ), you then contact the secretary of any local group you wish to try, and for a fee of £2 - £3 you will be sent the programmes covering the next year of walks for that group.
The organization of walks differs on a much smaller scale as well. Each ramble has a designated leader, who has put him/herself forward voluntarily on the basis that they know the walk well, and they are prepared to show the others the way. Again, each leader is different, some walking faster than others, some liking more hills than others, some like a pub-stop at lunch-time and others never do. The programme will/should contain details of, for example, when and where to catch the appropriate train, where and when to change if needed, and where to get off, as well as where the walk is likely to finish, how far the walk is, how fast it will be (although this is very subjective), and any other important details e.g. is it expected to be muddy.
Hence, if you are considering joining the Ramblers, be prepared for the possibility of disappointment at the beginning. There is something to suit all tastes if you look - i have a current programme with a walk of 3 miles advertised, which i think most people could manage, whereas i enjoy 20 miles or so.
And remember, it is ADDICTIVE. Once you have the bug you begin to wonder what you did on those weekend days............

hiking gear

Finally, the question of what will you need to start walking.
The single most important item of equipment you will need, possibly the ONLY item of equipment you really need, is a good stout pair of walking/ hiking boots.
You cannot walk in trainers.
I have seen people really hurt themselves trying this, and if you ignore this little piece of advice you will receive little sympathy. The best boots need not neccesarily be the most expensive - i use surplus stores for mine - but your boots will determine whether you walk comfortably or in pain, possibly with feet covered in blood. It really is not pleasant to see.
If you want to bring food, and/ or perhaps waterproofs you will need a bag of some sort - i have seen some carry carrier-bags, but what they would do if the handles broke or they tore a hole in the carrier-bag on a bramble etc. i can't guess. Waterproofs themselves are useful in winter, but in summer they are more of a nuisance.
There are those who carry walking-poles, compasses, torches, first-aid equipment, maps, extra coats, cameras,and probably a hot-water bottle and a teddy bear just in case they're stuck in the countryside for a night if the truth be told, , but apart from the boots everything else is optional.


Now if you've read this far you are interested, so why not give it a go - come and join those of us who don't understand people in gyms, walking on TREADMILLS. Wouldn't you rather get some exercise whilst spending the whole day by the sea at the seven sisters?
Or walking up Leith Hill, the highest point in South East England?
Or visiting one or two of the picturesque villages of Kent or Surrey?
Or climb to the top of the South Downs, where there are few trees, and get a view you won't ever forget?
Come and join us
You won't regret it.


walking for health


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