islington
SHORTER WALKS
 Group Coordinator: Kate Grant (click to contact) Co-leader: Kate Wark |
|
When
We usually have two scheduled walks each month on varying days of the week, led by members of the group. We also have extra ‘pop-up’ walks from time to time. |
| Where Some walks are fairly local,
others involve some travel.
|
We travel by public transport for up to
about 45 minutes from central London, but many of our walks
are much more local. In the summer months we walk further
afield with some longer country walks. During the winter we
have shorter ones, and tend to keep to parks and towpaths as
we try to avoid muddy paths. We always have a coffee break
during our walks, and almost invariably end with an optional
group lunch.
We don’t tackle any real hills, but there can be occasional fairly steep slopes or flights of steps to manage, and the odd stile, so a reasonable degree of fitness is helpful.
Shorter Walks is a very sociable, friendly group where new members are made welcome. To join the group, please either drop me an email (address as above) or register through Beacon. Having joined the group, to join a particular walk click on the relevant date below. If you are not a member of Islington U3A then you must firstly join this before joining any Group. Go to the Join Us page and there click on the Membership Form.
Our experience of running walks has suggested a few common-sense guidelines, to ensure everyone’s enjoyment and safety on our walks. You can see them here.
Our Next Shorter Walks
Wednesday 14 November 2018 (sign up open)— A four mile walk at a steady pace from Barnes Bridge through the historic village of Barnes and along a country pathway to the Thames towpath and Putney Bridge. Over the bridge we enter the grounds of Fulham Palace where there may be the opportunity to visit the gardens adjudged to be among the most attractive and secluded in London. Finally we aim for lunch and return from Putney Bridge Station. Details here.
Monday 17 December (sign up open) — Christmas walk-and-lunch. The walk will be around Regent's Park and along the Regent's Canal, to (and up) Primrose Hill, ending with lunch at Lemonia, a long-established, popular Greek restaurant in Primrose Hill.
Recent Walks
November: Hadley Wood We had the
most wonderful walk from High Barnet to
Cockfosters in magnificent Autumn sun and almost
Autumn colours. There were ten of us who walked
through Hadley Wood and passed Jack’s Lake, Dr
Livingstone’s and Fanny Trollope’s houses, a 12th
century church and medieval alms houses. We had
our traditional ‘light lunch’ at The Cock Inn
after.
October: Thames Path — Richmond to Barnes — A larg
e
group of 19 walkers enjoyed fine Autumn weather
along the Thames Path. Starting in Richmond
(fortunately at Low Tide as the path there floods
regularly at High Tide), we were soon glimpsing
Kew Gardens on our side of the river whilst
enjoying splendid views of Syon House and the
historic buildings of Old Isleworth across the
water on the north bank. There’s quite a rural
feel to this stretch of the Thames and cormorants
and herons were performing for us for much of the
walk. We ended the walk in Barnes village where we
were able to eat lunch by the pond on the common,
or in the nearby pub.
October: Stoke Newington to Oly
mpic Park — Eleven of us
walked the five miles from Stoke Newington to
Pudding Mill Station. Our first stop was for
coffee in Springfield Park café and then our walk
took us along the River Lee Navigation waterway,
passing the Walthamstow Marsh Nature Reserve and
taking in the Middlesex Filter Beds, which were
constructed in 1852 to improve water for East
London. We then followed the towpath between the
River Lee Navigation and Hackney Marshes and past
the Queen Elizabeth Park. Our walk finished with
lunch at the View Tube, a community café with
excellent food, on the Greenway.
September:
Lee Valley & Cheshunt
— this
circular country park walk proved to be delightful. Within minutes of
leaving the station the ten walkers were in quiet country
parkland with interesting rustic artwork dotted amongst the
trees. It being firm
underfoot the going was easy, enabling us to take in the
lakeland scenery, birds and enjoy the peace. Coffee at the White
Water Centre was great and with warm weather we kept up a
good pace over the five miles.
Sadly we did not spot the otters, but ‘bring our own
lunch’ in The Windmill pub with a cool drink finished the
morning off nicely.
Previous Walks
The following links take you to our archive files of previous walks:
For information and photos of our walks in 2017/18 (October to September) have a look here.
For information and photos of our walks in 2016/17 (October to September) have a look here.
For information and photos of our walks in 2015/16 year (October to September) then the details are here.
For information and photos of our walks in our first iU3A year then the details for 2015 (May to September) are here.
We don’t tackle any real hills, but there can be occasional fairly steep slopes or flights of steps to manage, and the odd stile, so a reasonable degree of fitness is helpful.
Shorter Walks is a very sociable, friendly group where new members are made welcome. To join the group, please either drop me an email (address as above) or register through Beacon. Having joined the group, to join a particular walk click on the relevant date below. If you are not a member of Islington U3A then you must firstly join this before joining any Group. Go to the Join Us page and there click on the Membership Form.
Our experience of running walks has suggested a few common-sense guidelines, to ensure everyone’s enjoyment and safety on our walks. You can see them here.
Our Next Shorter Walks
Wednesday 14 November 2018 (sign up open)— A four mile walk at a steady pace from Barnes Bridge through the historic village of Barnes and along a country pathway to the Thames towpath and Putney Bridge. Over the bridge we enter the grounds of Fulham Palace where there may be the opportunity to visit the gardens adjudged to be among the most attractive and secluded in London. Finally we aim for lunch and return from Putney Bridge Station. Details here.
Monday 17 December (sign up open) — Christmas walk-and-lunch. The walk will be around Regent's Park and along the Regent's Canal, to (and up) Primrose Hill, ending with lunch at Lemonia, a long-established, popular Greek restaurant in Primrose Hill.
Recent Walks
November: Hadley Wood We had the
most wonderful walk from High Barnet to
Cockfosters in magnificent Autumn sun and almost
Autumn colours. There were ten of us who walked
through Hadley Wood and passed Jack’s Lake, Dr
Livingstone’s and Fanny Trollope’s houses, a 12th
century church and medieval alms houses. We had
our traditional ‘light lunch’ at The Cock Inn
after.October: Thames Path — Richmond to Barnes — A larg
e
group of 19 walkers enjoyed fine Autumn weather
along the Thames Path. Starting in Richmond
(fortunately at Low Tide as the path there floods
regularly at High Tide), we were soon glimpsing
Kew Gardens on our side of the river whilst
enjoying splendid views of Syon House and the
historic buildings of Old Isleworth across the
water on the north bank. There’s quite a rural
feel to this stretch of the Thames and cormorants
and herons were performing for us for much of the
walk. We ended the walk in Barnes village where we
were able to eat lunch by the pond on the common,
or in the nearby pub.October: Stoke Newington to Oly
mpic Park — Eleven of us
walked the five miles from Stoke Newington to
Pudding Mill Station. Our first stop was for
coffee in Springfield Park café and then our walk
took us along the River Lee Navigation waterway,
passing the Walthamstow Marsh Nature Reserve and
taking in the Middlesex Filter Beds, which were
constructed in 1852 to improve water for East
London. We then followed the towpath between the
River Lee Navigation and Hackney Marshes and past
the Queen Elizabeth Park. Our walk finished with
lunch at the View Tube, a community café with
excellent food, on the Greenway.September:
Lee Valley & Cheshunt
— this
circular country park walk proved to be delightful. Within minutes of
leaving the station the ten walkers were in quiet country
parkland with interesting rustic artwork dotted amongst the
trees. It being firm
underfoot the going was easy, enabling us to take in the
lakeland scenery, birds and enjoy the peace. Coffee at the White
Water Centre was great and with warm weather we kept up a
good pace over the five miles.
Sadly we did not spot the otters, but ‘bring our own
lunch’ in The Windmill pub with a cool drink finished the
morning off nicely.Previous Walks
The following links take you to our archive files of previous walks:
For information and photos of our walks in 2017/18 (October to September) have a look here.
For information and photos of our walks in 2016/17 (October to September) have a look here.
For information and photos of our walks in 2015/16 year (October to September) then the details are here.
For information and photos of our walks in our first iU3A year then the details for 2015 (May to September) are here.