Southampton Ramblers Homepage

RA Southampton Group, part of The Ramblers' Association, a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Company registration no. 4458492.
Registered Charity in England and Wales number . 1093577. Registered Office: 2nd. Floor. Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TW.

Welcome to the Website of the Southampton Group of the Ramblers' Association.
Non members are welcome to try out some walks with us and to attend our social functions (tickets usually needed for social events.) See the Walk programme (click on the month in the 2008 box on the right) and News pages.

Programme Events. Click on the month in the box on the right for walks, etc.

'Starting Walking' Initiative. Many people would like to do more walking, but are unsure where to start. This initiative aims to provide opportunities to start with short walks from easy to reach locations, at a pace to suit all who turn up. Dates are Tuesday 25 November, Saturday 13 December, Saturday 20 December, Thursday 8 January, Saturday 7 February & Saturday 21 February. Tell your friends. More details on the Monthly walk programme pages ( click in the relevant box on the right) and on the News page, or ask a committee member for a leaflet.

South Downs Way. April to June 2009.
Our next long distance path is the South Downs Way, dates are 19^th. April, 17^th. May, 7 ^th and 28^th. June. Encourage your friends to join you on this new series of trips. Watch the News page for more details to be posted in Feb 09.
The previous (2008) long distance path was the Wessex Ridgeway. A wonderful day's walking on the last stage to Lyme Regis, June 28th. Latest picture of the Group at the finish , on the Past Walks page.

Skittles evening, Twyford, 6 Feb 2009. See News page

Six Shropshire Summits Challenge Walk 21st June 2008 . A damp misty day but the 35 miles were completed, and measured by the GPS as around 37 miles. See the pictures on the Past Walks page at the start and on top of Corndon, the final summit. We aim to tackle the Lyke Wake Walk in 2009. See the News page for more details.

Walk Programme. Click on the box for relevant month, 2008, in the box in the right hand column for current programme of walks.

Hadrian's Wall 2009. A Group trip is planned for 6 days of walking along Hadrian's Wall with arranged accommodation and transport for the walks. See the News page for more details.
In May 2007 sixteen from the Group went to Brittany to walk parts of the Coast Path, the GR34. Click here for Jo G's entertaining write up and pictures by Viv H.

Teamwork. Southampton clear the way ! Sunday 18 November a very wet day on our walk from Spearywell Wood to Broughton.

Going along a track we found the way blocked by a fallen tree, looked like a poplar which had been strangled by ivy. Facing us from the other side were two women on horseback, all four, riders and horses, looking non-plussed.

The tree had smashed the top bar of a wooden gate in the smart fence opposite to its roots in the hedge.

At first sight it looked too heavy to lift , but all our men gave it a heave together and we managed to swing it round, until we came up against a tree on the well manicured lawn by the fence. We were able to break off dead branches but the main stem defeated us for a while. Eventually it was manoeuvred back between the bottom two rungs of the wooden fence and with all our weight on it , it cracked off, accompanied by cheers from the walkers. All hands then completed the job of swinging it round clear of the track, to drop it against the hedge. The lady riders were very grateful and, I think, entertained by the enthusiasm with which the team tackled the task.

Eleven walkers from the Southampton Group took on a challenge of completing in one day the 30 mile Mortimer Trail, Ludlow to Kington, over the contour-rich Herefordshire countryside on the 23 June '07. Brian, a local Rambler from Ludlow, showed us the way and Keith from Walsall joined us for the walk. We were smiling at the start, click on the top thumbnail on the right, and still smiling at the end later that day, see the photo page. In 2008 we tackle the slightly longer Six Summits. See News Page.

Welcome to the home of the Southampton group of the Ramblers Association. This site is working for ramblers in the Southampton, Totton and Waterside areas and surrounding areas. Non-members are cordially invited to try some walks with us. But do be sure that you tackle walks which you know are within your capability, and be prepared to expand your horizons as you become more used to regular walking.

The majority of the group's activities consist of a programme of organized led walks that are reasonably accessible from the Southampton area. The primary focus is on weekend walking, with walks organized for the majority of Saturdays and Sundays. There is also a popular series of weekday walks, Summer Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings, which we are expanding as more leaders take these on.

As well as the usual programme of walks occasional trips are planned to a variety of locations that are slightly further afield.

On a less strenuous note, each year several purely social activities are normally organized.

General Information about our walks.

The meeting point for all walks is given in the program. However, in addition (where indicated in the program) a local (Southampton) meeting point is the car park in South Brook Road, just beyond the Rail Enquiry Bureau at Southampton Central Railway Station entrance on the Commercial Road side. [Note that the car park was previously described as 'opposite the Victory PH', but the PH has closed.] The time given is 'ready to leave' so you should be there a few minutes earlier. We endeavour to have one or more cars there for lifts, although we cannot guarantee this. Non car owners are welcome but please share expenses if given a lift. (If in doubt advice may be available on 023 8055 3883.) Car owners please meet at the Central Station, South Brook Road car park when possible to assist non-car owners who wish to join walks. Meet the walk at the start if you wish or have a full car.

For all day walks we try to be at a pub around mid-day but it is best to carry a lunch. Dogs must be kept under control. Short walks are usually at a reasonably leisurely pace. Those between about 10 to 13 miles are at a reasonably moderate pace. Walks over about 13 miles are usually at a moderately brisk pace.

Contact Information

Unfortunately the hyperlink which was previously on this page attracted excessive spam and malicious e-mails many of which bypassed filters. Regrettably the link has had to be abandoned.
Advice regarding Group activities may be obtained from 023 8055 3883.