| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Coordinator: |
Derek Harwood
|
| Group email: | Walks: Longer - 8 to 14 miles group |
| When: | One walk a week on different days of the week |
| Venue: | Various locations |
The Longer Walks Group has a programme of full-day walks of 8 to 14 miles, usually with options to shorten. We explore a wide range of routes across Greater London and the Southeast, all accessible by public transport. Expect varied terrain, from parks and woodland to canals, riversides, open countryside and hills. Walks include a lunch stop at a pub or café, or a picnic, and numbers are typically 6–12. Suitable for reasonably fit and active members. When sign-up opens, click the blue ‘sign-up open’ link below for each walk. If your plans change, simply resubmit the form and enter your details again but with a 'No' instead of 'Yes'. The walk details are provided in good faith but may change. Please check your own travel times and costs.
Our Next Longer Walks
Friday 10th July (DMH) Broxbourne Woods (sign-up open): walk changed - for one with more shade. This a 11.5 mile figure of eight walk. Starting and ending at Bayford. One walk out drop out point or taxi from lunch stop. Broxbourne Walk Details.
Friday 17th July (SH), Oxted: Much of this 12mile walk is on the wooded Greensand Ridge. At various points in the walk there are views across the valley to these downs, contrasting with far-reaching views out to the High Weald from the southern escarpment. Lunch at Westerham. The afternoon route starts with an attractive section up the open Darent valley and climbs onto the wooded Crockhamhill Common. The walk returns to Oxted via the village of Limpsfield, which has retained many of its historic buildings. Drop out possible by bus at the lunchtime spot. Oxted Walk Details
Wednesday 22nd July (KM),
Tue 28th July (DMH), Summer social?
2026 Lookahead: provisional schedule ie dates might change. * leader required
August: Mon 3rd (KM), Tue 11th (PR), Wed 19th (SH), Fri 28th (*)
September: Thurs 3 (*), Thursd 10 (DMH), Tues 15 (SH), Fri-Mon 18-21 (DMH), Tues 29 (KM)
Friday 18th September 2026, Sedbergh: We are going to HF Holidays House, Thorns Hall in the West Yorkshire Dales. We last went there in October 2023. We've booked on the basis of 'exclusive use' ie we take over the whole house, as we did last time we went there. This means we need a minimum of 31 to be going. Initial place allocation and deposits (of £175) now made. There are at least two places left. If you want one of these places or want to go on a waiting list, please email Derek (details at the top of this page). Provisional details here: Sedbergh
October: Wednesday 7 (DMH), Thurs 15 (SH), Friday 23 (*), Thurs 29 (KM)
November: Wednesday 4 (DMH), Tues 10 (SH), Mond 16 (KM), Tues 24 (*)
December: Wednesday 2 (SH), Thurs 10 (DMH) Christmas social, Friday 18(KM)
2027 Lookahead:
Friday 3rd September 2027, Exmoor, 4 days Extended Walking Weekend. We've a booking already. 31 places. Sign-up will open later in the year.
Other Information
The Long Walks group is wonderfully balanced; some join walks regularly, others less frequently. To help the Walk Leader in their duty of care and to ensure safety we have a few rules. In summary the rule is 'respect others and stick together' but see the fuller Guidelines to be observed.
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 walk 'sign up' link above. 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.
If you want to look up any of our previous walks you can view our main LW Register. Quote the walk number to Derek and he can send you the relevant Walk Details sheet. To see reports from some of our previous walks have a look in our archive: LW Archive.