F o r e s t R a m b l e r s’ C l
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F
o u n d e d 1 8 8 4
w a l k i n g i n
t h r e e c e n t u r i e s
Welcome to the
About us
Believed to be the oldest rambling club still in existence*, the Forest
Ramblers were founded in 1884 to support the City of London Corporation in its
task of protecting Epping Forest, which it had recently acquired.
The Club’s rambles soon spread to a much wider area, with visits in the
early days to such distant destinations as Matlock and even Paris, but nowadays
all our walks are in London and the Home Counties.
We were originally constituted in the nineteenth century as a men’s
rambling club, but everyone is welcome in the twenty-first century.
Our constitution states that “the Club’s object shall be to organise and
carry out short rambles to places tending to healthful and instructive
recreation and antiquarian interest”, and we aim to follow this principle as
far as possible.
The Forest Ramblers’ walks have always been held on Thursdays, originally
to suit the needs of retail traders in North London, where early closing day
was usually Thursday. This still benefits people who find rambling in mid-week
more convenient than at the weekend.
We are affiliated to the Inner London Area of the Ramblers Association.
Our walks start fairly late in the morning, to allow full use of the
London Freedom Pass and the Senior Railcard.
We are a small, friendly group and would love to welcome you on any of
our walks. Do come along and be part of rambling history!
*Article
by Paul Vallely in The Independent, 4th September 1995
About our rambles
|
Area
covered: |
London and
surrounding counties |
|
Frequency: |
All 2nd,
4th and 5th Thursdays except in December (2nd
only) |
|
Travel: |
All our walks
are based on rail travel (National Rail or Underground) |
|
Meeting
place: |
We meet at
the station where the ramble begins (not the London departure station), so
that you can make your own travel arrangements if you wish |
|
Starting
Time: |
Late morning,
timed so that rail travellers do not have to leave London before |
|
Distance: |
Usually 6
to 7˝ miles |
|
Speed: |
About 2
miles an hour (leisurely to moderate), with stops at places of interest etc. |
|
Food: |
We enjoy a convivial
pub lunch, generally within 2 miles of the start |
|
Other
Events: |
Our Annual
Lunch is held in mid-May |
|
|
Contacts
|
Norman
Coles (Ranger): Tel.: 020 8886 7542 |
|
David Turner
(Hon. Secretary): E-mail or tel. 01494 521967 |