Pointless topping - Slough

If ever there was an example of pointless topping, it was my trip to Slough. The high(est) point of Slough is a spot height in the middle of a busy road along the northern border, with no obvious hill or slope. General consensus of opinion among fellow toppers is that the dog poo bin is the symbolic top, (something Slough shares with Southend) as trying to find the actual top would probably get you killed. Almost all of the walk to and from the top took place in Buckinghamshire along some narrow but rather busy lanes and some litter strewn bridleways and footpaths. I left Archie at Burnham Beeches which is a very pleasant open space a couple of miles north of Slough. The last time I visited you could drive through it but it now appears to be a car-free zone.

Traditionally Slough was part of Buckinghamshire until 1974 when it was dumped on poor old Berkshire. In 1998 it became a unitary authority when poor old Berkshire was dismantled, which is how it qualifies for a top. Slough is so devoid of any tourist attractions that it was impossible to find any on its own Council website. Its greatest claim to fame seems to be the association with Ricky Gervais and the Office. I find it hard to believe that it only 42nd on the list of least favorite towns in the Idler Book of Crap Towns. Extensive research for this blog reveals that Slough means swamp. Says it all!

A Scilly day out with some pictures

The Scilly Isles are a group of islands about 28 miles south west of Lands End. Only five of the islands are occupied and the resident population is about 2000. The Scillies have their own island council quite independent of Cornwall, which makes them the smallest unitary authority in the UK. They have been inhabited since the Stone Age with several burial sites around the islands. The largest island, St Marys, is where most of the tourists arrive, either by boat or helicopter from Penzance. I chose to fly on a small plane from Lands End airport, which was clearly visible from my campsite.

The climate on the Scillies is quite mild, which is very good for the flower business and the famous tourist attraction, Tresco Abbey Gardens. There were some interesting dark pines on one of islands set against the white sandy beach that made you think of the tropics. The weather for my visit was mild, with sunny intervals and the odd shower. I wouldn't like to be there in an Atlantic storm. What attracts tourists I suppose is the peace and quiet, although I thought there was quite a lot of traffic and the noise of planes taking off could be heard all of the island. There were lots of art and crafts places on St Marys (the only island I visited), boat trips to the other smaller islands, so of which are virtually traffic free. Of interest to me were the tea shops and the remains of the old Garrison.

I couldn't resist the pull of such a remote top and the adventure of travelling in a very small plane. Telegraph Hill (167ft /51m) is the highest point of all the islands and luckily for me it was about a mile from St Mary's airport. I'd venture to say that most of St Mary's was about a mile from the airport. It wasn't hard to find, the clue was in the name. Like all self respecting tops it was adorned by a couple of aerial mast, and for good measure, an odd round tower and a telephone box. After bagging the top, I spent the rest of the day wandering along the coastal footpath and taking regular refreshment.

Click on the slide show for more pictures.

Bagging the Big One

My first UK Mountain

Today was the high point of my trip as I bagged not one mountain but two. High Willhays (2038ft) and Yes Tor (2030ft) qualify as mountains by being over 2000ft. I decided to take advantage of the benign weather as the forecast for the rest of the week isn't good. There was plenty of blue sky and high white cloud with excellent visibility.

Dartmoor is a fairly trackless place and most of the sign posts say helpful things like "To the Moors" which I think most of us could work out. I needed all my map reading skills and the GPS to find High Willhays as it's hidden from view most of the way.

I followed the valley of the West Okement river towards Black Tor, a pretty impressive collection of flat rocks until I came to Blackator Copse (full of ancient oaks) when I had to start going up a very steep gradient. I was looking forward to enjoying the view in splendid isolation but I arrived at the same time as a load of ramblers.

From here I got my first view of High Willhays, a rounded bump about a mile a way. It was very deceptive as the gradient didn't look too strenuous but it didn't stop going up for that mile. Walking on Dartmoor is not particularly pleasant as there are no well defined tracks, and it can be very boggy/rocky. You also have to avoid cows and unexploded ordinance (only the former in my case).

On top of High Willhays it was very, very windy and cold, so I couldn't flourish the map to pinpoint all the other hills and I didn't hang about admiring the view. You could see a very long way in all directions. I went on to Yes Tor, which was a bit more impressive and then had to work out how to get off the hill. After a slight hiccup I was able to re-orientate myself and work out the lie of the land and headed off to the Meldon resevoir and cycleway back to Archie.

This walk lasted over five hours and went on for eight and half miles and was pretty challenging. You need to able to read maps and understand the geography. Dartmoor is an unforgiving place and I was very lucky to find it on such a quiet day, weather wise. You need to have a bit faith in yourself too.

For a fat, fifty-year old who's been living on a diet on cream teas, I didn't do too bad.

Bagging Brown Willy

Brown Willy Tor is the highest point in Cornwall, at 1378ft it is number 16 on the traditional county list. What it lacks in height, Brown Willy makes up for in remoteness. You can either walk 3½ miles from Jamaica Inn on the A30 or 2 miles from Rough Tor car park. I opted for the shorter route, which meant I had to walk over the second highest hill in Cornwall to get there.

It was a great afternoon for walking, plenty of sunshine and a gentle wind except on the tops where it did blow a bit. The path to Rough Tor was a very easy climb over lawn-like turf well mowed by the resident sheep and horses. Rough Tor is quite distinctive in shape, with high flat stones balanced on top of each other. There is a Logan Rock which you can move. Not being a Marilyn, I didn’t feel the need to explore it but scrambled down the other side towards Brown Willy about a mile and half away, only visible once you breasted Rough Tor.

Someone had thoughtfully put out some blue flags for a cross country race which led all the way to the top. It was a bit of a plod but not as steep as Lewesdon Hill last week. On the way I passed a ruined farmhouse surrounded by trees bent backwards by the wind, testament to how harsh the climate can be.

Brown Willy was marked by a trig pillar and a cairn, no topographs or aerials, with 360° views over Bodmin Moor. It was satisfyingly remote without being a totally knackering walk. I sat by the cairn enjoying the peace, watching kestrels hovering above. I met only three people on route from Rough Tor; one man who nearly caught with my pants down and two young men, obviously attracted by my powerful aura of knowledge, proceeded to quiz me on all thing geographical.

Topping good top!

The Lickey Hills

Lickey - Likey - Loved 'em

I visited the Lickey Hills on a brief topping trip to north Worcestershire. I was already rather keen on the place after discovering there was free parking and no height barriers. I had a good snigger driving through Lickey End on the way. The Lickey Hills have been a holiday destination for generations of Brummies since 1888. The locals were out in force despite the rather grey weather. Most of the country park lies within Worcestershire, but a small bit juts into Birmingham and rather fittingly forms the county top.

Rednal Hill, Birmingham, 820ft

The country park includes several hills, you get to Rednal Hill by first walking up Bilbery Hill which is covered in bilberys in summer. There were several view points looking east towards the city, but Birmingham was wrapped in grey blanket so views were rather limited. The path then took a very steep descent down the Hundred Steps and climbed rather less steeply up Rednal Hill. The top was a clump of trees just below the summit with misty views of Beacon Hill across the valley. The route took me across the (first ever) municipal golf course where walkers seemed to outnumber golfers. I mislaid the footpath and had to walk up a very steep bank to the top. Beacon Hill (985ft) had a castle like viewing platform and interesting topograph with an extensive view over Birmingham and beyond.

All in all, an excellent top.

Alternative East Sussex - Brighton & Hove

Full of eastern promise

Brighton and Hove seceded from East Sussex in 1997 to form a unitary authority and was granted city status in 2000. Brighton is one of the largest towns in the south east and spreads out all over the South Downs from its historic heart around the Royal Pavillion. The Pavillion was built by the Prince Regent in the early nineteenth century so he could enjoy the charms of his mistress/wife Mrs Fitzherbert. The Royal Pavillion is an amazing building inspired by Indian and Chinese architecture. The Music Room is my favorite which I was fortunate enough to see before it was destroyed by fire in 1975, the ceiling was amazing. During the first world war, it was used as a hospital for Indian troops. The Chattri memorial to the troops is high on the Downs to the north of Brighton.

Brighton is very popular with visitors as it has a lot of offer besides some amazing architecture. The West Pier, opened in 1866, is the oldest and is one of the stars of the film, Oh What A Lovely War. The Palace Pier is the one still operating and also frequently features in films and TV. An electric railway runs along the beach. The streets of the original village now form the Lanes full of little boutique shops. Brighton racecourse is on top of the Downs with great views over the town and the sea. The course is u-shaped and cuts across a main road which has to be shut on race days.


I visited Brighton last month when the weather was fantastic, loads of sun and gentle breezes. I camped on the Caravan club site at Sheepcote Valley, which was set in a fold in the Downs and at night you could hear the sheep on the hills above. Brighton has twin peaks, East Hill and Bullock Hill. Sadly neither is a brilliant top, one is halfway up a hill, the other is inaccessible. Hollingbury Castle or the Racecourse would have much much better tops.

East Hill 640ft

East Hill is the southern slope of West Hill to the north of Brighton. The actual summit is in West Sussex. I started this walk from a car park on Devil's Dyke, a beauty spot just off the A23. It was fairly undulating as I racked up over 500ft of ascent in less than 3 miles. I followed the South Downs Way up to the top of West Hill, where I was overtaken by cyclists going a hill that left me breathless. The boundary line crosses the footpath on the descent but with no markers, this was one for the GPS. Not much of a top but a pleasant walk.

Bullock Hill 640ft

Bullock Hill is on the eastern side of Brighton not far from the Racecourse. I wasn't able to park at the nearest car park (height barriers very popular in Brighton) but was able to park quite close by. Bullock Hill is a gentle mound but in true top form boasts an aerial mast. It was completed surrounded by a very secure fence protecting a new crop. The nearest I got to the trig point was about 200 metres from a nearby footpath. It's a bit of shame as there was probably a good view of the coast from up there. I could see chalky cliffs that might have been the Seven Sisters. Another very pleasant walk.

Interesting road sign at the Racecourse

Brighton Racecourse

Two New Tops

Hooray! Local government reorganisation today has created two new tops (a bit of bugger to anyone who had completed the list).

44 councils (district and county) will be replaced by nine new unitary councils in seven areas. Five areas will have one unitary council (Cornwall, Wiltshire, Shropshire, Northumberland and Durham) while two areas will be split into two unitary administrative units each (Cheshire will become Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East, and Bedfordshire will become Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire).

So we welcome The Slipe, at 351ft a mere nipple on the landscape, the top of Bedford Borough. Central Bedfordshire inherits the old county top of Dunstable Downs, an altogether more impressive 797ft. Shining Tor (1834ft and Marilyn) is now the top of Cheshire East and Raw Head (745ft & Marilyn) is top of Cheshire West and Chester.

Topping Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes is place with lots of attractions, Xscape, the Bowl, the shopping centre and the iconic Concrete Cows. It also possesses a top, which turned out to be small but perfectly formed. It was actually a hill, topped with a trig point and the obligatory aerial and completely accessible to the public. The only thing it lacked was a view but as that would have been of Milton Keynes…….

I set off from Apsley Woods (free parking and no heights barrier!) courtesy of the Duke of Bedford. The top of Bow Brickhill (551ft) was about half a mile up a gentle incline through a plantation of conifers. The footpath back went past All Saints church, isolated from the village at the top of hill. Bow Brickhill village had some very pretty cottages on its very steep main street. The return trip to Archie was a bridleway through Woburn Golf Club, the scene of many professional tournaments. You need to keep your wits about you as balls could come at you from any direction. One ball did land very close to me and I had to resist an strong urge to pick it up and walk off with it.

There are lots of interesting place to visit in and around MK. Bletchley Park, home of the WW2 code breakers is just a few miles away. Stowe House is about ten miles away in Buckinghamshire and Silverstone Race track is just over the border in Northamptonshire.

Woburn Golf Club

Bow Brickhill

All Saints Church

East Sussex tops in pictures

East Sussex has five Marilyns including the county top, Ditchling Beacon, and the twin peaks of Brighton. I bagged 4 of the five Marilyns with Noddy on a glorious November day a few years ago and the Brighton tops last weekend.

Alternative Surrey 3 - Kingston-upon-Thames

Telegraph Hill (Kingston-upon-Thames) 295ft / 90m

I don’t know if any one else thinks it odd to find reservoirs on the top of hills but there seems to be a recurring theme here (Nottinghamshire, Harrow etc). Telegraph Hill is securely locked away by Thames Water with a very large fence guarding the covered reservoir and telecom masts, de rigeuer for any self-respecting top these days. Telegraph Hill also had a prison-like watch tower. Makes you wonder what they are hiding!

I knew from the hill bagging website that Telegraph Hill was pretty impregnable but it didn’t stop me from having a go. My plan was to assault in the rear by walking through Prince’s Covert, part of the Crown Estate. But first I had to apply for a permit to enter the estate, once the property of Prince Leopold, husband of Princess Charlotte, only daughter of the Prince Regent. Stumping up £5 (refundable) I received my key (no. 1732) and a handy map showing a 3½ mile guided route, I set off to Leatherhead and my campsite.

My pitch was under water after the recent snow but the hardstanding was firm underneath. After one of the coldest nights of the year, Archie was marooned on a little ice floe. I didn’t rush off, waiting for the promised sunshine. I let myself in with key wishing I brought some WD40 to make the lock close more easily. Then I then spent the afternoon with the place pretty much to myself as I saw less than ten people. It was very peaceful with just the odd jet plane disturbing the silence. It’s remarkable how you get away from the madding crowded in a densely populated place like Surrey. It wasn’t very picturesque as it was largely heath and plantation and would be easy to get lost in without following the signs or the map.

Needless to say I couldn’t get access to Telegraph Hill. I got within 500ft but between the reservoir fence and me was a trap shooting range and a barbed wire fence. All that just to protect some water!

Alternative Surrey 2 - Richmond & Merton

I left Archie behind for this walk which would take me from Wimbledon Station, over Wimbledon Common, through Richmond Park and finally along the River Thames to Richmond Station, about 9 miles in total.

Lauriston Place & Wimbledon Common, (Merton) 180ft / 55m

Lucky old Merton has twin peaks, the first was unobtainable in the back garden of the very large house with the Dutch gable end. The second one was an unmarked spot height in the middle of a scrubby bit of Wimbledon Common, known only to the Wombles. Very unsatisfactory topping, no views and not much of a hill. However I did spot this interesting road sign.

Richmond Park (Richmond) 184ft / 56m

Once I had despatched the Merton tops, I set off towards Richmond following the Capital Ring across Wimbledon Common. As the morning wore on the sun came out but it was pretty cold. Wimbledon Common was alive with activity; dog walkers, strollers, hikers, joggers and runners, cyclists, horse riders and golfers. Not a place for quiet contemplation.

After crossing the A3, I entered Richmond Park via Robin Hood Gate. Richmond Park is London's largest park and seemed even busier than Wimbledon. However away from the gate the crowds thinned out a bit. I spotted some deer posing in the sunshine below the wonderfully named Spankers Hill Wood. I followed the Capital Ring past White Lodge, home of the Royal Ballet School, over the lake and up the hill into the woods. The trig point which marks the highest point is just to the north of Pembroke Lodge (posh café) and just to the east of King Henry’s Mound. As the Mound is definitely higher than the trig point, I assume it doesn’t count as a top as it’s man made. It makes a more impressive top though, with its keyhole view back to St Pauls 10 miles away. St Pauls is framed by an avenue of trees and the view is protected by law. There was a equally impressive view to the west as Richmond Hill fell away to the river. It was too murky to spot Windsor Castle on the horizon, but there were plenty of other points of interest visible.

I wandered down the hill through Pembroke Lodge gardens, through Petersham meadows, along the Thames Path to Richmond Bridge. I collapsed into a seat on the train at Richmond nearly five hours after leaving Wimbledon Station and let the District Line carry me home.

Alternative Surrey 1 - Croydon & Sutton

Clock House (Sutton) 482ft / 147m

After ticking off Botley Hill in all its manifestations, I went on to camp at Alderstead Heath, intending to walk to the top of Sutton the next day. That day dawned sunny and bright, so I set off in good heart to walk the three and half miles to Clock House. What I hadn’t realised was just how hilly this part of Surrey is as there were two hills in between. The walk to Coulsdon followed the route of the London Loop over Farthing Downs, with some excellent view back towards London and Hampstead Heath on the horizon. However for much of the time it was possible to forget surburbia and just enjoy the beautiful open countryside. Farthing Downs would have made an excellent top for Croydon, were they about eighty feet higher.

It was uphill all the way from Coulsdon until reaching Prospect Plantation where the land levelled off. The actual top was the Clock House recreation ground and luckily the football pitch was deserted as I wandered around like a prospector trying to find the highest point. I was able to enjoy the sunshine and have a picnic in the kids playground, also deserted, before returning by the same route. The walk was ten miles long, took over five hours to complete and climbed over 1200ft. Bloody knackering!

Sanderstead Plantation (Croydon) 574ft / 175m

In contrast with the Sutton walk, the Croydon walk was all over in about twenty minutes. In parked in Church Way and walked to the top of Sanderstead Plantation. The path was steep but mercifully short. There were a few views towards London but otherwise it was all trees and scrub. It was very popular with locals and I think I spotted a fellow topper, a man armed with gps and maps.

I wonder if this is what happens if I put Archie on steroids!

Surrey - with the tower on top

Highest point in Southern England?

Top Facts

Surrey is quite a hilly place by southern standards, with the North Downs running across the whole of northern part of the county. At 965ft Leith Hill is not quite the highest part of southern England (that honour goes to Walbury Hill by 9ft) but it doesn’t stop the National Trust from advertising it at such. The hill is crowned by a 18th century Gothic tower which affords panoramic views as far as the English Channel. Apparently on a clear day you can see 13 counties. But on this particular day I could see only one.




I had to abandon the planned walk due to the dreaded height barrier (alive and well in Surrey) so Noddy and I walked from the Windy Gap car park up the staircase to the tower. This was a climb of over 200ft in a quarter of mile and left one of us rather breathless. The gatekeepers kindly kept an eye on Noddy while I climbed up the tower, but despite being a warm dry day (a bit of rarity in 2007), it was far too hazy to see more than a few miles.

Surrey has lots of very big, very posh houses some of which you can visit, like Polesdon Lacy near Leatherhead. Only the gardens were open in winter as the house became the latest location for Midsomers Murders. I didn’t see any of the cast at work but I nearly reversed over Tom Barnaby’s wife as I was extricating myself from the car park. There were some excellent views back towards London. National Trust members are spoilt for choice in Surrey with a fine selection of houses, gardens and open spaces to choose from.

Box Hill is probably the most well known open in Surrey, popular with walkers, cyclists and motor cyclists. As it wasn't a Marilyn, I didn't feel obliged to walk up it but made Archie do all the hard work. It has some of the best hairpin bends in the south of England. Despite being a bit of honey-pot, it covers such a large area that it's quite easy to get away from it all. Just watch out for the mountain bikers swooping past. On a clear day, you get great views of the South Downs from the viewpoint. I opted for the waymarked short route through the woods, then a steep climb down some steps into a valley and then a long plod up the valley back to the car park. For those of you who like a challenge, the walk up the steep side is about half a mile and climbs nearly 500ft. It is a very impressive hill, well worth a visit.

Surrey tops in pictures

There are two Marilyns in Surrey. Leith Hill, the County top, is often billed as the highest point in Southern England (it isn’t.) Botley Hill is a large plateau with very steep sides on the borders of Greater London. Five London boroughs were created from northern Surrey; Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton. I bagged the county top with Noddy in 2007 and the remaining tops on three trips in early 2009.

Alternative Kent Tops - Part Two

The London Boroughs

Westerham Heights (Bromley and Greater London) 804ft

In 1965 , the boroughs of Bexley and Bromley were formed out of the northern part of Kent. Bromley is the largest London Borough in area and is surprising rural and rather hilly. Westerham Heights became the highest point in Greater London after a boundary change in 1993 and thus is actually a county top. (Greater London is a ceremonial county with a Lord Lieutenant etc..). I set off before dawn and timed my journey to arrive at the top of the hill in time for sunrise and I missed it by about a minute. The top was an unmarked spot in a field. This is one county top you could do by bus as the 246 to Westerham goes right by.

I drove on to High Elms Country Park (free car park and no height barrier- thank you Bromley) for breakfast before having a brisk morning walk through the woods and gardens. This part of Bromley is very rural and I drove down some very narrow lanes past Downe House, the home of Charles Darwin which has recently been restored by English Heritage.


Langdon Shaw, Sidcup (Bexley) 272ft

It was a fairly short drive from Orpington to Sidcup, for the very unremarkable top of Bexley. According to my GPS the top is the garden near the white van. I did a circuit of Langdon Shaw and there was actually quite a good view south towards Shooters Hill, but there's much else you can really say about this one. (It can be a very silly hobby at times).


Last stop before returning home for lunch, was Hall Place, which was closed for refurbishment. I wandered around the gardens for a bit, but sadly the A2 runs alongside so it was a bit noisy.

Alternative Kent Tops - Medway

Holly Hill, 558ft

Medway is that little bit of Kent at the mouth of the river Medway, including the historic towns of Chatham and Rochester. The highest point is Holly Hill, on the North Downs. It's an unmarked spot in a field and isn't even at the top of the hill, which is across the border in Kent.


As Holly Hill is about 30 miles from home, I decided to go topping on a Sunday morning and be home in time for lunch. It should have been a short jaunt from the car park but guess what! another height barrier! So it was going to be a much longer jaunt through the woods from a layby. I set off well before dawn to get through the Dartford tunnel before 6am to avoid the tolls. However that meant I had to spend a hour in total darkness in a layby miles from anywhere. I spent most of the time thinking how to explain what I was doing if apprehended by the forces of law and order as I had in my possession, 3 maps, 2 GPS receivers, mobile phone, camera and binoculars, the complete stalking kit. It was actually quite pleasant setting off in the murky dawn, listening to the dawn chorus, plodding uphill through the woods. Armed with my new GPS I wandered around a large field attempting to find the highest point. Luckily this trespass was obscured from anyone by the misty weather.


I spent some time afterwards having a look around Rochester, which has a castle, cathedral and a strong association with Dickens.

Kent - worst top yet

Gloom in the garden of England

Top Facts

All my topping trips to Kent have taken place in the winter, hence the gloomy photos. Kent has one of the worst tops possible with the actual location in the back of someone's garden and no views at all. This was as close as I could get without committing trespass.
Betsom's Hill is on the North Downs across the road from Westerham Heights, (the highest point in Greater London). I wandered up there along the North Downs way with some impressive views (which sadly included the M25.) Next time you stop at Clacketts Lane Services, lift up your eyes to the hills and you'll be looking at the highest point of Kent and Bromley.

Kent tops in pictures

If ever you needed proof that topping is a very silly hobby, look no further than Kent. One traditional top, two marilyns and three unitary authority tops and not a decent view (or very good photo) to show for it.

Alternative Essex Tops - Part two

The Essex unitaries

What a difference a week makes! Unlike the previous Saturday, the weather was damp, gloomy and distinctly chilly, which made it difficult for photography, if not for walking.

This week’s objective was the two Essex unitary authorities of Thurrock and Southend along the Thames Estuary. They gained (or in Southend’s case regained) their independence from Essex in 1998. Most people are probably aware of the dubious charms of Southend and only associate Thurrock with Lakeside with shopping. However both places have played an important part in British history. Tilbury Fort (in Thurrock) is the place where Queen Elizabeth fired up her troops to defend England against the Armada and Southend was one of the first places to be bombed by Zeppelins in WW1. Both are quite hilly places for Essex, Southend has its Cliff Railway and Thurrock has Langdon Hills which rise out of the Thames flood plain.


Heath Mount (Southend-on-Sea) 197ft

Southend has twin peaks about a mile apart so I had hoped to join them up in a circular walk but total GPS failure, poor map reading and disinclination but paid to that. Heath Mount is a small part of Belfairs Park and Nature Reserve (also confusing known as Hadleigh Great Wood). It was a mixture of broadleaf woodland and golf course, well populated with walkers, runners, dogs, cyclists, horse riders and golfers. I had a pleasant stroll of about half a mile through the trees to the bit of wood identified as the highest point and marked with dog poo bin.



London Road A13 (Southend-on-Sea) 200ft

I meandered on through the woods and over the golf course but found myself back at the car park and not in the nature reserve, so I gave up, hopped in the car and relocated myself about a quarter mile from the Southend border. All you can say about the stroll to the top was that it was uphill. The top is marked by the Welcome to Southend sign. Southend is twinned with Sopot in Poland, which is a seaside town with a long pier, more like identical twinning. Normally there is quite a good view over the Thames estuary from this bit of the A13 but about the only thing visible in the gloom was the gas flame at the oil refinery.


Langdon Hills (Thurrock) 377ft

Essex, particularly the south-west bit, is well served by country parks, which probably explains why I haven’t visited Langdon Hills more often. It straddles the border between Essex and Thurrock and spread over several different sites linked by footpaths and bridleways. I opted to park at One Tree Hill as this was nearer the top and the gradient less steep but the Langdon Visitors Centre (on the Essex side) is well worth visiting, particularly the Haven Plotland Museum. This tells the story of the Essex plotlands, little chunks of land bought up by Eastenders who spent their weekends in the country.


From the car park there was a fine view east towards Southend and the woods I had just visited. The walk took me through woodlands up to Langdon Hill. The actually top of the hill is on the Essex side as are the grand views west towards London, obscured on this day by the murky weather. The top of Thurrock was along the boundary fence of a very posh house with no view whatsoever. Using map and compass I managed successfully to join up the waymarks that took me past a fine old oak and onto a bridleway back to One Tree Hill. I had to avoid Essex Girl Racers galloping along listening to their Ipods, getting back to Archie as the rain started to fall in earnest.

Despite the murky weather and unpromising topping material, I had two very enjoyable walks and discovered somewhere new in my own backyard.

The Old Oak