Come and join us for this fabulous walk in West London on Sunday 27 January. We will walk along the river Thames to find the mouth of the river Brent, which incidentally also is where the Grand Union Canal starts. Following the river, we will make a short detour to admire Syon House, and visit its gardens

Syon House has been the residency of the Duke of Northumberland since over 400 years, including that famous one called John Dudley, the 1st Duke of Northumberland. In the first half of the 16th century, he was an English general, admiral, and politician, led the government of the young King Edward VI, and unsuccessfully tried to install Lady Jane Grey on the English throne after the King’s death. Both Lady Jane Grey and Queen Anne once lived here.

We will pick up our route along the Brent/ Grand Union canal again until we reach Osterley Park, a the grounds of another grand Mansion. The original manor house on these grounds was built in the 1570s as a country retreat for banker Sir Thomas Gresham.

Interested to read more?

Here is a link to the Wiki page for Syon House, and here to the Wiki page for Osterley House.

Where do we meet?

We meet up at 9.15 am at Denmark Hill rail station, by FCB coffeeshop next to the station, to catch the 9.29 overground train to Clapham Junction, from where we will catch the 10.00 am train to Woking, which will arrive in Kew Bridge at 10.16 am.
Feel free to meet us in Kew Bridge, if you come from a different part of town!
Please make sure you tell me in advance that that is what you are planning to do, so we don’t wait for you or get worried when we don’t see you in Denmark Hill and take note of my mobile 078 078 3456 4, just in case you can’t find us!
Terrain and length of the route:
The route is about 7.5 miles/ 12 kilometres. This walk follows paved paths as well as grassy and maybe buddy paths. It is reasonably flat as we walk along rivers and canals.

Toilets, food/drinks & what to bring:

I suggest we bring a pick-nick and enjoy our lunch outside, but there are various places we could stop for a bite to eat and a hot drink if the weather isn’t nice enough to eat outside.
There are public toilets at various places along our route.
Don’t forget to bring something to drink for on the way.
This walk will happen in any weather unless it is unsafe, so bring your waterproofs if necessary, and (preferably waterproof) shoes with a good grippy profile, and make sure to bring a sunhat/cap or your sunglasses, as we often seem to be lucky with the weather!

Who can join?

Anyone who can comfortably walk 12 km.
Feel free to bring a friend or family member, with or without poles. Nordic Walkers or not, that doesn’t matter, as long as they are Fit (enough) and Happy! 😊
Are you a Nordic walker but don’t have your own poles? Would you like to borrow some from me? Text me on 078 078 3456 4 and I will bring you some.

Cost:

£10
If you are one of our regular Fit and Happy Outdoors walkers I can recommend buying a ten-session card for £89. This card can be used on Explorer walks as well as our other Nordic Walking fitness walks.
(We also lead regular Nordic Walking fitness classes. These happen every weekday in Burgess Park/ Brockwell Park/ Sydenham Hill and Dulwich Park.)
If you are genuinely poverty stricken- £5
(Train tickets and food or drinks at café not included)

Need poles?

Don’t have your own poles? Would you like to borrow some from me? Text me the MORNING OF THE WALK on 078 078 3456 4 and I will bring you some. (please, please do not ask me days before, as I will forget and that will make us both unhappy!)

Thinking about buying your own?
Check our shop for a great range of poles. Too much choice? You might like to read this useful guide first. Feel free to give us a ring, we are happy to advise you on the best poles for your lifestyle, needs and wishes.

How to join this walk

New to Fit and Happy Outdoors? Please fill in the registration and health questionaire, which you can find here and email them to walks@fitandhappyoutdoors.com at least 24 hours before the session, mentioning in the header which walk you want to join. That will give us enough time to get back to you and discuss your needs and experience.

Please sign up for our Meetup Group to easily RSVP and find out when the next walks are.

Not on Meetup (yet)? You can also use this contact form: