Walking in East Sussex : Rambling in East Surrey : socialising with Group Guided Walks : Nordic Fitness Walks : Weekday Walks : Weekend Walks : and : Weekends of Walking
Admin and Walk Planning : 01323 871554
mobile : 07930 738034

Founded in 2004, the primary objective of the Oakleafe Rambling Club is to offer guided, half-day walks in the countryside between the North Downs (East Surrey and Kent); the Weald through Surrey and Kent; and in the South Downs and Wealden areas of East Sussex. Our primary base is now in East Sussex for administration/planning etc.
CONTACT US : telephone 01323 871554 mobile : 07930 738034
email : nigel@lifeafterforty.com
If contacting us for more information > please DO let us know which area of activities you are most interested in (i.e. in Surrey or E.Sussex)
WALKING in 2010
The Summer Edition (May to end September 2010) of EXPLORING EAST SUSSEX from East Sussex County Council; viewable online at the East Sussex County website : In the Summer issue we offeded 6 Nordic walking fitness events listed; and 4 guided rambles. ONE NORDIC WALK REMAINS 19th SEPTEMBER
NORDIC FITNESS CLASS : on or near the SEAFORD SEAFRONT, East Sussex
We run a regular 60-minute Wednesday evening (7 to 8 pm) outdoor CLASS on the seafront at Seaford and in and around the Seaford area (see www.nordic-walking.me.uk for more details) :
NORDIC FITNESS ~ a combination of Nordic Walking and a mix of body-weight resistance exercises and flexibility.
OR Contact us for more information.
24 - 27 September 2010 (inclusive): The Oakleafe offers Ramblers Four SWANAGE WALKING DAYS : great walks on the Dorset (Jurassic) coast and inland to Corfe. 22 members participating plus 2 leaders. We have a reserve list currently of 1.
We are currently working on the first of a series of 8 volumes of Oakleafe Walking Guides. These will eventually cover our walking areas in East Surrey, the west of Kent and in the South Downs, and Ashdown Forest, for East Sussex. Each volume will offer about 40 walks. The eight volumes will comprise 6 compilations of Pub walks and 2 (possibly 3) of walks from those so-elusive, good tea-rooms.
MEETING TIMES ETC
Afternoon walks start shortly after 2 pm, meeting at 1:50 pm, unless otherwise stated.
Morning walks start shortly after 10 am, meeting at 09:50 am.
BUT : U3A (Caterham walking group in Surrey) Tuesday morning walks have a first meeting point BY REQUEST ONLY at 09:45 am in Caterham-on-teh-Hill : otherwise meeting at the walk venue as below. To arrange a special pick-up, please telephone 01883 346760 (Ron Giddens of Caterham U3A) by 9 pm at latest on the Monday before a listed walk.
The U3A walk venue meeting time depends how far it is for drivers from Caterham-on-the-Hill, based on a 9:45 start in Caterham. The walk venue meeting time is usually at 10 am or soon thereafter for longer distances.
Our briefing email for each walk is usually distributed to those on the Group mailing list the day before the walk.
The OS map references given for our meeting points can be entered into www.streetmap.co.uk ~ without spaces between the TQ and the numbers.
The site should give you a precise location map if you enter the OS reference exactly as provided in our briefing, and then use their SMART SEARCH facility.
WALK SUBSCRIPTIONS (NEW, reduced from July 2010 > as group sizes in the last 6 months have significantly improved and stabilised)
Guided Ramble Walk Subs : £4 per person per half-day walk. (U3A Caterham Walking group members : concessionary rate £3)
Day Walk £10 per person
Nordic Events : £7
Nordic Fitness (60 minute classes) : £5
Events coming up :
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BY GROUPS and DAY and County
OAKLEAFE Rambling Events coming up :
FOR SURREY
Saturday Afternoon Surrey Rambles : typically 5 to 6 miles
Saturday afternoon 4th September : a DAY WALK around Bewl Valley reservoir (East Sussex and Kent borders) This will be the second time that the Oakleafe Ramblers will have walked around the reservoir, parking not far from Wadhurst for the day,and a really great pub stop for lunch.Saturday afternoon 18th September from The Brickmakers Arms at Crowhurst
Sunday Afternoon shorter Surrey Rambles : typically 3 to 3.5 miles
Sunday afternoon 12th September in Surrey : Sunday Group walk from Farleigh Church Hall tea rooms
Caterham U3A Tuesday morning Surrey Guided Walks : typically3.5 to 4.5 miles
Tuesday morning 24 August 2010 : Caterham U3A Walking Group: The Harrow-on-the-Hill, CaterhamSurrey Nordic Fitness Walks : typically 6 to 7.5 miles
No walk possible in September for the NW Group form Surrey > sorry.
Saturday afternoon 23rd October NW : from The SKIMMINGTON CASTLE on Reigate Heath.
Saturday afternoon 20th November NW : from THE FOX on Coulsdon Common > across
Happy Valley to Farthing Down.
Saturday afternoon 18th December NW : from the Carpenters Arms onto
Limpsfield Chart
Saturday afternoon 8th January 2011 NW : from The ROYAL OAK at Merle Common.
Saturday afternoon 26th February NW : from JOLLY FARMER at Horne
Saturday afternoon 26th March NW : from KING HENRY VIII at Hever
Saturday afternoon 30th April from the FOUR COUNTIES car park on the high point of Ashdown ForestFOR EAST SUSSEX
Weekend Guided Rambles in East Sussex
Saturday afternoon 4th September : a Day Walk around Bewl Valley reservoir
(East Sussex and Kent borders) including a lunch stop at The Bull at Three Leg
Cross (near Ticehurst) and tea at the Bewl Water Visitor Centre near the end of
our walk. Regard this as a training walking day for the Dorset coast 4-day
group.
Saturday afternoon 2nd October : Guided Ramble around Vert Wood from The
Roebuck at Laughton
Saturday afternoon 9th October : a SPECIAL EVENT for the Oakleafe Ramblersfrom Surrey and from East Sussex : a FARM WALK in the West of Kent including time for refreshments from THE BOTTLE HOUSE INN at Penshurst and a guided tour of VEXOUR FARM along our route, including a talk and visit to their stock sheds to meet their prize-winning Charolais cattle. Something different for our Autumn programme. For more information about the Farm and their herd, see http://www.vexour.com/index.htm .
Sunday afternoon BOXING DAY 26th December in East Sussex : Alfriston/Litlington
River and Downland (edge of Friston)
Saturday morning 1st January in East Sussex : A walk of two halves from
Milton Street with an All-Day Breakfast available (subject to room) at
The Sussex Ox in our interval at lunchtime. Walking 10:30 am to 12; and
1:30 to 3:30 pm. The pub will also still be open upon our return to
the finish. Prebook own lunch at the pub or space may not be available.
Saturday afternoon 30th April from the FOUR COUNTIES car park on the high point of Ashdown Forest
East Sussex Nordic Fitness Walks : generally about 6 to 7 miles
Sunday afternoon 19th September in East Sussex : Windover Nordic Training Park in Milton Street and then to edge of Lullington HeathSaturday afternoon 30th October in East Sussex : Isfield and the Lavender Line
from the HALFWAY HOUSE pub (Rose Hill on the A26)
Saturday afternoon 13th November in East Sussex : Butts Brow and
the Auden Seat from Old Willingdon (the Wheatsheaf pub)
Saturday afternoon 11th December in East Sussex : Ashdown Forest from
The Hatch pub at Colemans Hatch
Saturday afternoon 15th January 2011 in East Sussex : Old Heathfield to
Maynards Green via Route 21 from THE STAR INN
Sunday afternoon 20th February in East Sussex : Withyham (near Hartfield) and
the Buckhurst Estate from the Dorset Arms
Saturday afternoon 12th March in East Sussex : Litlington and Friston Forest
from the Plough and Harrow
Saturday afternoon 30th April from the FOUR COUNTIES car park on the high
point of Ashdown Forest
Details can also be found on our facebook website under our Group there : OAKLEAFE Rambling
NOTE : Any of the pubs listed above may be changed at the last minute in the current climate; where pubs have been closed at short notice with either landlords moving away, leases being broken or finance withdrawn. SO, if you have not walked with us regularly and do not receive the email briefings a day ahead, please do contact us directly by phone or email to check the last-minute details.
BIRTHDAY or SPECIAL EVENT WALKS :
We seem to be developing a line of Special Event Walks for small parties. So, if you would like to chat with us about arranging a bespoke walk of 5 to 7 miles in distance on a specific date, then do contact us to enquire regarding availability and price. We will see if it is possible to co-ordinate diaries to accommodate your needs . . .
RAMBLING CLUB WEEKEND 2010
Friday 24th to Monday 27th September 2010 > This year our long weekend of guided walking will take place in the Swanage area : including coastal rambles, walks on Arne Heath and to Corfe Castle, Studland in Dorset. LIST of participants CLOSED with 22 members, and 2 leaders.

View from the North Downs Way near Tatsfield in Surrey, looking over the Weald towards the Greensand Ridges of Limpsfield
(from the Oakleafe's guided walk of 28th January 2006)
The intention being that such shorter Guided Rambles seem to appeal to many who either do not have the time, or feel they do not have the endurance yet for a whole day of walking.
Since September 2005 our programme of walks has been extended to include fortnightly afternoon walks and a few Day Walks ... and we now include some Sunday afternoon walks as well as the local U3A TUESDAY morning rambles.
We currently have a membership of approx 55 walkers in East Surrey ~ of which our Saturday walks usually now attract about 15 participants and more. The membership in East Sussex is growing > but the Nordic events are more consistent in numbers.
In August 2008 we started a facebook Group for OAKLEAFE RAMBLING. Interested in walking with us . . . then, search for us at www.facebook.com and request to join. We currently have 17 members in that Group, some of whom do join in our walks . . . and we have a gallery of additional photos there to share pictures from the walks.
Four years ago (in Jan 2006) we launched our Sunday Afternoon Group offering shorter Guided Walks planned specifically for families with children under 10 years of age, or for those only just getting back to health or into walking. These are open to all, but the length and route are planned on the basis of suitability for younger walkers. They are also ideal for a novice, older or overweight walker, too. Typical length of these events : 3 to 3.5 miles.
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Our Oakleafe Nordic Walking Training Group (for Health and Fitness) is running regular Taster Sessions of approx 2 hours duration in East Surrey and from our own 10 acres Training Park comprising fields and woodland in the Cuckmere valley of East Sussex ~ together with a monthly Guided Fitness Walk in a larger Group. This technique employs the twin pole "summer-training" style originally developed in Finland for cross-country skiing. It uses specifically designed Nordic Walking poles ~ for details see www.nordicwalking.co.uk ~ regarding EXEL poles and LEKI poles.
This fitness walking system uses up to 30% more energy per hour, gives upper body and core muscles a full workout and saves some of the stresses on hips, knees and ankles associated with conventional walking. It is suitable for any age, and is great as a part of an anti-osteoporosis exercise regime. For more details of the Oakleafe Nordic Walking Group, our Taster sessions and short courses ~ click here ~ NOW to visit www.nordic-walking.me.uk
Our Walk Leaders :
Nigel Bentley (Founded the Club : and still plans and promotes all of the walk activities we run in two counties)
Nigel is a YMCA FIT trained Walk Leader. He is a registered Nutritional Therapist and Personal Trainer (REPS Level 3), with own personal training studio set in a beautiful part of the South Downs. He has some 6 years experience of leading walking groups in the North Downs of East Surrey and a wide knowledge of local walks, ways and wildlife both in Surrey and in East Sussex. Since summer 2007 we have established WINDOVER FITNESS as our base of operations to run activities from our East Sussex base in the Cuckmere Valley; as well as continuing in East Surrey. WIndover Fitness has an indoor training studio and outdoor training fields and woodland. It provides an all-year-round facility with great options for Gym of the Outdoors.
We strongly believe in the "Exercise Anywhere..." philosophy; and especially Green Exercise in the outdoors.
Nigel is an International Nordic Walking Technique Instructor ~ Nordic Walking being a fitness walking speciality that he has developed with many clients to give a total body workout in the fresh air. He is a member of the International Nordic Walking Association ~ through Nordic Walking UK.
Jeff Jeffery and Colin Packington
Volunteer walk leaders based in East Surrey for guided rambling event. They usually lead Saturday walks together when this is possible. Jeff also leads our Sunday series walks. They started walking with the Oakleafe Rambling Club in 2004, and have been regular walkers throughout the south-east for much longer.
Jeff is a North Downs Way ranger, responsible for the Woldingham section of the Way. Colin is a warden monitoring the condition of footpaths within the Woldingham area.
For more information on any walk in the Club's programme, or just to make contact ... telephone 07930 738034; or send an e-mail to :

© 2010 : OAKLEAFE RAMBLING CLUB