This page gives links to some of the websites I’ve found most useful when walking south of London.
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Public transport
It is possible to walk anywhere south of London using public transport to get there and back - particularly if you live in London. All it takes is a bit of pre-planning and ingenuity. The information you need (route maps and timetables) can be found on these sites:
- National Rail Enquiries - for the main line railway
- Transport for London - for tubes and buses in London
- traveline south east - for journeys within, to and from the South East and London region (particularly good for buses)
- traveline south west - for buses in East Hampshire. Unfortunately, very inferior to traveline south east.
Weather
There is no real competition - the BBC does it best, with maps showing where the weather is expected to be, and when:
- BBC Weather Centre - for South East England
Maps and digital mapping
Generally, if you have a set of 1:25 000 OS maps covering the region south of London (a worthwhile investment), you won’t need any additional mapping. However, it is occasionally useful to get a street map of the town or village. I usually use (in order of preference):
Ordnance Survey mapping can also be found at:
[The Get-a-map service allows you to search for small-scale maps (up to 1:25 000 scale) anywhere in the UK by entering the place name, full postcode or National Grid reference - and then print the maps or copy them for use on your personal or business website, subject to terms and conditions of use.]
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I plan my routes using Anquet digital mapping at 1:50 000. Memory-Map is an alternative. See:
Using digital mapping, you get essential data about a walk without effort - length, height ascended, timing (using Naismith's Rule) and a path profile.
Lists of hills
Lists of hills (including Marilyns and HuMPs) are available from the following websites:
- The Mountains of England and Wales - Simon Edwardes' website for hill walkers and summit-baggers
- The Relative Hills of Britain and Update to The Relative Hills of Britain - the Marilyns as first defined and listed by Alan Dawson