National Events
Listed below are details of National events so far arranged. Not all these events may yet be open for booking so if you see an event (or events) that interest you please contact us and we will send you details of the event and a booking form. We do ask you become a member before attending a National event for insurance reasons and you can pay the £10 annual membership when sending us your deposit.
You can see details of the National events which took place over the last 12 months by clicking this link:
National Events Programme
EASTER 2010 - WELSH BICKNOR - HEREFORDSHIRE 1 - 5 April, Cost £166
For our 4 day Easter break, we are staying in the only 'Welsh' Hostel in England! It's an excellent location for this former Victorian rectory, set in 25 acres of relaxing riverside grounds on the bank of the river Wye. Footpaths run past the door and along the River Wye to the Royal Forest of Dean, the superb viewpoint of Symonds Yat rock and Monmouth. The Wye Valley is deservedly an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so this promises to be an excellent area for walking and an Easter break to look forward to.
£166 for 4 nights full board accommodation with packed lunches. To help with Club finances, it would be greatly appreciated if you would book before Christmas, but bookings will be accepted thereafter.
Getting there The hostel is I½ hours drive from Birmingham and 2¼ hours from Reading. Nearest railway stations are at Lydney (12 miles) or Gloucester (19 miles). National Express coaches run to Hereford (14 miles) or Ross on Wye (7 miles). The local bus stops at Goodrich - 1½ miles.
A and B grade walks will be provided by Club members on a voluntary basis, as decided on the days concerned. No charge is made.
Organisers: Martyn & Ian
OSMOTHERLEY - LATE MAY BANK HOLIDAY 28 - 31 May, Cost £125
Picturesque villages of honey sandstone, heather clad moors and beautiful valleys make this an ideal location for a late May Bank Holiday's walking with your Footprints friends. Other local attractions include Mount Grace Priory, Rievaulx Abbey and the World of James Herriot. But if you think Osmotherley is a little too far away, why not make the journey worthwhile by adding the 2 days beforehand, to make it a substantial spring break ?
Osmotherley Youth Hostel was last visited by this Club 8 years ago and is well worth a return visit. It’s an old mill on the edge of the village and is rated as a 3 star hostel - "a good level of comfort" - according to the YHA. We will have 3 day's led walking by Club members, but not forgetting the important parts of the trip - the village also has 3 pubs for 'evening entertainment' and tea shops on the walks will be sought out enthusiastically!
Want a longer break? Accommodation will be arranged for those who want a longer break by adding the 2 nights beforehand (Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th May). This can either be at the Hostel or elsewhere, as members want. Contact Ian for details.
Accommodation/Meals Friday to Sunday night will be on a full board basis at the Hostel - all meals, including a packed lunch, will be provided. Individual Youth Hostel Association membership is not needed. For the Wednesday and Thursday nights, we can either stay at the hostel or use bed and breakfast accommodation, either in Osmotherley or elsewhere.
Cost The cost of £125 includes three nights full board Friday - Monday. Additional nights are available Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th; contact the organiser for details.
Walks As usual, Club members will provide three days led walking, starting on the Saturday. Walks/visits will also take place, as agreed amongst Club members, on the two, optional, extra days, Thursday and Friday.
Getting there Car driving time; from Stockport - 2 hours. London - 4½ hours. Birmingham - 3 hours. Nearest railway station - Northallerton on London to Edinburgh route - 8 miles; bus service from there. National Express - Thirsk; 20 miles. Post code DL6 3AH.
Organiser Ian.
HIRAETHOG REGION - NORTH WALES 9 - 11 July, Cost £60
Jonathan's summer trip is set in an unspoilt landscape of rolling heather moors, deep forests and quiet lakes on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park, known as the Hiraethog region. It provides another new location for Footprints to visit and some more adventurous walking is also possible in the nearby Arenigs (mountains). So lots of potential for another successful summer trip like Jonathan's Cadair Idris trip last year.
Accommodation: We are staying in a four star bunkhouse called Ffynnon Wen near Cerrigydrudion. It's a traditional Welsh farmstead set in 8 acres of land, a few miles from the A5 between Llangollen and Bettws-y-Coed. But don't be put off by the word 'bunkhouse', because it has all the facilities you would expect to find in a comfortable youth hostel with a full catering package available - see http://www.ffynnonwenbunkhouse.co.uk
Walks: As usual, Club members will provide two days led walking, including A and B grade walks on Saturday. The first day will probably take in the 2,800 ft Arenigs, with a lower level walk on Sunday, possibly walking as one party.
Meals: Your payment includes bed, breakfast, evening meal on Friday and breakfast and packed lunch on both days. Saturday's evening meal is at extra cost and we have a choice of eating in at the bunkhouse or eating out at local hostelries.
Getting there: 1 hrs 45 mins from Stockport and 2 hrs 10 mins from Birmingham by road. Post code LL21 0RH. Nearest railway stations are Bettws-y-Coed or Wrexham/Ruabon/Chirk.
Organiser: Jonathan.
CHILTERNS WEEKEND 30 July - 1 August
The Wycliffe Centre is a Christian Centre near High Wycombe. We have booked twin and single rooms with ensuite or private bathrooms. Full board with packed lunches, commencing with dinner on Friday night.
There will be A & B walks on Saturday walking along the river Thames, Sunday will be a B walk taking in West Wycombe 'Hellfire' caves, made 'infamous' by Sir Francis Dashwood, one time squire and founder of the Hellfire club, and Hughenden Manor, Disraeli’s former home now a National Trust property.
Cost: Single room £120, Twin room £93 pp.
Getting There: public transport - from High Wycombe Bus Station take service 275,340, 342, 400 or 400A to Studley Green
Organiser: Colin
SWANAGE, ISLE OF PURBECK, DORSET 27 - 30 August, Cost £124
For this year's August Bank Holiday Weekend we will be returning to the coastal town of Swanage for the first time since September 2005. Swanage is the eastern gateway to the Jurassic Coast, England's first natural World Heritage Site.
Accommodation: The group has reserved spaces at the Youth Hostel for this 3-day walking break. The weekend will start with dinner on Friday evening (access to the hostel is from 3pm). All meals are included in the price which also covers the cost of arranging the break. Individual YHA membership is not required because the Club has Group Membership.
Public Transport: From Bournemouth Railway Station (7 miles from Swanage) catch the Wilts & Dorset Bus no. 50 via the Sandbanks Chain Ferry, which crosses the entrance to Poole Harbour.
Walks: Walks will be offered on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, as follows.
Saturday - there will be 2 walks (13 and 9 miles). Both walks follow the South West Coast Path south and west of Swanage via Durlston Head. The shorter walk will turn inland to Worth Matravers and follow the Priests Way back to Swanage. The longer walk will continue to Swyre Head (203m, the highest point in the Isle of Purbeck) via St Alban's Head and Hounstout Cliff. It will then continue to Corfe Castle before returning to Swanage by bus or steam train.
Sunday - there will be 2 walks (13 and 9 miles). Both walks follow the South West Coast Path north via Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks to Studland Bay. Morning coffee stop at Knoll Beach Cafe. The shorter walk returns via Godlingston Heath (National Nature Reserve) and Godlingston Hill. The longer walk continues along Studland Bay to South Haven Point, returning via Studland Heath.
Monday - there will be 1 walk of 9 miles from Tyneham village (GR SY882802) in the Lulworth Ranges. This is half way between Corfe Castle and Lulworth Cove. We will head south to Gad Cliff before following the South West Coast Path via Worbarrow Bay to Rings Hill. Then head east along the inland ridge (including Povington Hill) before turning south to Kimmeridge Bay. We rejoin the South West Coast Path via Tyneham Cap back to Tyneham.
Organiser: Greg
BORROWDALE LAKE DISTRICT 24 - 26 September, Cost £98
Back due to popular request! Another chance to visit the Glaramara Outdoor Centre at Borrowdale for a weekend's walking. Acommodation
Glaramara is a purpose-built walking centre formerly owned by the CHA. The centre offeres excellent food and comfortable accommodation in a mixture of twin and single rooms. (Single rooms will be allocated on a first come first served basis). We have booked a full board package which includes 2 evening meals, breakfasts and packed lunches.
Meals: All meals are included in the price, which also covers the cost of arranging the break.
Walks: There is plenty of good walking available directly from the Centre, although we may use local buses or cars. It is intended to offer a choice of 2 full-day led walks on both days. Given that this is the Lake District, expect the walking to be more difficult than in other locations.
Organisers: Julian and Sonia
RHINE VALLEY - GERMANY 25 September - 2 October
We are going to the World Heritage Site of the Rhine Valley in late September 2010, so if you fancy walking amongst the castles, cathedrals, woods and vineyards of the river Rhine, then this is the holiday for you.
Accommodation is likely to be in the Youth Hostel of St Goar, in the valley itself, although you are welcome to book your own accommodation, if you prefer. However, German YHs are normally of an excellent standard. I've stayed in one myself and had 2 independent reports, last summer, of their quality.
Club members will provide 5 days of (optional) led walking, with at least 1 'day off' to explore the area for yourself.
Very approximate cost - £150 - bed and breakfast. You will need to arrange you own travel to and from Germany, but information can be provided to help you.
Organiser: Ian
NORTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND 5 - 27 November 2011
Please note this is a Member's Holiday open to club members. The trip is not run by the club.
This 'trip of a lifetime' has slipped to November to avoid the Rugby World Cup, which takes place in Auckland between 9 September and 23 October. I have announced details now to give you plenty of time to decide and to allow you to save both time and money for the trip.
Outline Itinerary
Our holiday will include some of best sights in the North Island of New Zealand. After the long flight, we will spend a couple of days in and around Auckland to acclimatise before heading south to Rotorua geothermal area. During our 3 days here we will see some of the geysers, mud pools and thermal springs which have been attracting visitors to Rotorua since the 1800s. We will also take a 4 wheel drive trip to the top of Mt Tarawera, which last erupted in 1886.
Our next destination is Tongariro National Park, the volcanic plateau in the centre of the North Island. We look forward to 2 days walking here, including the Tongariro Crossing with its dramatic volcanic landscape and views of the 3 main peaks - Mts. Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro.
We then return to Auckland for another couple of days. During this time we could visit Tiritiri Matangi Island, 20 miles north east of Auckland. We will also include a walk in the Waitakere Ranges (west of Auckland) - an area of native rainforest with breathtaking vistas.
Our final destination is the Bay of Islands, 150 miles north of Auckland. During our 3 days here we will take the dolphin cruise to the 'Hole in the Rock', and the scenic coach tour to Cape Reinga via Ninety Mile Beach. We will also visit the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, where the Treaty of Waitangi was first signed between the Maori and the British Crown.
Finally, we return to Auckland for the last couple of nights before heading home.
Further Information
For a detailed itinerary and further information regarding accommodation and costs see http://www.gregwilson.350.com/.
Organiser: Greg.
