Thames Path Putney Bridge to Kew Bridge

Thames Path Putney Bridge to Kew

North side of river

25th February 2011

Walkers:
John
Matthew
Rebecca
Al

Distance


Route
Took train to Putney Bridge.  Started on  North side of River and remained on this side for duration of walk.  Stopped at Pub for a swift pint near Kew Bridge.  Took Bus back to Ealing

Thames Path Battersea to Tower Bridge

Battersea Park (Albert Bridge) to Tower Bridge along Thames Path

14th April 2011

Walkers
John
Matthew
Rebecca
Jack
Guest Walker Dave S
(Al Poorly)

Distance: 6.3 miles



Moving Average: 3.0 mph


Overall Average: 2.4 mph

Took tube from Ealing to South Kensington and then Taxi to the start point on south bank by Albert bridge where we met Dave.  Started Walk along Park side of Thames and crossed at Battersea Bridge.  Stayed on North side passing Tate Britain and Millbank to Lambeth Bridge.  Crossed over to South Bank and carried on past London Eye and Globe Theatre etc.  Had Lunch outside national Theatre and walked on until we had Ice Cream outside Mayor's Headquarters.

Took Kids back on River Boat to Embankment station and so back on Tube to Ealing Broadway.

Grantham Canal 24th Dec 2010

Walk 24/12/10 Friday

Dirty Duck Pub Woolsthorpe by Belvoir to Redmile along the Grantham Canal

Distance 5.5m Moving 1h51m Stop 0h7m MPH Moving 3.0 Overall 2.8

Walkers

John

Matthew

Al

Used two cars technology,
drove to Redmile first then to the Dirty Duck. Started at 11:45 and finished at
1:45 and had a meal in the Windmill at Redmile. Weather cold 0C, slight snow
covering and canal frozen enough to support our weight.

Hammerskaul Germany 2010 walk 2

Walk 21 08/08/10 Sunday


Hammerskaul to Forest east of gite Circular

Distance 5.5m Moving 2h03m Stop 1h 09m MPH Moving 2.7 Overall 1.7

Walkers
Bridget
Al

While on holiday at Hof Hammerskaul near Bitburg near Trier, Germany. Good forest had some heavy rain, saw deer and frogs. Paths marked on map not accurate and we were lost some of the time but headed towards the sound of planes doing acrobatics.

Hammerskaul Germany 2010

Walk 20 05/08/10 Thursday


Hammerskaul Utscheid Niederraden Circular

Distance 5.3m Moving 1h53m Stop 28m MPH Moving 2.8 Overall 2.3

Walkers
Bridget
Al
 
While on holiday at Hof Hammerskaul near Bitburg near Trier, Germany. Walked alongside an airstrip and saw our gite across the valley. Weather cloudy with some sunshine.

Christmas Eve 24th December 2009 Grantham Canal Walk

Grantham Canal Harby to Redmile

Distance
6.0m Moving 2h07m Stop 7m MPH Moving 3.0 Overall 2.8

Walkers:
Al Good
Matthew
John

Our Christmas Eve walk, using 2 cars technology we drove to Redmile and left Al's car then to Harby in John's car where the walk started. It was very cold with snow on the ground. Canal was frozen over and Matthew walked on it (cautiously). Stopped at a pub halfway, the Anchor Inn at Plungar, had a pint of Black Sheep but they could not do us food so we went on to Barkstone-le-Vale but were unlucky again as the pub was closed. We continued along the road to the canal then to Redmile where we found a nice pub and had a good meal.

05/09/09 Grantham Canal Stage 1 (CYCLE)

Date:
05/09/09

Distance:
12 miles

Route:
From the beginning of the canal at Grantham and going 6 miles away and then cycling back.

Cyclists:
Matthew
John
Jack

Description:
A small bike ride along the Grantham canal with Jack on the Trail-a-Bike. We cycled past the Rutlands Arms (pub and restaurant) and went under many bridges. Some of it also meant going on grass which was very hard when there was a small, steep hill as you couldn't get up to the right speed to make it to the top. On this part of the canal there were lots of Blue Green Algae which is poisonous to humans. There were also old locks where the wood had degraded and in need of repair. This was a nice bike ride for a Saturday morning.

31/08/09 Forty Foot Drain (Walk)

Date:
31/08/09

Distance:
5 miles

Route:
Forty Foot Drain from Barge Inn away from Boston

Walkers:
Bridget
Jack
Matthew
Rebecca
John

Description:
This was a walk starting at the Barge inn on the A 17 and walking the opposite direction that we did when we walked it with Al at Christmas. The path was at times a bit overgrown but there was plenty of wildlife to see. A large number of frogs were seen and picked up, cormorants were spotted and there were plenty of dragon flies. We stopped for the obligatory choccie biscuit to keep the kids energy levels up. Unfortunately we were unable to use 2 car technology so had to double back on ourselves to get back to the car. We all went off the Abbey Parks farm shop for lunch in East Heckington. A most enjoyable family walk.

22/09/09 Richmond Circle, Yorkshire (STROLL)

Date:

22nd August 2009

Distance:

5 miles (approx)

Walkers:

John

Bridget

Description:

A Circular walk around Richmond and out along one of the paths to a National Trust piece of land. We walked past the castle and down to the weir on the river Swale (which we found out was the fastest running river in England. We crossed over the bridge and followed a path past the football ground, through a filed of cows to the old station. We then went back up into town and visited the castle. This is well worth a visit and the views from the tower are excellent.

From the castle we walked back down the hill and crossed the river again this time turning right and walking along the river and up into the woods. The fields at the bottom are lovely and used a lot by walkers. We again crossed back over the river and walked back into town before heading back to our B&B. A fun walk for a fun weekend.

JB

30/07/09 Ecluse Meros to Ecluse Garr (CYCLE)

Date:
30/07/09

Route:
Ecluse Meros to Ecluse Garr and back.

Distance:
10 Miles

Cyclists:
Matthew
Rebecca
John

Description:
This was a 10 mile bike ride following the section of canal that John and Al walked in the rain. The canal path is mainly tarmacked and is an easy ride as there are no significant hills ( a number of sharp inclines near bridges and locks) Rebecca and Matthew joined John on this ride and we passed many other cyclists. This is it seems a popular cycling destination and you will see a number of families as well as groups cycling the path. Some you can see are doing the whole length of the canal while a lot will be doing sections for a day or two. This was great fun and Rebecca did remarkably well on the bike we had from the gite we were renting on the canal. You can see more about that in one of the walking blogs.

JB

06/08/09 Pont Coblain to Chateauneuf-du-Faou (WALK)

Date:

06/08/2009

Route:

Pont Coblan to Chateauneuf-du-Faou along Nantes to Brest canal on holiday at Ecluse de Meros near Landeleau, Brittany

Distance:

13.2miles Moving 4h00m Stop 57m MPH Moving 3.3 Overall 2.7 Drove 34m

Walkers:

John

Al

Style:

2 Car technology

With Al Good. Started at 10:30 and finished at 3:30.

Morning overcast and it poured again in the afternoon but this time
Al wore full weatherproof gear and John had his waterproof on. Had one coffee break with Lunch standing under a bridge to shelter from the rain. Saw a dead otter floating in the river. The river is very beautiful and on this walk the number of cyclists was down on the previous walks. Plenty of fishermen as is usual for the river. The going was good and as it is on the flat it was a relatively quick. The rain did not help however it did not detract from the walk.

The Nantes to Brest Canal is an excellent walk and there is always plenty to see. The lock keepers cottages that we passed were in various states of repair and some were used as information points showing a history of the canal.

We highly recommend this both from a cycling and a walking perspective.

JB

29/07/09 Chateauneuf-du- Faou to La Gare, France (WALK)

Date:27 29/07 Wednesday

Route:Chateauneuf-du-Faou to La Gare along Nantes to Brest canal on holiday at Ecluse de Meros near Landeleau, Brittany.

Distance:15.7miles. Moving 5h01m. Stop 56m. MPH Moving 3.1 Overall 2.6. Drove 26m

Walkers:

John

Al

Matthew

Jack

(Jack and Matthew Finished at 8.7 miles)

Style:

2 Car Technology

Morning brilliant sunshine. Reached Ecluse de Meros at 2:30 for lunch and John and Alcontinued. It rained very heavily in afternoon. John did not have a waterproof and got soaked, Al drove back from La Gare, John took his shirt off which caused much amusement when they got back at 6:45.

A walk along part of the Nantes Brest canal. This was during our French Holiday at a lock called Meros. We drove down to Chateauneuf-Du-Faou and walked along the canal back to the house. Unfortunately for John and Al they had underestimated the length of the walk and had parked one of the cars 7 miles away from Meros whilst the other car was in Chateauneuf-Du-Faou, 8.7 miles away. They decided to walk to the car furthest away so they could drive to the other car and bring them both back home stopping of at a boulanger to get a loaf of fresh bread. Twenty minutes into their walk and the heavens opened. For 6 miles Al and John walked along the canal getting drenched. When the car finally came into view, the sun came out and the rain moved on. How annoying. When they came back they were wet and very annoyed. I am just glad that me and Jack didn't have to walk with them!

MB

This walk started out in the blazing sunshine and was going to be a lovely walk punctuated by a stop at Lunchtime at the Lock Keepers Cottage at Meros where we were staying. Jack and Matthew did remarkably well on this walk as it was very long. We did make sure that we stopped regularly for snacks (chocolate biscuits) and drinks. The canal was fabulous and a great walk as it is on the flat and there was not much in the way of traffic (except groups of German cyclists)

We had rented the cottage at Meros from an English couple and it was a beautiful spot on the river. There is plenty of wildlife to see (otters, kingfishers, frogs, fish, pond skaters, mice, water voles etc).

JB

18/02/09 Kingston Bridge to Kew Bridge Thames Path, London, (WALK)

Date:
18/02 Wednesday

Route:
Kingston Bridge to Kew Bridge Along Thames Path

Distance:
7.7 Miles. Moving 2h42m. Stop 1h08m. MPH Moving 2.8 Overall 2.0

Walkers:
John
Matthew
Rebecca
Al

Description:
65 bus to Kingston and home from Kew. Rebecca walked very well for an 8 year old. Walk started at 12:00 after buying sandwiches in Waitrose we found the river and the path. We strolled along the river passing a number of barriers and locks. We had lunch on a bench before we reached Richmond. We got to Kew Bridge around 4pm and caught the bus back to Ealing.

24/12/08 Forty Foot Drain, Lincolnshire, (WALK)

Date:
24/12/08 Wednesday

Route:
Forty Foot Drain Swineshead Bridge to Chainbridge near Boston

Distance:
7.5m

Walkers:
John
Matthew
Al

Description:
This walk started at the Barge inn on the A17 and followed the 40 foot drain towards Boston Lincs. The weather was cold and foggy to start. The Drain was dug by hand many years ago and is very straight. There is a right hand kink of about 15 degrees half way along the walk near Hubberts Bridge. We stopped at a Pub in Hubberts Bridge for Lunch and a pint for the adults (J2O for Matt). Good walk with plenty to see. Railway runs the other side of the river and we waved like maniacs at all that passed. Not sure what the passengers thought.

JB

27/08/08, Treisbach to Biedenkopf, Germany (WALK)

Date:
27/08 /08Wednesday

Route:
Germany Treisbach to Biedenkopf

Distance:
7.0m

Walkers:
John
Rebecca
Matthew
Al

Description:
Forest walk. This was a lovely walk through the Mountains and forests to the east of Biedenkopf. The start was quite tiring as it was all up hill for a number of miles. The walk was along dirt tracks that were used by the loggers to access the forests. We did take one detour from the map which we regretted especially as I thought I knew the way and brought us out of a thicket of trees in completely the wrong place. We did recover well though and stopped for lunch at a picnic spot on a crossroads. There were some beautiful views from the walk and as we were up quite high you could see for miles in some directions. We finished the walk coming down form the mountains into Biedenkopf and finding the second car which was parked outside the towns train station (from where we took a train to Frankfurt on another day in the holiday)

I recommend walking in the German mountains as it is beautiful. We did not see any significant wildlife on this walk however it was a great walk

JB

22/08/08 Biedenkopf Germany (WALK)

Date:
22/08/08 Friday

Distance:
7.5m

Walkers:
John
Matthew
Al

Description:
This was a circular walk in the mountains and forests above Biedenkopf. The house we were staying in was located high on a hill overlooking the town of Biedenkopf on the edge of a large forest which had numerous tracks and paths in it. We packed some sandwiches and set off up the mountain to discover the two springs. The first we found very quickly as it was at the top of the track. The second was quite a way further and it was next to this one that we stopped for Lunch. This was a great walk. We did come across a large number of hunters hides which seem to be very common in this part of Germany. You can see them as you drive around on the edge of forests and woods. We continued the walk and descended back down to a river before climbing back up the side of the hills surrounding Biedenkopf back to the house.

JB

17/04/08 Tuesday Argon Coutainville France (WALK)

Date:
17/04/08

Route:
Argon Coutainville beachfront near Coutances France

Distance:
6.0miles

Walkers:
John
Matthew
Al

Description:
A walk from the gite we were staying in along the beach south and back.

15/04/08 Tuesday Argon Coutainville France (WALK)

Date:
15/04/08

Route:
Argon Coutainville near Coutances France

Distance:
5.5miles

Walkers:
John
Matthew
Al

Description:
Further walk along the penisular south of Argon Coutainville along the beach and across the dunes. walked out to the light house on the point. Very windy.

Two-Car-Technology

Two car technology is where the two cars are driven to the finishing point. One car is left there. (This is a safe place where it will not be found on bricks.) The driver of the car that has been left behind then gets into the other car and they then go to the start point where they begin the walk. Don't be surprised if it pops up in any of the posts.

Hi

This blog has been set up as a record of the variety of walks that we as a family undertake. We will record the distance walked and the members who walked it. There will aslo as we get more confident in the usage of the blog photographs of notable sights along the way. Please give us your feedback if you have walked any of the areas we describe. Also if you have any walks you would recommend.

Please also visit our reading blog at http://mattnjohnsreadingdiary.blogspot.com/

Best wishes

JB

Gonerby Hill Walk 9th May 2009 (Stroll)

Date:
9th may 2009

Distance:
4miles

Walkers:
Matt
John
Jack

Description:
This walk was inspired by a Lincolnshire walking leaflet that Jack brought back from school. we amended it by changing our starting point as we live in Gonerby Hill Foot. We took the field walk up to the top of the hill which gives lovely views over Grantham. Jack enjoyed this walk and I think the high point for all was Matt and Jack rolling down the grassy field from the top of Gonerby Hill.

The views from the top of this hill are breathtaking and in the distance you can see as far as Lincoln cathedral, Newark and a number of power stations on the Trent. As an added incentive to Jack we did stop for chocolate, however what is a walk if you don't add in chocolate.

JB