Programme of Walks for 2011-12
I have been leading walks for nearly forty years and have a wealth of experience that I should like to share with you.
If you are interested in a private walk tailored to your particular interests and requirements, please click on the Guiding Services link in the side panel.
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IMPORTANT!
Please read the 'Notes, terms and conditions' at the bottom of the page.
To book a place on a walk please fill out the form on the following page (one form per walk):
http://www.walkwithwestacott.com/payments/
If you have any queries contact me as follows:
Email: hughwestacott@gmail.com
Telephone 01494 721282
The walks for the season that runs from September to June, have two themes running through them:
The Monday walks follow a long-distance route I have devised from London to the sea at Littlehampton. The aim is to give a sense of adventure in walking through a delightful slice of English countryside towards a destination from where, in order to proceed any further, you would have to swim to France. Every section is lovely and complete in itself so there is no obligation to complete the whole route; just choose the walks that appeal to you.
The Saturday walks are designed to show aspects of English history in chronological order. In the course of these delightful walks we shall make short visits to locations that illustrate the importance of that particular historical period. There will be no long lectures but I shall take a few minutes to explain what we are looking at and why it is important.
Alton via Chawton; a Jane Austen walk
(This walk is arranged in association with the Canadian Women's Club but is open to everyone)
This is an easy walk with just one significant hill which has to be climbed at the beginning and end of the walk. Apart from this, the walk is relatively level passing through fields and along an abandoned railway line. Chawton is a delightful village where Jane Austen spent the last years of her life with her sister Cassandra in a charming late-seventeenth century house in which she wrote the final versions of all six of her major novels. The house is now a museum which contains many mementoes of Jane and her family. There should be time for a short, optional visit to the house. We then walk the final three miles across fields into Alton.
Date: Thursday, 24th May
Distance: 9 miles
Cumulative height gain: 630 feet.
Meet: 0900 near the Burger King on the main concourse of London Waterloo Railway Station
Depart: 0930
Arrive: Alton 1037
Depart: Alton 1615
Arrive: London Waterloo 1732
Lunch: at a pub after 6 miles
Bathroom facilities: on the train, on the station and at the pub
Cost: £12.00 excluding rail fare, lunch and optional visit to Jane Austen's house (£7.50). The fare depends on the numbers attending but should not exceed £18.90. GroupSaver fares normally apply whereby I can purchase four tickets for the price of two which reduces the Cheap Day Return fare quoted above.
Closing date for applications: 22nd May
Please pay by PayPal here(Please see paragraph 3 of the T&Cs below. If you prefer to pay be cheque, please see paragraph 2)
A circular walk from Princes Risborough via Great Hampden
From Princes Risborough we follow a section of the Ridgeway National Trail before turning off to climb the Chiltern escarpment which has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We then walk through a chequered pattern of woods and open spaces to reach Hampden House, once the home of John Hampden (12594-1643 who was on of the parliamentary leaders in the Civil War. He died of wounds suffered at the battle of Thame and is buried in Great Hampden church. After lunch, we walk through more woods before reaching open country with fine views over Princes Risborough and the Vale of Aylesbury.
Date: Saturday, 26th May
Distance: 9 miles
Meet: 0830 under the departure monitors on the main concoourse of London Marylebone Railway Station
Depart: 0900
Arrive: Princes Risborough 0933
Depart: Princes Risborough 1540
Arrive: London Marylebone 1616
Lunch: at a pub after 5.5 miles
Bathroom facilities: on the train, on the station and at the pub
Cost: £12.00 excluding rail fare and lunch. The fare depends on the numbers attending but should not exceed £18.50. GroupSaver fares normally apply whereby I can purchase four tickets for the price of two which reduces the Cheap Day Return fare quoted above.
Closing date for applications: 24th May
Please pay by PayPal here(Please see paragraph 3 of the T&Cs below. If you prefer to pay by cheque, please see paragraph 2) Notes, terms & conditions 1 Parties are limited to twenty walkers after which a waiting list will apply.
2 The cost per walk is £12.00 per person (£6.00 for students) excluding fares and lunches. The train fare depends on the numbers attending. The price quoted is for a Cheap Day Return but the fare is usually considerably less if the GroupSaver (four tickets for the price of two) scheme is in operation. The total cost of the guide's fares is shared by the group. I buy the tickets and we settle up on the train. Please reserve your place by sending the guiding fee by PayPal via my website, or mail a cheque made out to Hugh Dyer-Westacott. 46A Station Road, Amersham, Bucks HP7 0BD.
3 I regret that reservations can only be made on receipt of the guiding fee. This ensures that cancellations will not force the abandonment of the walk because of insufficient numbers. Exceptions can only be made by agreement and in unusual circumstances such as walkers coming from overseas. Feel free to check beforehand that places are still available before sending the guiding fee.
4 Refunds will be given if you can find someone to take your place or the walk has to be cancelled.
5 I purchase rail tickets on the day of travel so if you have to cancel at the last moment please call me on 07929 628123.
6 Bring suitable footwear (preferably boots), waterproofs, a spare sweater, trail snacks, and water.
7 Lunch is usually eaten in a pub.
8 English walking etiquette requires muddy boots to be removed, or covered in supermarket bags, before entering pubs.
9 Bathroom facilities are limited. They are usually available on the train, at some railway stations and at the pub. Please inform me if you need some privacy on the trail so that the group can stroll on and wait for you.
10 Sorry, no dogs because their presence invalidates my insurance policy.
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