Croydon to the Coccolith – Connecting with nature through photography.

The Putting Down Routes team and project partner Black Girls Hike are delighted to offer a countryside walk from Croydon to Surrey.

Join Croydon local photographer and writer Ameena Rojee for a playful long ramble from Croydon to the Surrey Hills. We’ll walk to the Coccolith, a beautiful sculpture on the North Downs Way Art Trail. On the walk, we’ll learn about how photography can help you connect to nature through gentle and non-technical photography exercises to help us engage with our surroundings in different ways, inspired by Ameena’s decade-long experience in photography and love for the natural world.

This walk is suitable for anyone with a light interest in photography through to hobbyists and full-time photographers. If you like the sound of it, you’re welcome to join and any kind of camera or camera phone is suitable for this guided walk.

This walk connects Croydon to the Surrey Hills through two established routes – the Vanguard Way and the North Downs Way.

We’ll start the day walking through the Hutchinson’s Bank nature reserve, famous for its butterflies. We’ll continue to meet the Vanguard Way (this long-distance trail starts at East Croydon station and runs all the way to the coast!) at Chelsham. We’ll then follow the Vanguard Way through woods, farms, and small villages until we meet the North Downs Way near Titsey.

We’ll follow this route to Titsey until we reach the Coccolith, where will we do some more in-depth creative and nature connection exercises, and a moment to chat, relax, and reflect.

The walk will finish at the Coccolith.

Onward travel options are:

464 bus back to New Addington where you can get the tram back to East Croydon station

595 bus to Oxted train station

You may also consider visiting the Titsey Taproom for a post-walk drink/early dinner.

Event Theme:

🌳 Countryside Walk

🍃 Nature Walk

🎨 Art and Sculpture Walk

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⏰ What is the duration of this event? ~6-7 hours including travel to start point, lunch, and breaks

📏 What is the distance of the walk? TBC, around ~13km.

🔄 Is this a circular or linear walk? Linear walk.

🧭 Where is the meeting point?

East Croydon station

East entrance outside Boxpark

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👩🏿‍🦱 Who can attend this walk? We welcome everyone who respects the ethos of our community. Our events create a safe space for Black/ Mixed Race cis and trans women, as well as non-binary people of Black African and/or Caribbean descent who are comfortable in a space that centres the experiences of Black women. We are not a BAME, POC, BIPOC, WOC, Politically Black, or Ally organisation.

👩‍🦽 Is this walk suitable for those using wheeled mobility aids? Or for those with buggies? No, the majority of the route is not suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

👨‍🦯 Is this walk suitable for those with those with physical, learning, or mental health needs? Is this walk suitable for those with those with other physical, learning, or mental health needs?- 🚸 The walk will not be a rush but will be a long day’s walk over challenging terrain and 1-2 steeper sections.

Learning and mental health needs – the walk leader will facilitate some playful, non-technical photography exercises. Sharing and questions from the group is encouraged. This will be a supportive environment, however please share any concerns with the walk leader before the event.

🚸 What ages is this suitable for? 18+

🎒 What do I need to bring? Please bring walking sticks if you have them for additional support – from previous experience, these are necessary if it has been raining as this route can be extremely muddy. Please bring weather-appropriate clothing including waterproof jackets and warm layers. Wear hiking/walking boots with good ankle support. Please bring a protein-packed lunch, at least 1L of water, electrolytes if you need them, and a range of snacks or energy boosters.

🚂 Is this walk accessible via public transport? Yes, by bus, tram, and train - we will meet at East Croydon station to travel together to New Addington

🅿 Is there parking? There is paid street parking available in the area (not at the station), and free street parking available in New Addington

🏞 What is the terrain like on this walk? Mostly countryside tracks with some pavement, hard surfaced paths, and road crossings.

🚽 Are there toilets nearby? There are accessible toilets available on East Croydon’s platforms. There will be time for using toilets on arrival in New Addington. On the route, there will be a couple of pubs.

🐕 Is this walk dog-friendly? TBC.

☕ Is there somewhere to get refreshments? Please bring lunch and snacks with you. You can purchase something in East Croydon. On the route, we will pass by a pub in Chelsham and there is the Titsey Taproom (serving food, open until 9pm) along the North Downs Way close to our finish point.

🪑 Is there seating options along the route? There will be public benches every so often and we will stop to break as often as needed. This walk will be a gentle ramble.

🙏 Is there an opportunity to break for prayer if needed? Yes. Please let us know in advance if you'd like to plan for this.

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📷 Photos or videos are taken during the event for promotional and marketing purposes across the Kent Downs National Landscape, Aspiring Cross-Channel UNESCO Global Geopark, North Downs Way National Trail and Black Girls Hike. Please notify the walk leader of your preferences and complete the consent form here.

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This event is part of the North Downs Way National Trail and Kent Downs National Landscape’s Putting Down Routes Project.

The Putting Down Routes project seeks to encourage new audiences from under-represented communities to the North Downs Way National Trail, as well as upgrading and enhancing parts of the trail so they are more accessible to a wider range of people.

The project aims to position the North Downs Way National Trail as a safe, inclusive and accessible destination where all are welcome.

Putting Down Routes is a collaborative project between the Kent Downs National Landscape and the North Downs Way National Trail, working with partners Black Girls Hike and Wild With Wheels. Putting Downs Routes is funded through The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Defra’s Farming in Protected Landscapes.