St Francis of Assisi Catholic Rambler's Club
(Website: www.stfrancisramblers.ukwalkers.com)
The Club is approved by the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster
Affiliated to the Ramblers Association and HF Holidays
Programme of Rambles / Events for Spring 2017
(Items for the next programme by the beginning of May please)
A BIG thank you to all who made this a complete and varied programme.
Whether you are a new or seasoned leader your efforts are greatly appreciated.
Sunday 5th March Leader: Philip Groves OS map 198
Meet : Victoria 0905 for 0932 train to Hassocks arriving 1032
Lunch : The Shepherd and Dog, Fulking (good food)
Tea : Quite possibly......
Distance : Around 14 miles, several hills
Fare : CDR to Hassocks, £10.00 cheapest return fare (booked in
advance on www.trainline.com) or £14.85 return on the day with a
GoldCard. Philip will meet the group at Hassocks.
As well as the train shown in the programme the Thameslink service from Bedfordcalls at the following London stations; West Hampstead Thameslink 0902, St Pancras Platform A 0910 (Return fare with rail card discount £6.75),Farringdon 0915, Blackfriars 0922, arriving Hassocks 1037.
Sunday 12th March Leader: Robert Slater. OS map 166
Meet : King's Cross 0900 for 0922 to Hitchin (arr 0952)
Lunch : Live and Let Live, Pegsdon.
Tea : Angel Vaults(Wetherspoons), Hitchin
Distance : 13 miles. Hilly in places but manageable returning from Hitchin.
Fare : £8.45 CDR Hitchin with Network Railcard.
Robert will meet walkers at Hitchin.
Click HERE to see photographs taken on the ramble on 12 March 2017
Sunday 19th March Leader: John Burbage Landranger maps 175/176
Meet : Paddington 0915 for 0945 train to Burnham (Bucks) (arr 1022).
Train also calls Ealing Broadway 0953 (Central and District lines). Please leave enough time if buying tickets at Paddington as
queues and the distance to the usual departure platform can be long.
Lunch : The Fox & Pheasant, Stoke Common. A moderately priced pub with a good value carvery.
Tea : The Lakeside Café, Black Park Country Park.
Distance : 12 mainly level miles returning from Langley Station. May be muddy in places.
Fare : £6.80 Off-peak Return from Burnham (Berks) with Network Card. (£3.25 with Freedom Pass and Network Card.)
Sunday 26th March Leaders: Lizzie Cripps & Antoinette Adkins Explorer Map 171
Meet : Paddington 0850 for 0915 train to Twyford (arr 1004). Change for
the 1043 train to Henley on Thames (arr 1055). There will be time for a toilet stop and coffee at Twyford to ensure the walk commences promptly on arrival at Henley.
Lunch : Stag & Huntsman, Hambledon. (Benches nearby for those with packed lunch.)
Tea : Catherine Wheel, Henley (Wetherspoons)
Distance : 10.5 leisurely miles returning from Henley.
Fare : £13.95 with Network Card CDR Henley and £7.15 with Freedom Pass and Senior Rail card.
Sunday 2nd April Leader: Paul Brunning OS map 188
Meet : Charing Cross 0930 for 0955 train to Sevenoaks arrives 1030
Lunch : Bucks Head Godden Green
Tea : Sevenoaks
Distance: 9 miles returning from Sevenoaks
Fare : 9.50 cdr Sevenoaks with NSE discount
Saturday 8th April Leader: Kevin MacNamara Explorer maps 172 & 182
Meet : Baker Street 0950 for 1013 Metropolitan line train to Croxley (Zone 7) arr 1049.
Lunch : Hunters Kings Lodge Restaurant & Bar, Hunton Bridge (good food and beer)
Tea : The Paper Mill, Apsley
Distance: 7 level miles returning from Apsley
Fare : Travelcard/Oyster/Freedom Passes on tube plus single £3.80
from Apsley to Boundary Zone 6 or £8.40 to Euston with NSE/Senior card
discount. If you opt for a ticket to boundary zone 6 you must have an all
zones travelcard.
Please Note Kevin will meet the ramblers at Croxley.
Click HERE to see photographs taken on the ramble on 8 April 2017 and also some taken on the walkout.
Friday 14th April - Good Friday Leaders: Helen Hunt and Tony Finnegan OS map 187
Meet : Victoria 0910 for 0936 train to Three Bridges (arr 1013). Train also
calls Clapham Junction 0942, East Croydon 0953 and Gatwick Airport 1009.
Lunch : Cowdray Arms, GR 308334. Food served with some non meat items at reasonable prices. Strictly no eating of own food on pub premises.
Tea : Three Bridges
We will attend the Good Friday Service at Worth Abbey at 3 pm
Please remove boots before entering the Church to spare the carpet.
Distance : 8½ miles returning from Three Bridges. No severe inclines and not much mud.
Fare : £11.70 off peak day return Three Bridges with Rail Card Reduction (£6.40 approx from Boundary Zone 6).
Click HERE to see photographs taken on the ramble on the God Friday qalk on 14 April 2017 and also some taken on the walkout.
Sunday 23rd April Leader: John Sealy. Explorer map 181
Meet : Victoria 0920 for 0949 train to Waddon 1022 - Zone 5.
Train calls Clapham Junction 0956 and Balham (Northern line) 1000.
Lunch : William Morris, Abbey Mills 5 minutes walk from South Wimbledon
Northern Line zone 3. Other food and drink options close by.
Distance : 12 level miles finishing at Wandsworth Town Station - Zone 2
Fare : Oyster card / Freedom pass / Travelcard options.
To see some photographs taken on the ramble on 23 April click HERE
Sunday 30th April Leader: Robert Slater. OS map 166
Meet : King's Cross at 0945 for 1005 to Welwyn Garden City (arr.1031)
Lunch : The Swan, Wheathampstead.
Tea : The Two Willows, Welwyn Garden City.
Distance: 12 miles returning from WGC.
Fare : £5.70 Welwyn Garden City return with Network Railcard.
Robert will meet walkers at WGC.
To see some photographs taken on the ramble on 30 April click HERE
MONDAY 1ST MAY - Leader: Maurice Hickman Explorer Map 146
Meet : Victoria at 0910 for 0931 train to Ockley (arr. 1036)
Lunch : The Parrot Inn, Forest Green
Tea : Top of Leith Hill and/or Plough Coldharbour
Distance : 9 miles. returning from Holmwood
Fare : £8.85 Ockley with Network Card
Sunday 7th May Leader: John Burbage Landranger map 186
Meet : Waterloo Station 0850 for the 0907 train to Alton (Hants) arriving at 1031.
Lunch : The Selborne Arms, Selbourne. A medium priced pub with wide range of locally produced food and large garden.
Tea : Possibly in Alton.
Distance : 12 hilly miles returning from Alton. The walk takes in the areas frequented by pioneering naturalist Gilbert White.
Fare : £14.00 Off-peak return from Alton with Network Card. (£8.80 with Freedom Pass and Network Card.)
SATURDAY 13TH MAY Leader : Maurice Hickman Explorer Map 123
Meet : Victoria 0900 for 0917 train to Bishopstone (arr. 1043)
Lunch : Plough and Harrow, Litlington
Tea : The Old Boot, Seaford
Distance : 12 miles, returning from Seaford
Fare : £18.15 Seaford with Network Card
Hilly down and cliff top terrain but the views make the effort worthwhile.
Advance tickets may still be available at £10 (£5 each way) but you must aim
to return on the 1825 or later train.
To see some photographs taken on the ramble on 13 May click HERE
Sunday 21st May Leader: Paul Brunning OS map 177
Lunch : Queens Head Downe
Tea : Let’s see
Distance: 9 miles returning from Hayes
Fare : Freedom pass/ Oyster / Travelcard options
SATURDAY 27th MAY Leader: Angela Shardlow Explorer map 120
Meet : Victoria 0910 for 0936 train to Chichester (arr 1104).
Change for 1114 train Bosham (arr 1120)
Lunch :Anchor Bleu, Bosham. Other eating places available.
Tea : Chichester.
Distance :7 level miles returning by bus from Chidham.
Fare : £19.55 CDR Bosham with NSE discount plus bus fare £3.20.
MONDAY 29TH MAY Leaders: Virginia and Roger Yelland
Landranger map 167
Meet : Liverpool Street 0905 for 0928 train to Broxbourne (arr 0953).
Train also calls Tottenham Hale 0940 (Victoria Line Zone 3) .
Lunch : The Moorhen, Burnt Mill
Tea : Queens Head, Sawbridgeworth.
Distance : 17-18 flat miles, returning from Bishops Stortford.
Fare : £10.45 cdr Bishops Stortford with NSE discount.
Ramblers can return from Sawbridgeworth which is 4 miles short Bishops Stortford
To see some photographs taken on the ramble on 29 May 2017 click HERE
Saturday and Monday Walks
Please note that the dates of the Saturday and Monday walks have been printed with capital letters to distinguish these walks from the Sunday ones. This helps to eliminate any weekend confusion and so guards against a member or members turning up for a walk on the wrong day. This has happened!
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Club Committee 2016-2017
(Please note: Addresses and telephone numbers are not included in this internet version of the programme)
President: Fr Chris Vipers, Parish Priest, Membership Secretary
St Mary Moorfields, 4-5 Eldon Street, Antoinette Adkins,
EC2M 7LS
Secretary Ramble List Compiler
Maurice Hickman Paul Connolly
Treasurer Publicity
John Burbage David Crundall
Other Duties
Henrietta Van Zaelen,
Maria Vaz,
Ben Sealey
News and Events - Spring 2017
Alison Clarke's Father R.I.P.
Please pray for Alison Clarke's father who died on 11th December 2016.
She has this message for fellow Club members: "Alison would like to thank everyone in the St Francis ramblers for their kind wishes and masses in remembrance of her Father who died recently. They are very much appreciated".
Hilary McNabb R.I.P.
Sadly I have to report the death of Hilary McNabb who died on the morning of Saturday 4th February. She will be greatly missed in the Club as she has been a long standing member and has led a number of walks near where she lived in Kent. She also came on many Club holidays and weekends away, especially YHA weekends. Her funeral will take place at 2.30pm at the Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Otford on Thursday 2nd of March and burial afterwards at Otford cemetery.
Monday 13th March Mass for Deceased Members
Hania has arranged that the intention of the 12.30 Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Monday 13th of March be for the deceased members of the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Rambler's Club. Leaflets with the names of the deceased members will be distributed before the Mass, of course, with the name of Hilary McNabb added.
Monday 10th of April Mass for Hilary McNabb
Catherine Scott has arranged that the intention of the 12.30 Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Monday 10th April be for Hilary McNabb.
Saturday 12th August to Sunday 27th August A&B Pilgrimage
The diocese of Arundel and Brighton will be holding an ecumenical walking pilgrimage in North Wales from Bangor, around Anglesey and on to St Asaph and Holywell from Saturday 12th of August to Sunday 27th of August. There will be rest days in Holyhead and Conway.
Maurice and Francis will be leading two of the walks in Anglesey. More information and an application form will be available soon, some time in March, on the pilgrim website which is: www.thepilgrims.org.uk