In The News

Fourteen Surrey and Beyond Ramblers (SABRE) members spent a weekend walking the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire. We based ourselves in Great Malvern and travelled by train to get to the start of our walks. Saturday saw us taking the train to Colwall. We set off ascending across the fields to reach the top of the ridge walking to the southern end point of the hills. Although this is a ridge walk there is a lot of ascent and descent, including reaching the Herefordshire Beacon. After reaching the end of the hills we walked via the Geo Park trail towards Eastnor where we came across lots of Land Rovers convening for the 40th birthday celebration for Blue Tits (an iconic 1980s Land Rover that is a frequent star on the ‘OverInTheRover’ channel). We then came across a piece of the Berlin Wall in the Eastnor Deer Park – this had been installed in December 2025 and is one of 170 pieces of the Berlin Wall now displayed across the world as memorials to those who lost their lives attempting to escape to freedom. We headed towards Ledbury for beers and coffees before getting the train back to Great Malvern.

On Sunday we travelled back to Colwall to retrace our steps back up to the ridges and this time headed north towards Great Malvern. We had our group photo taken on top of the Worcestershire Beacon and our picnic lunch watching rain clouds starting to head across the valley below. Thankfully we reached the end of the walk just as a heavy downpour started! Our journey home on Monday took us via the amazing Map Shop in Upton upon Severn where a few of is stocked up on maps for forthcoming European and Worldwide holidays. Some of us also visited NT Croome and NT Hanbury Hall while we were in the area.

SABRE has recently completed the 64-mile Serpent Trail from Haslemere to Petersfield – only 11 miles in a straight line but the trail snakes its way through the South Downs National Park covering Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex. The trail includes the Greensand Ridge, Woolbeding and Petworth. We completed this over seven Saturdays through a combination of circular and linear walks using the train or car shares to get to the start of the walks. We started this long-distance walk-in May 2025 and finished it in May 2026. We enjoyed looking back at our photos and the contrast of being wrapped up during the stages in the winter and looking very warm on the final section which ended with ice creams at Heath Pond in Petersfield on a very hot day. A big thank you to Shaun who led the walks and organised a trip back to Petworth so that we could visit the National Trust Property in slower time. We are walking the Ridgeway as our next long-distance path starting in July.

Surrey and Beyond Ramblers (SABRE) has continued to offer a wide variety of walks across the south-east in the second half of 2025. Our short and medium length walks have stayed fairly local within Surrey and Hampshire. These have included walks near Farnham Castle, Frensham Ponds and NT Polesden Lacey. with our longer walks venturing to the Chilterns, Kent and down to the south coast. We have continued walking sections of the Serpent Trail and will continue in 2026 from Petworth on Valentine’s Day.

We had our two legendary annual summer walks in July - Seven Sisters and Firle. We managed to complete the Seven Sisters walk without getting wet but it was extremely windy, almost blowing us sideways off our feet and many of us had bouffant hair by the end! There was a post-walk trip to the wonderful Litlngton Tea Garden on the way home for the popular apricot cream teas.

Our annual walk from Firle has always been blessed with sunshine but not in 2025! With thunderstorms forecast along with torrential rain we headed south and arrived in the car park in the dry! The clouds were lifting, and we had great views down to the coast towards Newhaven and Lewes and warm sunshine by the end. The following day was thankfully hot and sunny for our summer BBQ!

We thoroughly enjoyed a walk in the Chess Valley Although many people might think this is a bit out of the way, as much of the journey is on the M25 it was very quick to get there (and even accessible from the London Underground Metropolitan Line). The Chilterns landscape was just wonderful and very picturesque. The afternoon section took us past Latimer House which is now a luxury hotel but in the Second World War it was the centre for top secret activities by MI5 and MI6, and Chenies Manor House and Garden. Our second Chilterns walk started from Stokenchurch. This was a lovely woodland walk towards Turville (Vicar of Dibley country) where we had picnic lunches in the churchyard looking up to the Windmill or a pub lunch. The sun finally came out on the final stretch back to the car park.

Our Kent walks took us to Penhurst, an area of the Kent Weald that we hadn’t walked before and after an early climb we were rewarded with extensive views across the countryside followed by a walk through woodland, and then a path along the River Medway.

We also walked from Sevenoaks on our ‘Oaks and Motes’ walk which took us through NT Knowle and the extensive deer park and then onto NT Ightham Mote for our picnic lunch. We saw heavily laden apple orchards and crunched our way over thousands of fallen acorns.

Finally, we returned for the very popular walk from Hosey Hill – lots of interesting fungi in different shapes and sizes this time (we had bluebells in the spring!) and autumnal colours as we walked through NT Emmett’s Garden. We stopped for coffee at NT Chartwell (and later went back to buy apples grown on the estate).

Our Surrey Hills walks covered Newlands Corner to Silent Pool and on to Shamley Green for lunch, and then separately a very hilly walk from Denbies Vineyard returning back via Ranmore Common, and finally a walk from near Reigate just before Christmas.

We finished 2025 with a festive steam train trip on the Watercress Line enjoying all of the illuminations and lots of Christmas songs!

Thirty seven SABRE members travelled to the Lake District for our annual group holiday, staying at the HF Monk Coniston House. We had four HF leaders to lead the three walks each day, exploring the Southern Lake District with some of the walks starting from the house.

Our first day explored the picturesque Tarn Hows and the Coppermine Valley, and the summit of Wetherlam. The scramble to the top of Wetherlam was a bit harder than we expected (but good practice for more scrambling later in the week!) – we all got to the top for a group photo and fantastic views across to Morecombe Bay and Windermere and the Old Man of Coniston. Walking back through Coniston meant a trip to the cafes and pubs plus a visit to the John Ruskin museum to see the restored Bluebird which returned to Coniston in 2024. After dinner we enjoyed ‘Killer Skittles’ in the barn – lots of cheering and good natured banter.

The inclement weather on Sunday was a good opportunity to explore the Rydal caves including the impressive Cathedral Cave. Eight of us braved Red Screes with a slight variation to the walk due to the heavy rain and winds – it was a rapid descent with the promise of drinks at the Golden Rule pub in Ambleside and happy memories for some of the ‘Lakers’ of beers shared with Eric.

Sunny weather on the free day was perfect for exploring the local area with many enjoying a boat trip on Coniston Water to Brantwood House and gardens. Others had fun on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway or travelled further afield to Levens Hall and Garden. A few of us ventured over the Hardknott Pass to the Eskdale Valley and a challenging ascent to Mickeldore (which sits between Scafell and Scafell Pike). Our ambition to walk up Scafell via Foxes Tarn was thwarted by a very steep path which had become a small waterfall. We’ll save that ascent for another day and a different route! What a beautiful valley with uninterrupted views for miles.

Lots of us completed the ascent of Coniston Old Man and Dow Crag with amazing views to the different peaks including where we had walked on the rest day. An ice cream van at the end of the descent was an unexpected treat before stopping off in Coniston for more refreshments before heading back to the house.

Luck was on our side for a day of walking in the beautiful Langdale Valleys with the rain arriving after lunch much to the relief of those walking. We were able to enjoy views of Blea Tarn and Lingmoor Fell. Four of us enjoyed the almost two hours of scrambling across Crinkle Crags – there was a great path up to the ridge and it was a good work out pulling ourselves over the rocks. The cloud was covering Bow Fell so we decided to head back down to the valley and join our fellow SABRE walkers in the Stickle Barn to dry out over a variety of beers, coffees and hot chocolate.

Our final day started from Grasmere (in the pouring rain!). Some of us very sensibly opted not to walk and enjoy the shops, galleries and cafes in Grasmere before heading back to Coniston using the local buses. The rest of us headed up Helm Crag wondering if we had made a good choice! Thankfully a few dry spells and high winds dried us out between showers and we had amazing views of Easedale Tarn and the valley down to Grasmere. A stream in full spate meant diverting the walk on our return and a slightly later arrival in Grasmere and a quick visit to The Taproom for the local brewery. Our final evening ended with a game of curling in the barn (no ice and brushes needed!).

A big thank you to the HF leaders – Steve, David, Andy and David, and to the Monk Coniston team headed by Richard and Daniel for their hospitality. We’re looking forward to the 2026 holiday at Newfield Hall in Malham.

In the true spirit of our name, SABRE’s walks have extended to Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey and Sussex between April and June.

In mid-April we started our bluebell-themed walks. On Good Friday our walk from Chipstead to Mugswell brought back memories of the Narnia stories with the various wooden sculptures through the woods (including Aslan the lion and the wardrobe with hanging clothes). The last time we did this walk in 2018 it was snowing and this time we had bluebells throughout the beech woods.

Our annual bluebell walk in Kent was from Hosey Hill (near Westerham) across Mariner’s, Ide and Toy’s Hills and didn’t disappoint us. There were carpets of bluebells for miles, and we stopped for lots of photo opportunities with Simnel Cakes for the end of the walk – an Easter tradition.

A walk in the Chilterns rewarded us with more bluebells (and also wild garlic) through the beech woods from Ibstone to Turville. We enjoyed our picnic lunch in the churchyard in Turville with views of the windmill.

Our final bluebell walk in Surrey started from Holmwood Common to Leith Hill and back via Coldharbour. There were still plenty of bluebells in the woods, and we came across a huge field full of red clover – very colourful.

We had a great day in Winnie the Pooh country in Sussex on our walk through Ashdown Forest crossing the infamous Pooh sticks bridge. This is aways a very enjoyable walk with fantastic views across the countryside, beautiful woodlands.

Eleven SABRE members headed down the M20 towards Ashford for the first bank holiday in May to our base for the final two sections for the Greensand Way. On Saturday we walked from Fairbourne to Great Chart over 14 miles. In March the trees in many of the orchards still looked bare. This time they were covered in leaves and blossom. Our final walk on Sunday was 9 miles from Great Chart to Hamstreet. We were surprised at the poor state of the stiles on the GSW which desperately need replacing. The woodland walk for the last mile of the GSW into Hamstreet was very enjoyable.

Our next SABRE long-distance walk is the Serpent Trail which is 65 miles in length from Haslemere to Petersfield via Liphook, Midhurst and Petworth. Thirteen of us walked the first section in May from Haslemere to Liphook. This section of the trail literally snaked its way through the Hampshire countryside. We stopped for coffee and snacks at the Temple of the Winds and lunch (after a very steep climb!) was at Marley Common and then it was a relatively short walk back to Liphook station to pick up our cars.

Our walk on the last day of May was from Epsom Downs through the Langley Vale Centenary Wood. This is the largest of the Woodland Trust’s four First World War Centenary Woods. We enjoyed walking through the swathes of wildflowers and seeing the sculptures which commemorate Lord Kitchenor’s inspection of troops on Epsom Downs in January 1915. We enjoyed eating our picnic lunches in the churchyard at Headley with drinks at the pub and ice creams from the village shop.

We returned to the South Downs for a hilly walk from Harting Down to Hooksway and the lovely Royal Oak pub for lunch. The weather forecast was for thunderstorms and heavy rain but thankfully we avoided both until the drive home.
Finally, we returned to Kent where we had been looking forward to the lavender fields on a walk from Otford for over a year and weren’t disappointed! There was a haze of purple across a couple of the fields at Castle Farm and other fields ready to come into flower. We stopped for coffee at the farm and then headed to Eynsford for lunch by the river and a drink at the pub.

We’re looking forward to more walks across the counties over the summer months.

Having completed the Surrey section of the Greensand Way (GSW) in 2023 SABRE Members decided that we should complete the whole trail which extends into Kent with Shaun offering to organise and lead these walks. The first section from near Westerham to Shipbourne was completed in July 2024 with the next four sections being completed over two weekends. We completed the Shipbourne to Linton, and Linton to Fairbourne on the weekend of 22/23 March 2025.

Lots of Oast Houses, daffodils, primroses and early flowering magnolias featured on the 12.5 mile Saturday walk, and a serious lack of open pubs!! We enjoyed a fantastic Italian meal on Saturday evening. Some of us woke up to a burst watermain in Wateringbury and missed out on our cooked breakfast! We dashed to a local supermarket to stock up on bananas, pastries and the all-important coffee while the rest of the group sent good humoured WhatsApp messages on how much they were enjoying their breakfasts elsewhere!

The Sunday 7.5 mile walk featured a large number of apple orchards and walking past Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats – there were an impressive number of goats rescued from across the South East. We ended our walk with a drink at the Pepper Box Inn in Fairbourne before heading home.

Eleven SABRE members then headed down the M20 towards Ashford for the first bank holiday in May 2025 to our base for the final two sections for the Greensand Way. The advance party enjoyed an afternoon visiting Godinton House and gardens (and tea, cake and scones!) and then joined a few more of us at the Swan and Dog in Great Chart for dinner.

On Saturday we walked from Fairbourne to Great Chart over 14 miles with a picnic lunch in the churchyard and a mid-walk drink at The Swan Inn in Little Chart. In March the trees in many of the orchards still looked bare. This time they were covered in leaves and blossom. The long walk gave us a good appetite for Saturday evening where a number of steaks were eaten along with blackberry and apple crumble (with plenty of debate over ice cream versus custard, or both?!)

Our final walk on Sunday was 9 miles from Great Chart to Hamstreet. We were surprised at the poor state of the stiles on the GSW which desperately need replacing. The woodland walk for the last mile of the GSW into Hamstreet was very enjoyable. We had celebratory drinks back at The Swan and Dog in Great Chart before heading home.

A big thank you to Shaun for organising the weekends, and to Alan and Syd for helping to lead the walks. We’re looking forward to walking the Serpent Trail next!

Eric Holes 1951 – 2024

With the death of Eric Holes in September 2024, the Surrey and Beyond Ramblers (SABRE) group has lost one of our much-valued members. A lifelong walking enthusiast, Eric made a huge contribution to the Ramblers for many years. He played a major role in setting up SABRE in 2010. He was the first Chair of the group, steering the committee with his characteristic quiet wisdom for a number of years. Later, he took on the membership secretary role for two years. At a time when membership was rising rapidly, Eric was an efficient and positive secretary. As a fully qualified accountant before retirement, Eric also kept his sharp eye on group finances when necessary!

A quiet and modest man with a dry sense of humour, Eric led countless walks for SABRE, becoming something of a legend for his walks in Sussex and Hampshire. These included the Serpent Trail and the West Sussex Literary Trail. Eric’s preferred post-walk resting places were pubs, particularly those serving Sticky Toffee Pudding and good beers, with Harveys and Sneck Lifter as favourites.

After he retired, Eric trained as a walk leader with HF and guided at a number of houses including Church Streton, St Ives and Bourton-on-the-Water. He also came on SABRE group holidays to Glencoe, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight. His favourite walking holidays were often in February in the Lake District with a group of SABRE friends known as ‘the Lakers’. Walking at that time of the year in mountains could well include trudging through snow and ice and braving high winds. Eric and friends were unperturbed by such conditions, providing that good food and excellent pints were to be found after the walk! Eric’s last holiday with these friends was to Gran Canaria in 2023 where he loved the walking, as well as the sun, food and, of course, the beer.

As his health sadly declined, Eric moved to Chichester where he became an excellent bowls player, joining a local club and serving on its committee. Gardening and a love of watching and playing cricket were other lifelong interests. He is much missed by his rambling friends.

Originally published in South East Walker No 129 - March 2025

In 2019 SABRE members walked from Westminster Abbey to Battle following in the footsteps of King Harold. In the next chapter of 1066 history, thirteen members travelled to Hastings in October to follow in the footsteps of Duke William of Normandy walking much of the 1066 William’s Way to Battle. The walk took us along the promenade, stopping at William’s Stone where legend suggests the Duke dined on his arrival in Hastings, and the West Marina Gardens with the statue of Edith Swanneck finding the body of King Harold on the battlefield of Hastings. It was then on to St Leonard’s and Combe Valley Countryside Park to our picnic lunch spot in Crowhurst and onwards to Telham Hill where the Duke marshalled his troops prior to Battle. We finished our walk at Battle Abbey before catching the train back to Hastings.

We also walked in the other direction from Hastings to Rye, starting from the iconic Winkle Island with a photo opportunity at the shiny winkle. Heading steeply up East Hill (the funicular railway is no longer running!) we were rewarded with great views across the coast. We walked through lovely countryside with more coastal views and enjoyed eating lunch on the beach on a very warm and sunny autumnal day. From Winchelsea we followed the Royal Military Canal path and the Saxon Shore Way, walking past Camber Castle built between 1539 and 1544 to provide artillery protection for shipping entering Rye and Winchelsea. It was then on to Rye and the train back to Hastings.

A big thank you to Jane W for organising a very enjoyable weekend, leading the walks and providing lots of historical insights to the walks and area, and to Sandy and Jeanie for finding great restaurants in Hastings for dinner. We enjoyed fish and chips on Friday, a Turkish restaurant on Saturday and finishing our weekend at an Italian on Sunday. And of course some lovely cafes for tea and cakes post walk!

Originally published in South East Walker No 128 - December 2024

We have just returned from a very enjoyable SABRE holiday staying at HF Holnicote House in Selworthy. 36 members joined the holiday along with two couples from Mole Valley and Kingston Ramblers.

The walks were varied covering coastline, woodland and moorland with some starting from the house. We walked on both Exmoor and the Quantock Hills - rewarded with views across to the coast and masses of purple heather and yellow gorse flowers.

Highlights also included Selworthy and Dunkery Beacons (highest point in Exmoor!) and Valley of the Rocks (and a trip for some on the funicular railway linking Lynton and Lynmouth). On the last day we walked to Dunster (sadly in the rain), discovering a very well hidden Trig point in the woods and the tallest tree in England.On the Quantocks we saw deer and Exmoor ponies (and now understand more about them after watching Countryfile!)

On the rest day and for anyone who fancied a non-walking day there was plenty to do. There were visits to NT Dunster Castle and Watermill (and the impressive underground Victorian reservoir), NT Coleridge Cottage, a trip on the West Somerset steam railway, an Exmoor wildlife safari, and trips to Porlock, Lynton and Lynmouth.

In addition to the lovely meals and packed lunches we also took advantage of some great cafes and cream teas on our walks - the debate of cream or jam first continues!

We all enjoyed spending time with so many SABRE members and the wide variety of walks meant a good spread of walkers across all three options.

Thanks to Shirley for organising another memorable holiday.

Originally published in South East Walker No 128 - December 2024

In February 2023 the first of our Walks to Remember – David Leedham took place. These walks were originally devised by David Leedham and led by him back in 2006 and 2007. There are eight routes, some circular, some linear; which together cover the whole of the Surrey section of the Greensand Way. We walked them on a monthly basis until September 2023. These walks had some of the highest turnouts over the year, further endorsing the warmth that was felt for David and led by members of SABRE who were friends of David and his wife Jackie. Jackie led the penultimate section around Reigate.

David died in September 2022 having been an active member of SABRE and previously Surrey Area Weekend Walkers (SAWW), as well as holding roles as the Surrey Area Webmaster and Secretary. David's contribution to the Ramblers across Surrey was immense and his contribution remains with us in the form of these walks.

Our thanks to Elizabeth Toogood for coordinating this on behalf of SABRE, and our walk leaders for recceing and leading these walks. In the coming months we plan to put details of these walks on our website, under the Trails section and are hope to install a kissing gate along the route in David's memory.

Originally published in South East Walker No 125 - March 2024

This was the consensus of opinion from everyone who went on the SABRE trip to the Yorkshire Dales. The HF house, Thorns Hall, in Sedbergh proved to be a beautiful location and the food and hospitality there were as good as ever.

The selection of HF guided walks was excellent and varied. We climbed various fells including Howgills, Great Shunner, Wild Boar and White Head.

At lower levels we walked through picturesque valleys and along the River Dee.

The weather outlook prior to the holiday was not great, but the forecast changed and we had some excellent bright, sunny weather that meant we often enjoyed great views.

We walked parts of the Dales High Way, Pennine Way and Coast to Coast path and saw a number of impressive railway viaducts throughout the week.

One surprising sight was a parade of 57 tractors along a narrow uphill track in Swaledale which held up our Option 2 walkers!

Our HF walk leaders, Debs, John and Howard were excellent as too was Helen from the catering team who provided a fun final evening of line dancing! The memories of that evening will become part of SABRE history!

Originally published in South East Walker No 124 - December 2023

Richard Lovell 1954 - 2023

Richard joined the Ramblers in September 2003 and was instrumental in setting up Surrey Area Weekend Walkers (SAWW). In March 2004 he led his first walk, with many more to come. In 2015 Richard helped set up Surrey & Beyond Ramblers (SABRE). Having held roles on the committees of both SAWW and SABRE for many years, in 2020 Richard took on the role of Surrey Area Treasurer which he continued to do, despite his heath deteriorating, until shortly before his death.

Along with his wife, Sue, Richard led countless walks for SAWW and SABRE and joined many of the group holidays. Never seeking the limelight, his contribution to the Ramblers has been immense, and his friendly manner and genuine interest in other people made him a pleasure to walk with.

After retiring from the civil service Richard used his skills to help others; he was unfailingly kind and patient with great attention to detail and a keen determination to resolve issues. Amongst his many skills, Richard was an enthusiastic, regular player of Magic: The Gathering (the card game). He would often be found doing this when he wasn’t rambling.

He has been described as ‘a great guy who helped me enormously”, “he helped see me through a difficult time and was always positive and cheerful”, “always an interesting walking companion … a valued friend”, “helped me unconditionally”, “fun, caring, kind and someone you could rely upon 100%”.

Richard was very much a family man, and those of us who walked with him and Sue were often entertained with stories first of their children Philip and Helen, but in more recent years of Ben and Sam, his grandchildren who he and Sue often baby sat.

Richard died peacefully on Wednesday, 27th September 2023 at Woking Hospice with Sue, Philip and Helen at his bedside. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

Originally published in South East Walker No 124 - December 2023

A fabulous weekend away was had by SABRE in the Cotswolds! The weather was at its best, the scenery stunning and the walking was great.

We met up on Friday afternoon for a 7 mile walk around the lovely Sudeley valley on parts of the Cotswolds, Windrush and Wardens Way, we caught glimpses of Sudeley Castle, Catherine Parr’s final resting place. One of the highlights of the walk was the sight of a magnificent Yellowhammer sitting proudly high on the hedgerow.

On Saturday the group split and 9 of us opted for 9 miles starting in Stanton and walking to Broadway for a welcome coffee stop, on to Snowshill and back to Stanton. On this walk we walked through some lovely picture postcard villages, saw spectacular wildflowers, including White Helliborine orchid.

A hardy 3 in the group, Shaun, Clair & Jane H, decided to stretch their legs a little and opted for the longer option of 20.7 miles, taking in parts of option 1 walk but starting and finishing in Winchcombe.

On Sunday 8 miles taking in the long rolling views between the picturesque villages of Turkdean, Hazleton, Notgrove and Cold Aston. A highlight here was the sighting of hares.
Our thanks to Chris Berry and ably supported by his wife Pat for organising such a fabulous weekend of walking, along with some great meals in the local pubs!

Originally published in South East Walker No 123 - September 2023

David Le Quesne’s role as walk co-ordinator for our group involved often daily support for walk leaders and posting up to three walks a week on the group’s website. For four years he carried out this work with unfailing patience and good humour. But David’s final, exceptional effort as Walk Coordinator was to plan and co-ordinate an amazing week-long holiday in Jersey for us.

Raised in an old Jersey family, David had long wanted to share his many experiences of holiday walking on the island with us. In 2019 he planned for an April 2020 trip, only to be defeated by that pesky Covid virus. It was the same story in 2021, whilst 2022 was just not possible for other reasons. But finally, in April 2023, David’s meticulous planning succeeded in giving us all unique insights into the island’s geography, history and culture. Staying in St Helier and travelling to our destinations by bus, we completed five coastal walks, all led by David, supported by his son, Matt. The sun shone every day, enhancing the beautiful scenery and the cliffs and fields covered in flowers. On our leisure day we were able to visit any number of Jersey’s tourist attractions – or just to sit in the sun and eat ice cream! All in all, it was a memorable holiday for which we heartily thanked David at our splendid final meal.

Originally published in South East Walker No 123 - September 2023

Thirteen of our members enjoyed a two day break in November at Marlborough with good weather. Everyone organised their own accommodation and we got together for dinner on the two evenings and kept in touch via WhatsApp.  The walks took us to Barbury Castle, the Marlborough White Horse, Pewsey Down and the aptly named Walkers Hill. Thanks to Ann Stevenson and Clair Baynton who organised the weekend and led the two walks of 10 and 12 miles.

Originally published in South East Walker No 121 - March 2019

David joined the Ramblers in 1984 soon after leaving university. He did this simply to support the charity, a quiet gesture of generosity which was typical of the person he was. At first he didn’t walk with groups as he felt there were still so many mountains he wanted to climb, but eventually he joined SAWW in 2004 and became webmaster in 2005, a post he held for seven years. Shortly after joining SABRE in 2013 he became their webmaster, and then took on the same role with Surrey Area. In 2021, despite a serious illness, David stepped up to take on the role of Surrey Area Secretary.

Never seeking the limelight, his contribution to the Ramblers has been immense.

David led countless walks for SAWW and SABRE and organised holidays to the Lake District, Brecon Beacons and Arran. It was on a walk with SAWW that David met Jackie and they were married in 2009, with many walking friends in attendance.
After retiring from the Telecommunications industry David turned his computing expertise to helping others, volunteering for various charities. He and Jackie continued to be enthusiastic walkers, cyclists and travellers, enjoying many adventures on the way. Amongst his many skills, David was an accomplished keyboard and guitar player. He loved folk music and enjoyed composing his own pieces to accompany holiday videos he created.

In a book of memories, organised by Jackie to celebrate his 70th birthday, friends and family described him as ‘the kindest, nicest person I have ever met… ‘a lovely man, a gentle soul’… ‘the perfect walking companion, a true gentleman’… ‘someone who never had a bad or cross word to say about anyone else’.

In Jackie’s own words: ‘We’ll meet many interesting people in our lifetime and if we’re fortunate will get to know some quite well. Occasionally fate, or a higher power, will allow us to take that relationship further. David is one of those interesting people who can transform your life simply by being himself.’

David passed away on Thursday, 1st September with Jackie at his side and will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues in both SABRE and Surrey Area.

Originally published in South East Walker No 120 - December 2022

Although I have been a member of SABRE for a long time, for various reasons I haven’t led many walks. So when I saw the email from Ann announcing a SABRE ‘Maps and Apps Workshop’, it looked like it could be the ideal opportunity to get my rather rusty map-reading and navigation skills polished up. And I wasn’t disappointed!

A pre-workshop questionnaire set the scene for a very well organised and professional day. The aim was to provide an overview of everything needed to lead a walk that is safe, enjoyable and inclusive. Participants were able to highlight in advance their general navigational skills, the apps they used and any particular areas they wanted to focus on for improvement.

Held in the very convenient and comfortable Wotton Village Hall, the ‘Talk the Walk and Walk the Walk’ day began with refreshments (always a good way to start) and introductions. An excellent turnout of 17 participants and presenters meant there was plenty of opportunity to meet new people and catch up with old friends.

The workshop itself kicked off with an introduction by Chair Shirley, followed by an interactive presentation by Jeanie, Clair, James, Mike and Nigel on the practicalities of walk leading and how to improve navigational skills using maps and apps. It was useful to see the relative strengths and weaknesses of both traditional printed maps and mobile apps compared and discussed.

After lunch, each participant had a chance to test out their new-found (or refreshed) navigational skills by plotting their own one-hour route from Wotton on a paper map and then walking it with a ‘buddy’ from the team of experienced walk leaders. After their return to the Hall and home-made cake, an informal ‘debrief’ took place, with members sharing their experiences.

Attendees unanimously voted the event a resounding success and thanks must be given to the organisers and presenters who put so much work and thought into planning and hosting the day’s session. Let’s hope we see some more members put their new walk leader skills into practice over the coming months!

Originally published in South East Walker No 118 - June 2022

Undeterred by Covid, Surrey and Beyond Ramblers Group (SABRE) celebrated 2021 in style with a year-long series of events to mark our 10th anniversary. Although anniversary walks from Denbies Vineyard, one of our favourite walking spots, had to be cancelled on the actual date of the group’s formation, we rescheduled all three walks in June. In July we walked in the Chichester Harbour area and then held a party on West Wittering Beach. In September we combined a fish and chip supper with a walk leaders’ consultation, to continue our celebrations in Little Bookham Hall. In November we donated trees to the National Trust’s tree planting initiative.

But our longest celebratory initiative has been the creation of a SABRE Trail which, true to the group’s name, reaches beyond Surrey. It starts in Hampshire amid the beautiful scenery of the New Alresford and West Meon area and finishes in Kent at Toys Hill and Westerham, whilst taking in a selection of the very best walking spots in our own county including the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding National Beauty. This is NOT a conventional linear trail but a series of 40 circular walks – one long and one short – around 20 location points along our chosen ‘line’ of travel across Hampshire, Surrey and Kent. The walks have been chosen by 19 of our walk leaders. Most walks are ‘self-created’ favourites whilst others are from the Fancy Free website with permission from the founder whom we thank.

At the time of writing in early January, our webmaster, assisted by the SABRE committee, is putting the finishing touches to the Trail website where each walk will have a GPX file, a short description, photo and map. Watch for details of the trail on our Twitter feed and public Facebook page.

We hope that the trail will provide an excellent resource for all ramblers and the public. In the meantime, other celebrations continuing into 2022 include a new sponsored gate and we will, of course, be walking on our trail from west to east. Come and join us if you can.

Originally published in South East Walker No 117 - March 2022

Tenth birthday celebrations for SABRE (Surrey and Beyond Ramblers) were dealt a blow by the winter lockdown.

The group had to abandon plans for a series of anniversary walks on 9 January, including a rerun of the very first walk from Elstead in 2011. Undaunted, members covered a combined total of 546 miles on individual local walks. Routes ranged from a three-mile stroll around Frensham Great Pond to a 19-miler from Ash to Guildford and back. A couple of our further-flung members stepped out on coastal walks in Spain and Portugal. Group Chair Shirley Creed said: “Our members’ desire to get out for fresh air and exercise to boost physical and mental health embodies the spirit of SABRE”.

To mark the anniversary, SABRE has produced a souvenir calendar featuring highlights from the first 10-years since SABRE grew out of an earlier group, Surrey Weekend Walkers, in 2011.  Proper festivities will go ahead when circumstances allow.

Originally published in South East Walker No 113 - March 2021

Surrey and Beyond Ramblers (SABRE) threw a novel ‘birthday party’ in December to mark the fifth anniversary of a riverside path closure. Members gathered for the ironic fifth birthday event with balloons, banners and bunting. The photocall grabbed media attention, with the Farnham Herald running a page lead news item and photo.

A 50 metre stretch of footpath 64 in Elstead (between Farnham and Godalming) has been closed since December 2014 because of fears that it could be eroded by the River Wey. Walkers are being forced to take a lengthy diversion through a marshy field to link up with an alternative path. This a very attractive path and it is unacceptable that it’s been ‘ temporarily’ closed for five years. We call on Surrey County Council and the landowner to agree a minor diversion back from the edge of the riverbank without further delay.

Elstead Parish Council Chairman Pat Murphy has said: ”The path is a valuable amenity for local people and visitors alike. We too are frustrated over the delay. We have to bring to a conclusion.”

Originally published in South East Walker No 109 - March 2020

Following in the footsteps of King Harold on his mission to repel William the Conqueror, our walk from London to Battle Abbey in East Sussex following the 1066 Harold’s Way was covered in 10 stages. The last two, from Sissinghurst to Bodiam Castle, and Bodiam to Battle were completed over one weekend.

Jane Watkins, who organized the project for us, said: “We felt a great sense of achievement in completing the long distance trail. It involved a sterling effort not only in walking fairly long distances but also the amount of travelling to reach the start points. It took a year for us walk the distance covered by King Harold’s men in just three days as they raced to head off the Norman invasion in 1066. It was a walk of huge contrast. From Westminster Abbey, lunch in the Mayflower in Rotherhithe where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail 400 years ago, across a really desolate stretch over the Thames marshes to the Kent landscape of streams, mills rolling hills … and some of worst stiles we have ever encountered.”

Harold’s original route would have followed Roman roads but it has now been reinterpreted by author David Clarke using public footpaths as much as possible. There are still some landmarks along the way that Harold’s men would have passed. Leaving Dartford on walk 4, after passing under the A2 and M25 we came to a church built from the rubble of a Roman villa. On the last walk we stopped at Caldbeck Hill where Harold instructed his arm to ‘meet the Old Hoar Apple’ before the final march. An apple tree was planted here to mark the 950th anniversary of the battle.

Harold’s journey actually began in Yorkshire where he had defeated the Norwegian King Harald Hardrada three weeks earlier. Despite Harold’s ultimate failure at the Battle of Hastings, Jane says his epic march south was a huge achievement in his own right. We often reflected and compared our journey through pleasant countryside, walking in relatively easy conditions in lightweight clothing and enjoying some great pub lunches, with Harold’s forced march carrying heavy equipment through much more difficult wooded and wet terrain. His army must have been so weary, and with no time to rest, it’s little wonder they were defeated. With just the benefit of better timing the course of history could have been very different.

A third edition of the guidebook to the 95-mile/153 km 1066 Harold’s Way by David Clarke was published in 2019 and now additionally incudes a “William’s Way” from Battle to Hastings to make up “a true capital to coast experience”.  Details are on the History Walks website at 1066haroldsway.co.uk

Originally published in South East Walker No 109 - March 2020