The Bear 20's & 30's Walking Group Walks January - March 2007 Plus additional dates for your diary
Sunday 7th January Windmills on the Mind at Harbury
Grade: Easy - great for novice walkers
Info: A 7 mile walk through gentle farmland and past Bishops Bowl Lakes taking in Chesterton village with its old church and windmill. Plenty of pubs in Harbury for the end of the walk!
Start Point: 10:30 Harbury to the east of Leamington. Park at the Village car park in Constance Drive. Middle Road leads into the village and you will find the car park in South Parade GR373597
Leader: Paul Thornton
Sunday 14th January Walk the Long Mynd
Grade: Medium
Info: An 8 mile walk following a high heath land ridge on the Long Mynd, riddled with streams, pools and a solitary waterfall.
Start Point: 10:30am Russell’s Meadow Car Park (Cunnery) off the B4370 south Church Streton (SO 449936). Car pooling arrangements to be organised nearer the time
Leader: Steve Bick
Sunday 28th January A different one from Alcester!
Grade: Moderate
Info: 11-12 miles Starting along the Monarch’s Way to the west of Alcester this walk takes in Knighton and Weethley and the country side around.
Start Point: 10:30 Car Park situated of School Road (next to large supermarket). Follow car park signs from the high street
Leader: Michael Potter
Sunday 4th February Morton-In-Marsh and the surrounds
Grade: Easy
Info: A walk of approximately 10 miles taking in the Cotswold villages of Bourton-on-th-Hill and Longborough and the landscape around.
Start Point: 10:30am outside public toilets in centre of Morton-In-Marsh (opposite mini-supermarket)
Leader:Will York Moore
Thursday 8th February
Event: The Bear Walking Group AGM
Info: The Bear Walking Group AGM. 8pm start at the Heathcote Inn (corner of Tachbrook Road and Heathcote Lane/Road opposite Trident Business Centre, South of Leamington Town Centre). Please come and lend your support to help shape the group for the coming year and beyond.
Organiser: Steve Bick
Sunday 11th February Historic Warwick and the Hatton Flight of Locks
Grade: Easy
Info: A 9 mile route that takes in the historic town, the banks of the River Avon, the Grand Union Canal and the village of Budbrooke
Start Point: 10:30am Warwick Race Course Car Park GR 276674 (As you approach the High Street in Warwick, go left into Bowling Green Street and then left again into Friars Street. The entrance to Warwick Racecourse is on the right in about 150 yards)
Leader: David Searle
Sunday 18th February Temple Guiting & Taddington from Stanway
Grade: Moderate
Info: 10 mile walk using a mixture of tracks and paths to explore the villages to Temple Guiting, Cutsdean and Taddington including a section of the Cotswold Way National Trial
Start Point: 10:30am in the Gloucestershire village of Stanway, located between Broadway and Winchcombe. Meet outside the church, park at own discretion in village. There is a small lay-by just to the north of the village (Grid ref SP060325)
Leader: Michael Potter
POSTPONED until next quarter (see below) Sunday 25th February - Andoversford and around the Cotswolds
Grade: Easy/Moderate
Info: An 11 mile classic Cotswolds outing following the natural line which circumnavigates the upper River Colne Valley taking in Shipton, Withington, the hamlet of Woodbridge, Withington Woods before climaxing at Kilkenny Hill.
Start Point: 10:30 Andoversford - Park in Station Road meeting at Gloucester Road end.
Leader: Andrew Kennard a.kennard@btinternet.com
REPLACED by Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th February - Back to basics bunkhouse in Mid-Wales
Grade: Difficult
Info: Bunkhouse (2 mixes dorm rooms) of the beaten track and getting back to basics. Two day walks Saturday (24th Saturday) and Sunday (25th Sunday) graded difficult. Warm clothes and sleeping bag required. 4 places left given on a first come first serve basis. Need to travel up sometime Friday and sort out own meal though group meal provided on the Saturday. Price dependant on numbers though likely to be around £40. Please contact Steve Bick bearwalkinggroup@hotmail.co.uk if you would like to come or for further information
Location: Postcode for multimap etc is SY25 6PH .OS grid ref is SN751534 Map 147. Yes it really is in the middle of nowhere !
Sunday 4th March – Stanway & Snowshill from Stanton
Grade: Easy
Info: 8 Miles walk taking in three attractive and historic Cotswold villages with some interesting buildings connected by undulating hills.
Start Point: 10:30 Stanton situated a couple of miles south of Broadway just off the B4632 road to Winchcombe. There is a small car park adjacent to the cricket ground (Grid ref. SP067343).
Leader: Fiona Clayton
CHANGED due to flooding!Sunday 11th March - Welford on Avon and Stratford upon Avon see new walk below
Grade: Easy
Info: 11 1/2 mile walk starting in Welford on Avon, visiting Stratford upon Avon before heading back to Welford along the River Avon.
Start Point: 10.30am next to Maypole just past The Bell pub on the main street through the village. Park on roadsides.
Leader: Kate Westlake
Sunday 11th March - Walk near Evesham
Grade: Moderate
Info: 10 1/2 mile walk. Starting in Ashton Under Hill by the church with the tower, just of the A46 this walk takes you up Bredon Hill via Wychavon Way, then through the villages of Bredon's Norton, Kemerton and Overbury
Start Point: 10.30am Ashton Under Hill.by the church tower grid ref SO 997 377
Leader: Michael Potter
Sunday 18th March – Brecon Beacons - UPDATED
Grade: Strenuous - 14 miles (shorter if bad weather)
Info: Full day walk Hay Bluff and the Black Mountains. Grand and imposing walk in the north east-escarpment of the Black Mountains, keeping high for most of the walk offering perfect views (weather permitting!) of the surrounding hills. Mileage may be reduced if bad weather.
Start Point: 10:00am Stone Circle, below Hay Buff on Gospel Pass (SO239372)
Leader: Steve Bick -If you are interested and want to car share let me know by email (where you live & willingness to drive, contact details etc) and I'll try match people up though no guarantees and expect a 7am start bearwalkinggroup@hotmail.co.uk
Sunday 25th March - Edge Hill and the surrounding villages UPDATED
Grade: 8 miles - Easy
Info: Starting from the village of Middle Tysoe the walk takes us up onto Edge Hill and along to the picturesque village of Ratley and then south and east through Horton and Shenington. The route is partly on the Centenary Way.
Start Point: 10:30am (Note BST starts today ... clocks go FORWARD an hour) outside the Peacock Inn Pub, on ‘Main Street’ in the village of Middle Tysoe. Parking on road outside Pub. Grid Ref SP340442
Leader: Mark Flinders
Sunday 1st April - Dove Dale - Peak District Derbyshire
Grade: Moderate
Info: 12 miles taking in the stunning limestone dales: Dove Dale, Wolfscote Dale and the Manifold Valley. This walk starts from the attractive village of Alstonefield before following the River Dove into Dove Dale to marvel at the impossible leaning tower of Ilam Rock and climb to the superb viewpoint of Thorpe Cloud. After cutting across to join the River Manifold, we head back upstream towards the famous Thor’s Cave. By the end of this walk, you’ll be very well-acquainted with the most justifiably famous limestone scenery of the Peak.
Start Point: Alstonefield Car Park 10:30. This is about 80 miles from Leamington. Car pooling arrangements to be organised nearer the time
Leader: Andrew Kennard a.kennard@btinternet.com
Friday 11th to Sunday 13th May Lake District Weekend
Info: Travel up Friday morning to fit three walks in over the course of the weekend.
Leader: Steve Bick
Saturday 7th to Sunday 8th July – Snowdonia/Mid Wales
Info: Saturday afternoon walk up Cadair Idris, the most mountainous southerly ridge of the Snowdonia National Park a snip at 6 ¾ miles! Sunday Full day walk of around 12 miles more details to follow (suggestions welcome)
Leader: Michael Potter