not fully booked at all, the pub: no avails for larger groups, but tables for two in almost all time slots. assume 12.45 arrival...

5 on the walk, with 2 lunching (12.45 booking) and 3 walking on. The lunchers arrived at Knockholt Station at 16.55. The weather was warm and sunny , with very fine far views.

Now I might do the Walk on Saturday. But I can't Gurantee I will. But the only problem is this Saturday. You might get stuck in a bit of Traffic from London Liverpool Street to London Bridge because of the Lord Mayor's Show.

Aiming to catch you at the pub... Simon

I needed an early finish today so chose a walk close to London, and this one appealed as it has lots of wild garlic and bluebells in spring, so in my simple logic that was good reason to assume there'd be plenty of leaf colour in evidence. And so it was. We also had fine far views despite the grey clouds, to the South Downs and to any number of colourful woods nearer by.

There was some mud in places, but not much for the time of year, I'd say.

6 had set off from Caterham, and we encountered 1 other already at the pub, having started a bit earlier. It was the single walker that we overtook last Saturday on the H'mere - Midhurst walk. This time he chose deliberately this walk to join the group and did so for the afternoon, until Halstead where he forked right to the pub. One other joined us at the pub a bit later, having started from Oxted due to getting out of bed late, so 8 in grey but dry weather.

On the descent to Knockholt Station we heard an owl and then narrowly missed the 16.43. Currently on the 17.13 train...

Para 5. Tillingdown farm has been demolished. 17 (yes seventeen!) houses are being built there now. The three fingered signpost in front of the site is missing it’s right pointing finger, but there’s no problem in turning right as per the instructions.

The outward train divides en route at Purley: fromt carriages go to Caterham, rear ones to Tattenham Corner. Make sure you're in the right part of the train.

14 on the platform, with 2 others lingering outside the station, i.e. 16. The weather was grey to start with pm sunny breaks then grey again . Some slithery sections in the woods and where the ground was chalky, else fine walking. The wind brought us the M25 noise half the day, but the wind also meant that the views from the ridge were far and excellent. Just 5 had a sit-down lunch in the pub (food and service: excellent), others ate their wares outside on the benches (now, now!).

Winter Cherry Blossom trees, plenty of Snowdrops still, Wild Garlic carpets in the first woods on the NDW, Bluebell carpets in almost all subsequent woods (they are coming up with a vengeance, those bluebells).

The lunchers and assorted picnickers arrived at Knockholt station at 16.30, with others ahead of us and one group a bit behind, meaning that - for the first time in many months - the majority got home in daylight from a 'long' walk.

I'd like to join the walk at the lunch stop pub thus avoiding the unnecessary steep ups and downs, motorway noise and losing the route in the woods ascending Botley hill. The last time we did this walk I accepted a lift from Sean who kindly took me to his nearest rail station. He didn't want to do the early section either. Could any of the locals advise on buses from Caterham or would it be better to travel from the tram stop at New Addington to the nearest village (Tatsfield?) and walk down to the pub by road?

Marion: I'm not sure if my taxi service will be operating that day...too much competition from Uber. You're right, Tatsfield is the nearest place with public transport: London Bus 464 runs hourly from the New Addington tram stop at xx:38 (see timetable). It's a 3 km walk to the Botley Hill Farmhouse, either along roads or (if you've got OS 147) via a footpath heading south and then west along the North Downs Way.

Alternatively you could take a train to Oxted (outside Zone 6) and follow the route in Extra Walk 244b to the lunch pub, which is about 4½ km (compared with 10 km from Caterham). But that will also have motorway noise and a big climb through the Titsey Plantation.

Thanks to engineering works I have no trains between Barnes and Clapham junction all over the whole bank holiday weekend inc Monday so no chance of connecting with any walks on BH Monday. Any chance of anyone posting a walk involving a stop at Ealing Broadway?

9 out 10??

Check the bus timetables, Marion?

I think Marion is really after a home pick-up from Barnes to Botley Hill Farmhouse for lunch with an option to walk afterwards or be brought back via a scenic route home to Barnes. Would you allow me?

12 walkers off the train (incl. 2 first-timers), plus 1 other on a later one, whom we 'sportingly' gave an easy opportunity to catch us quickly by turning into the wood near 'Devils Hole' along the wrong path and taking a few minutes to realise that much.

So, 13 in total on a sunny and warm day, graced by the short cameo appearance at the lunch pub of a certain SE London resident walk author and poster.

Lunch was taken by 9 of us, the 4 sandwichers moved on after a while as we had only just had our food served by then. Quite a satisfying place, the Botley Hill Farmhouse, incl. a fried chicken service in the back garden.

By then most of the climbing had been done of course ('tis just one steep ascent in the arvo), and we went ahead hoping to catch the sandwichers before - or at - the second pub en route for another thirst quencher: The Three Horseshoes in Knockholt Pound.

Not so, and the pub was shut for the afternoon anyway. BUT, the publican had heard our displeased mutterings and offered to open the doors for us regardless, so in we went. Nice garden, but the pub itself looks on its last legs really, some major investment is needed...

One of the gizmo-equipped walkers had - meantime - found out that the other pub in the village was supposed to be a 'hidden gem', so we diverted past it, but there was a live performance of some local talent singing Katrina & The Waves' 1985 cracker 'I'm walking on sunshine', which only made us walk faster, but away from the pub...

Upon approaching the decision point in Halstead we realised we'd miss the next train, so diverted to the pub there, The Cock Inn, settling in for a not so swift one in their garden, to finally catch the 19.12 train.

Many fine views, warm but not too hot weather, only one navigational error despite the spartan directions, very nice company, excellent lunch, a short journey. A pretty good day out.