Farthing Down, Happy Valley to Kenley October
16 people attending
4 places left
Join me for a rural walk, that is surprisingly so close to the urban ways of South London.
We'll start at Coulsdon South train station, which is four stops south from East Croydon station (The Brighton Line) and we'll end up at Whyteleafe Station which is four stops south of East Croydon, but on the Caterham branch line. So all transport for this linear walk will involve trains to or from East Croydon. Also, all stations are in the Oyster Card zone 6.
The linear walk will start at Coulsdon South station and we'll ascend the very steep hill up onto Farthing Down, across the neolithic chalk downland, and head towards one the few patches left of the near mythical Ancient Wood. This sacred wood once covered most of the UK, before deforestation led to the building of Tudor England, so we'll be truly honoured to walk through this woodland as we desend into Happy Valley and onward towards the ancient village of Chaldon.
Chaldon was first recorded in 675, and if we can get into its church you'll see some very old frescos of hell and damnation dating back about 1170. From here we move out into the fields and onto my favourite route of all England - the Pilgrims Way, where medieval pilgrims made their way from Winchester to Canterbury Cathedral, via this ancient Way. The kings and queens of Britain did the same, and we'll do a small part of it in the spirit of joy and happiness too.
From there we'll go back towards suburbia and through Coulsdon Common and towards Kenley Aerodrome, via the Astronomical telescopes of Kenley Observatory. I'm checking out to see if this fine local astronomical society will be open or not as we stroll past, if so, we might stop for a bit to see what they are up to.
After which, we will stroll onto the aerodrome, which was one of the most heavily bombed airstrips in world war two. While not much remains, we may be able to see some gliders taking off as the path cuts across the end of the landing strip (Mind your Head!)
There are a few pubs at the end, so we'll see which is the best nearer the time. After sinking a few libations in the officers' mess, then we'll get a train (four stops) back to East Croydon.
What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres. It is early October, but is likely still to be very warm
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-25 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a microfleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold if it rains, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy summer days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch
Food & drink
Bring plenty of water, and snacks and a packed lunch as there are no shops en route. At the end of the walk we will be finishing at a pub to stop for a drink or two.