It was a 'chainSAWW massacre' when members of Surrey Area Weekend Walkers joined a blitz on rhododendrons at Banstead Woods.
SAWW's contingent helped the Downlands Project on its annual rhody bash at the ancient
woodlands, which are under threat from the spread of invasive rhododendrons.
A total of 140 volunteers from various clubs, schools and organisations joined the event on February 7th.
Despite starting with unpromising supplies of damp matches and newspaper, the SAWW squad somehow built up a roaring bonfire and got stuck in, felling and burning piles of rhododendrons.
Kate Mayo of the Downlands Project said: "It's always fantastic when groups come along for the first time, and the SAWW team made a real difference."
SAWW Chairman Jackie Leedham said:
"As a group we derive a huge amount of enjoyment and physical benefit from rambling.
I felt strongly that it was high time we gave something back and hopefully this event will be followed by many more.
It was far more fun than I imagined."
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| Graham addresses the Godstone gathering. Photo: David Sharp |
Ramblers from across the county converged on the graveyard in Godstone where Edmund Seyfang-Taylor was buried 100 years ago. Taylor, popularly known as 'Walker Miles', wrote and published around 40 'sixpenny' guides covering walks in Surrey, Kent and Sussex.
Graham Butler, who organised the event for the Ramblers' Association's Surrey Area, said: "By describing many paths Walker Miles undoubtedly rescued hundreds of rights of way from oblivion. There were no definitive maps to confirm their legal status but by publishing walks he encouraged others to also walk little known paths which resulted in them being saved for future generations to enjoy."
At Walker Miles' grave Graham addressed dozens of ramblers who
had arrived on five separate walks. Among them was a
contingent from SAWW. The group's walks coordinator
Chris Baron said: "There were about 10 of us.
Nine were on the Godstone walk led by Leslie from Epsom & Ewell
group and one SAWW member joined a walk from Oxted station.
The sun shone, the churchyard at Godstone looked a picture with
primroses and other wild flowers. The vicar was
welcoming and enthusiastically invited us into his church for a look
at the beautiful stained glass, altarpiece etc, saying that boots
weren't a problem."
Visionary
Chris added: "There was a short service during which the importance of Walker Miles was explained, with an act of remembrance. We had prayers including the Lord's Prayer and a blessing. And there was tea and cake at a village hall, where Graham Butler had set up a display of information about Walker Miles."
Born in 1854, Walker Miles was the founder of the Croydon Rambling Club and was associated with the Federation of Rambling Clubs, the Forest Ramblers and the Commons and Footpaths Preservation Society. His guides were published by the printing company, R E Taylor & Sons, which he inherited from his father.
Former RA Vice President David Sharp, who attended the Godstone
commemoration on April 20th told SAWW News:
"With his amazing series of sixpenny fieldpath
guides, Walker Miles showed us the importance of our rights of way.
In his day they had no legal status and had virtually been forgotten
by a generation. He seems to have been a visionary,
sensing how important these fieldpaths would become, as the motor
car took over the country lanes. Today we well know how
important a part of our heritage they are, and it was Walker Miles
who opened our eyes."
58 members took part in the hike from Haslemere to the Kent border - a distance of just over 55 miles. SAWW's 'Operation Greensand' began on St George's Day in April 2006 - a fitting date to launch this walk across a beautiful piece of England. It ended on a sunny Bank Holiday weekend in August 2007 with celebratory tea and cakes at a café in Westerham.
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Operation Greensand
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Haslemere to Witley
23.04.2006
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Witley and Hascombe
05.08.2006
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Around Winterfold Heath
26.08.2006
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Pitch Hill and Holmbury Hill
16.12.06
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Around Leith Hill
24.03.2007
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Wotton to Reigate Heath
14.04.2007
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Reigate Heath to Bletchingley
28.07.2007
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Bletchingley to Westerham
25.08.2007
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Organiser David Leedham said: "The
Greensand Way is a lovely route, and although we often cover parts
of it on our regular walks, I felt it would be good to tackle the
whole length of the Surrey section. The path deserves
more recognition. There's never a dull moment as the
terrain is so varied - ridges, valleys, villages, heathland,
woodland, farmland, and even a touch of suburbia here and there.
"Being located between the North Downs and the Weald means that
there are great views to both North and South. And
unlike the North Downs Way the Greensand Way visits Leith Hill, the
highest point in Surrey!"
It took eight walks spread over 16 months to complete the route -
much longer than anticipated. David explained:
"I had originally planned five linear walks
but the logistics proved too difficult. To find car
parking, a suitable pub stop, and transport between start and finish
was simply not possible for some of the sections! So
instead, where there was no public transport, I devised circular
routes which incorporated part of the GW. This increased
the number of stages from five to eight."
Using circular walks increased the total distance walked to 87 miles, with no less than 9,850 feet of ascent. "My favourite parts of the walk are generally the hilly bits," said David. "The edge of the Devil's Punch Bowl, the area around Hascombe, Winterfold Hill and the path to Holmbury and Leith Hill. Perhaps my favourite spot is the viewpoint on Winterfold Hill - I love the way the glorious view appears suddenly after a long approach through the woodland of Winterfold Heath."
Of the eight sections four were walked as circular routes, one used a train, and three used buses to link the start and finish. Eight people completed five or more sections. Only David has completed all eight sections while Jackie Ellis and Barry and Liz Toogood completed seven. They will be awarded souvenir certificates when they complete their missing sections.
Attendances on sections one to seven were very consistent -
ranging between 11 and 14 people. On the last section,
on a rare sunny August day, 20 people turned up... almost filling
the 410 bus. There were pub lunches on all sections
except the first which was a picnic... when it rained, of course!
The Greensand Way traces the Greensand ridge - named after the green coloured mineral glauconite found across the area. Devised by local members of the Ramblers Association, the Surrey section was opened in 1980.
David says the paths were mostly in good condition.
"The Greensand Way paths are fairly well
frequented, and apart from one or two dodgy stiles there are no
difficulties. The waymarking is patchy. It's
very good in some areas, but in others it leaves a lot to be
desired.
A particular weakness is where the GW meets a road
and turns along it for a short distance. It is rare to
find any indication of whether you should go left or right.
Navigating the GW without a map or guidebook would require a lot of
trial and error and extend the distance considerably!
"My
thanks go to everyone who joined me on the walks, and especially to
Sue Ward for the extended loan of the excellent Greensand Way
guidebook published by Kent and Surrey County Councils.
She has generously donated this book to the SAWW library.
"Of
course, we have only walked half the entire 108-mile Greensand Way.
Perhaps someone will pick up the baton and complete the walk to
Hamstreet in Kent!"
For anyone wanting to catch up on missed walks, David has compiled a
summary of all the Greensand Way sections covered by SAWW.
Saturday 9th September
SAWWers fly into Munich Airport to face hundreds of armed police! It seems we've arrived on the same afternoon as Pope Benedict, who's making a visit to his Bavarian homeland. With the autobahn into the city closed for the Pope, Richard, Sue, Alan and David run into problems as they try to steer clear of the security cordon in their hire car. Their sat nav takes them on a mystery tour of the Eastern Munich suburbs... only to lead them right back to the airport!
Meeting up with the rest of the SAWW group in Ellmau their ordeal is quickly forgotten over drinks at the Hotel Alte Post, which soon becomes the party's 'base camp'.
Sunday 10th September
On our first morning we wake to bright blue skies.
Ellmau's alpine chalets are looking picture postcard perfect.
The jagged ridge of the Wilder Kaiser mountain range towers
majestically above the town.
Malcolm, who suggested the
holiday in the first place, leads an introductory walk starting with
a bus ride to the Steinerer Steige - a gruelling flight of steps
leading up to a beautiful lake, the Hintersteinersee.
A second group of intrepid explorers takes in the same lake on a longer walk which involves climbing up to the Walleralm hut for lunch. The walk continues rather exhaustingly but spectacularly along a ridge and down through the village of Scheffau. The seven hardy souls don't get back to Ellmau until 7pm.
Monday 11th September
Nearly the whole group turns out for Malcolm's walk through the
pleasant upland meadows to the south of Ellmau. We
ascend 1565m on the Hartkaiserbahn - Austria's longest and fastest
funicular railway, and follow the Bergwelt Panoramaweg scenic path.
In the afternoon as we tramp back down to Ellmau there's an
unexpected chance to quench our thirst at a rustic barn which turns
out to double up as a bar selling improbably cheap beer.
With the wonderful views across Sound of Music-style landscapes,
it's a perfect moment.
Tuesday 12th September
We have a rest from walking and become daytrippers.
Salzburg is an easy drive and, with more fantastic weather, its
historic centre is a sightseer's delight. There's a
chance to pose for pictures beside a Mozart impersonator and an
unexpected encounter with a British café boss famed for his cuppas
of 'real PG Tips tea'.
Some travel back to Ellmau by coach.
Those in cars head on to an unlikely tourist attraction - the salt
mines south of the city at Hallein. Kitted out in standard issue
protective white overalls and looking disturbingly like something
out of the Ku Klux Klan, the party board a small train which takes
them deep into the mountain, crossing under the Austrian/German
border. They whizz delightedly down 40 metre wooden
slides into the heart of the mine and cross an underground salt lake
on an electric boat. It's a theme park for grown ups -
and as the last tour party of the day, SAWW has the place to itself.
Meanwhile back in Ellmau, Alan and David have been
conquering a local peak for SAWW - the mighty 2344m Ellmauer Halt.
Wednesday 13th September
Today's walk, led by David, starts from the upmarket resort of
Kitzbühel with a ride on the Hahnenkamm cable car.
After a
late lunch at Kirchberg there's time for a strudel stop beside the
lake of Schwarzsee. Its inky black surface reflects the
surrounding peaks to perfection.
Thursday 14th September
Nick leads a 'cakes and lakes' stroll south of Ellmau taking in a
visit to a delightful local swimming lake in the neighbouring town
of Going. Susan, Wendy, Rita, Danielle, Nick and Brian
bravely take a dip in the icy water. (Sadly it failed
the big toe test for Lesley and Jill.) And of course
there was more of the inevitable strudel.
Meanwhile another
party of SAWW adventurers are in search of thrills on a via ferrata
hundreds of metres above Ellmau on the Wilder Kaiser.
Via ferratas - or Klettersteigen - are a network of iron ropeways
and ladders built by Austrian soldiers in the first world war to
move around the mountains. Today they're a magnet for
walkers with a sense of adventure and a head for heights.
Friday 15th September
Our last full day sees the group head off in different
directions. Destinations include the Krimml Falls,
Kitzbühel and Hitler's hilltop retreat at Berchtesgaden.
Chris and Brian go on a walk and find a path blocked by an electric
fence. It's promptly reported to our footpaths officer,
Mark - sparking SAWW's first international rights of way complaint.
Richard suggests we take it all the way to the top and approach the
local bürgermeister, Dr Sebastian Eber, who, judging from his
ubiquitous posters, just happens to be in the middle of an election
campaign.
Flushed with pride after the previous day's via
ferrata triumphs, the 'well hard' gang - Alan, Brigitte, Danielle,
David, Richard, Sue and Zorina - are up on the Stripensjoch for more
vertiginous escapades, and for the first time get a taste of bad
weather.
The final evening is spent in Ellmau's one and only
Mexican restaurant, which has become something of a SAWW favourite.
For some, it's the third visit in a week - a welcome refuge from
'hearty' Austrian fayre on offer everywhere else.
Saturday 16th September
Under unaccustomed grey skies it's time to return home.
There's a last chance for sightseeing in nearby Kufstein before
catching our flights from Munich. Mercifully there's no
sign of the Pope and his entourage, and it's a clear run to the
airport.
• Pictures by Wendy Garrett, David Leedham, Richard Lovell, Mark Percy and Alan Taylor.