| 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
Wednesday 6th May (KM), Tring to Dunstable (sign-up open): this walk is just short of 12 miles and mainly follows the westernmost part of the Icknield Way Path along the chalk scarp of the Chilterns. Late lunch at 8 miles at Whipsnade. Drop out by bus from Whipsnade to Luton (at 1:11pm or 2:41pm) or taxi from pub. Walk details here: Tring
Thursday 14th May (SH), South Downs, Lewes: a circular walk via Southese and Glynde, a good 14 miles in total, with three big climbs, but with straightforward drop-out options at Southese (after 6.9 miles) and Glynde (after 10.7 miles).
Walk details here: Lewes
Friday 22nd until Monday 25th May (DH) Extended Walking Weekend, Church Stretton, Shropshire: Now full. If you want to go on a waiting list, email Derek (contact link as above). Details here: Church Stretton..
Wednesday 27th May (SH) Aldermaston to Woolhampton: this 14.4 mile walk explores a surprisingly quiet part of the commuter area that is West Berkshire. It is a mildly undulating landscape with some fine views over unspoilt countryside. Includes a mix of ancient woodlands, commons, fields and pretty villages with pleasant, historical pubs.
Drop out by taxi from the lunch stop to Midgham station. Walk details here: Aldermaston
2026 Lookahead: provisional schedule ie dates might change. * leader required
June: Tue 2nd (KM), Thurs 11th (DMH), Tue 16th (SH), Wed 24th (*)
July: Thur 2nd (*), Fri 10th (DMH), Friday 17th (SH), Wed 22nd (KM), Tue 28th (*)
August: Mon 3rd (KM), Tue 11th (*), Wed 19th (SH), Fri 28th (*)
Friday 18th September 2026: We are going to the West Yorkshire Dales, Thorns Hall, Sedbergh. 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 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).
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 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.
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.