GRADE: Beginner 11 miles/17.5 km. 4.5 hours hiking time. Good paths and gentle hills but mostly flat. This is an Oyster friendly hike, a relaxing and refreshing ramble in what seems to be the in the countryside. We will begin our adventure exploring Wimbledon Common, with it's 200 year old windmill and a secret mineral spring bubbling up from the earth. Crossing into Richmond Park, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, we will encounter scores of deer leftover from when it was a royal hunting ground, created by Charles I in the 17th century. We will explore Isabella plantation, a delightful arboretum in a quiet corner of the park. Richmond Park contains some of the oldest oak trees in London including the Royal Oak, which is thought to be around 750 years old and is located near the gate entrance, at the top of Richmond Hill. The English oak tree is often viewed as a symbol of England and is the most common tree species in the UK. We will also climb to the top of King Henry's Mound in Pembroke Lodge Gardens with a protected view of St Paul's Cathedral. It is thought that King Henry VIII stood in this very spot when hunting. We end our hike in Richmond, in a beautiful pub by the river where we can get drinks and/or food before our journey home.
COST: £10 payable on RSVP
MEETING TIME: 10:00 out front of Wimbledon underground /train Station, getting off from the exit leading to Orinoco Ln and gather in the opposite site of LEON, by Orinoco Ln.
TRAINS: This is an oyster-card friendly hike. Trains: either District line tube, tram or Southwestern rail from Waterloo. This is a linear hike- we end at Richmond, which has a district line tube, overground and train station.
LUNCH: Pack lunch
WALK FINISHES: Approx 4:00 pm Richmond Station.
HIKE LEADER: Fofi
What to bring: lunch, snacks, water, suitable clothing and hiking footwear. Click here- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FLjSAczjgbZ26OKE4Iy_zX2IFqkybdXCmK9AkVfqI1w/edit?usp=sharing Terms and conditions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XSic4Aj9VJguTQuiWrTd6I1A-EmvmQCqCHggB0omlX8/edit?usp=sharing View our full calendar: https://www.meetup.com/GO-London/events/ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GoLondonAdventure/ Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoLondonHiking/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/golondonhiking/
