10 beautiful walks close to London list
Leave the Seven Sisters and the Margate to Ramsgate walks behind! Let’s come off the beaten tracks and try something new and less mainstream. In this article, I will be taking you on 10 beautiful walks close to London that are not talked about, ranged by location. Hush, it’s a secret!
Greater London
1 – Orpington to Knockholt
We intend to forget it yet Orpington is actually in Greater London, meaning it’s accessible using your Oyster card … no train tickets needed. And believe it or not, I have made the mistake myself so, I prefer to mention it. It is a fairly easy walk, mainly on concrete paths, ideal to do on a Sunday morning. I would recommend that you go for a Sunday Roast at the Bo-Peep in Knockholt at the end.
Logistic for the Orpington to Knockholt walk
- Distance: 10.5 miles (16.9 km)
- Montée: 286 m
- Estimation de la marche: 3 heures et 45 minutes
- Difficulté: Facile
- Comment s'y rendre : Train from and to London Bridge
- Ce qu'il faut emporter: Comfortable clothing, pair of trainers as you would be walking on tarmac paths a lot, water (2 litres recommended)
Highlights of the Orpington to Knockholt walk
- Orpington
- Woodlands and valley
- Chelsfield Golf Club
- Eat at the Bo-peep
2 – Epping Green Circular
With the lockdown restrictions lifted, we can finally get back to hiking. But if you are still not ready to wander excessively far from London, I have selected 3 loops in Epping Green that you can mix and match as it pleases you to make it a shorter or a longer walk. Whether you live locally or you are a Londoner looking to escape to the countryside after three months of lockdown, this walk is for you.
Logistique pour les promenades circulaires d'Epping
- Distance: 10,12 miles (16,3 km) - vous pouvez le raccourcir en fonction du nombre de boucles que vous souhaitez faire.
- Montée: 108 m
- Estimation de la marche: 3 hours and and 45 minutes for the three loops back-to-back
- Comment s'y rendre: Central Line jusqu'à Epping Station (dernier arrêt). Vous pouvez ensuite marcher 6,43 km (4 miles) ou 12,8 km (8 miles) si vous le faites aussi sur le chemin du retour, pour arriver à Epping Green. Vous pouvez également commander un Uber (environ 10 £ par trajet).
- Ce qu'il faut apportervêtements et chaussures confortables (pas de baskets recommandées), guêtres (surtout s'il a plu pendant la semaine) collation pour la pause, eau (2 litres recommandés)
Kent
3 - Circulaire de la rue Sole
No need to go far for a walk in the countryside: Kent is right on London’s doorstep and offers a variety of hikes from a stroll to something more challenging. In this case, I have selected for you an easy walk around Sole Street which ends at the Bouteille en cuir pub for a nice meal. And it is not any pub; it was Charles Dickens’ favourite alehouse in Kent!
Logistic for the Sole Street Circular walk
- Distance : 11.09 miles (17.84km)
- Montée: 277m
- Estimation de la marche: 4 heures et 40 minutes
- Difficulté: Intermédiaire
- Comment s'y rendre: Train for London Victoria
- Ce qu'il faut emporter: Suitable clothing and footwear, water (ideally 2 litres)
Points forts de la promenade circulaire de la rue Sole
- La campagne du Kent
- North Downs
- Mausolée de Darnley
- Manger au Leather Bottle
4 – Cuxton to Otford
Let’s go to the North Downs with its endless golden fields and evergreen woodlands for a walk from Cuxton to Otford. It is a fairly long walk with a few hills offering breathtaking views over the valley. It also has a picnic area ideally located halfway through the hike, which is the perfect spot to stop for lunch and avoid having to sit on the cold ground. A really nice day out!
Logistique pour la marche de Cuxton à Otford
- Distance: 14.88 miles (23.9km)
- Montée: 215 m
- Estimation de la marche: 7 heures
- Difficulté: intermédiaire
- Comment s'y rendre: Trains au départ de Londres St Pancras et retour à Londres Victoria. Il n'est pas possible d'acheter un billet aller-retour à la journée pour cette promenade car Cuxton et Otford ne sont pas sur la même ligne.
- Ce qu'il faut emporter: Vêtements et chaussures confortables, eau (2 litres recommandés)
Points forts de la randonnée de Cuxton à Otford
- North Downs
- Parc national de Trosley
- Otford
5 – Otford to Eynsford
Looking for a nice morning walk ending with a traditional Sunday roast? I’ve got you covered with a walk from Otford to Eynsford in Kent. We start the hike in Otford in the North Downs and are going down to the Darent Valley. During this walk, you will be passing by places of interest such as the Lullingston Castle. I have planed for you a mid-hike drink at the Le bras du roi in Shoreham and a Sunday roast at the Hôtel Castle. Now you just need to dust off your hiking boots and hit the trail!
Logistic for the Otford to Eynsford walk
- DistanceLe trajet : 9.61 miles (15.46km)
- Montée: 137 m
- Estimation de la marche: 4 heures et demie
- Difficulté: intermédiaire
- Comment s'y rendre: Trains depuis Londres Victoria. L'avantage de cette promenade est qu'Otford et Eynsford sont sur la même ligne, ce qui vous permet d'acheter un aller-retour à la journée pour Otford.
- Ce qu'il faut emporter: Vêtements et chaussures confortables, collation (vous en aurez besoin car la marche est assez longue avant d'atteindre le pub à la fin), eau (2 litres recommandés).
Points forts de la randonnée d'Otford à Eynsford
- Village d'Otford
- Shoreham White Cross
- Village de Shoreham
- Boire un verre au King's Arms
- Champs de lavande et boutique
- Château de Lullingstone
- Viaduc d'Eynsford
- Village d'Eynsford
- Eat at the Castle Hotel
Surrey
6 – Guilford Circular
We continue our list of the 10 walks close to London and move to Surrey. This region is well-known for the Surrey Hills site which is classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As you may have guessed, this is a hilly walk but you will be rewarded by the incredible views the site has to offer. So if you are looking to mix challenge and beauty, this is for you!
Logistic for the Guilford circular walk
- Distance: 13.4 miles (21.7km)
- Montée: 395m
- Estimation de la marche: 7 hours 15 minutes
- Difficulté: Intermédiaire
- Comment s'y rendre : Day return ticket from London Waterloo. The journey takes in between 30 to 40 minutes depending on which train you take
- Ce qu'il faut emporter : Comfortable clothing and footwear, water (2 litres recommended)
Points forts de la promenade circulaire de Guildford
- Guildford
- Colline Sainte-Marthe
- Blackheath
- Usine de poudre à canon de Chilworth
Sussex
7 – East Grinstead Circular
I cannot turn water into wine but I can definitely take you on a walk from a reservoir to a vineyard in the East Grinstead area. And that is still a cool power to have! In this walk, the beauty of the High Weald, this Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty stretching across Surrey and Sussex, unravels before your eyes. There is a pub stop at the Cat Inn halfway through the hike and the visit of a vineyard at the end. It’s all about mixing effort and pleasure!
Logistic for the East Grinstead Circular walk
- Distance: 12 miles (19 km)
- Montée : 360 m
- Estimation de la marche: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Difficulté: Intermédiaire
- Comment s'y rendre: Trains from London Victoria
- Ce qu'il faut emporter: Vêtements et chaussures confortables, eau (2 litres recommandés)
Highlights of the East Grinstead Circular walk
- East Grinstead town centre
- The Weird Wood Reservoir
- Eat/drink at the Cat Inn
- The Gravitye Manor
- The Kingscote Estate
- Eat at the Railway Tavern
Buckinghamshire
8 – Marlow Circular
Perfectly located between the hills of the Chilterns and the river Thames, Marlow has a lot to offer for hikers and walkers at all levels. This intermediate walk will take you from rolling hills to woodlands and ends at the L'âne de Marlow for diner. However, if you are looking to do an easier walk near Marlow, click ici.
Logistic for the Marlow Loop
- Distance: 15.76 miles (25.36km)
- Montée: 1438 pieds (438 m)
- Difficulté: Intermédiaire
- Estimation de la marche: 5 hours and a half to 6 hours depending on pace
- Comment s'y rendre: There are no direct trains from London to Marlow. You would have to get a train from Paddington Station to Maidenhead Station and change in Maidenhead for a train to Marlow
- Ce qu'il faut apporter: comfortable clothing and shoes as you will be climbing hills, snack, packed lunch, water (2 litres recommended)
- Informations complémentaires: There are no toilets on this walk
Highlights of the Marlow loop
- Marlow
- Fond Marlow
- High Wycombe
- Eat at the Marlow Donkey
9 – Wendover Circular
Located in the heart of the Chiltern Hills, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Wendover circular is perfect for any hiker or walker looking for something a bit more challenging. You will be passing through old villages and places of interest, adding some site seeing to the beauty of this walk.
Logistic for Wendover walk
- Distance: 17 miles (27km)
- Montée: 460 m
- Estimation de la marche: 7 heures et 45 minutes
- Difficulté: Intermédiaire
- Comment s'y rendre: Trains depuis la gare de Marylebone
- Ce qu'il faut emporter: Vêtements et chaussures confortables, veste et sur-pantalon imperméables, eau (2 litres recommandés).
Points forts de la promenade de Wendover
- Collines des Chilterns
- Village de Wendover
- Village d'Ellesborough
- Hampden House
- Village de Great Missenden
Hertfordshire
10 – Berkhamstead Circular
For our last one of the 10 beautiful walks close to London, I kept for you the most difficult hike of all. Challenging and picturesque, this walk takes you through steep hills, lush green fields, woodlands and an undulating canal. The Berkhamsted circular walk has it all. Are you ready for the challenge?
Logistic for the Berkhamsted Circular Walk
- Distance: 23.93 miles (38.5 km)
- Montée: 633m
- Estimation de la marche: 9 hours and 40 minutes at the average speed of 2.48 miles/hour (4km/hour)
- Difficulté: Un défi à relever
- How do to get there: Direct trains from Euston Station. The journey takes 30 minutes. However, the train tickets can be a bit expensive and you need to count around £20.00 for an off-peak day return ticket. This is why, if you live towards North/West London I would advise that you take the direct train from Harrow & Wealdstone Station. The journey takes 20 minutes and it would cost you half the price (£10.30 for an off-peak day return at the time of writing this article)
- Ce qu'il faut apporter: Comfortable clothes and footwear as you will be climbing hills, waterproof jacket and overtrousers as the majority of the walk is on open lands so you will be exposed to rain and wind if you are going on a bad weather day, headcover and gloves as it is really windy at the top of the Ivinghoe Beacon Hill, snack, packed lunch, water (2 litres recommended). I would likewise advise that you carry gaiters with you if it has been raining during the week as the path could get muddy
Highlights of the Berkhamsted Circular Wak
- Berkhamsted
- Château de Berkhamstead
- Great Gaddesden
- Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste
- Ivinghoe Beacon Hill
- Le canal de la Grande Union
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed finding out about the selection of 10 not so well-known beautiful walks you can do close to London. If you know of some walks that could be added to the list, please drop me a note in the comment section below. I would love to hear about your adventures.
Enjoyed reading about the 10 beautiful walks close to London and want to discover some more? Why not check these articles?
Shere To Dorking: Walk In The North Downs
D'Otford à Oxted : Une autre promenade dans les North Downs
Circulaire de Farnham : Une promenade dans le passé
Randonnée circulaire dans le Kent : Oxted via Chartwell
Marche dans le Berkshire : Le circuit Goring & Streatley
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