Early April - The Missendens - Chilterns
This is a quite demanding walk of about 11 miles through the beautiful wooded Chiltern hills starting from Great Missenden and crossing the Wendover gap at around the halfway point. This is near enough to get a half-hourly train back from Wendover to Great Missenden for anyone finding it all too much after spending the winter indoors. Frequent stiles are a feature of the second half in particular.
Late April - Charlbury - Oxfordshire Cotwolds
An attractive circuit through rolling Cotswold hills that we included in our programme for the first time last year, with woods and hedgerows providing plenty of opportunities to walk nude. At one point the route takes us through the impressive grounds of Ditchley Park, a stately home that is now an international conference centre.
An excellent walk through extensive woodland and a very attractive valley leading eventually to Leith Hill Tower, 1000ft (317m) above sea level on the crest of the Greensand Ridge south-west of Dorking. The tower is normally open on Wednesdays giving a view of 13 counties from the highest point in South East England, it is claimed.
Read the report of the walk
Late May - Ashdown Forest - East Grinstead
A long standing feature of our programme has been a walk through Ashdown Forest, although variations have been tried over the years to increase the proportion of nude walking. The latest version has proved very successful in this respect. It starts from the same point, but is further to the east and follows less popular paths.
Early
June - Quainton - Aylesbury Vale
Quainton
Hill rises out of the Vale of Aylesbury offering fine views of
the surrounding countryside. This route, which is not quite a
closed circle, takes us through quiet fields and woodlands for
around 10 miles. One stretch of abandoned railway has become
impassable since we last did this walk in 2003, making a diversion
necessary this year.
Mid June - Harting Down - Petersfield
Downland walks are always popular and this circuit of 10 miles starts at the southernmost point. We head north-east gradually ascending the dip slope to the crest of the South Downs where we enjoy splendid views over the countryside around the village of South Harting. After heading west along the ridge, we close the loop through rolling fields and woods.
Late June - The Ridgeway - Near Didcot
This a wonderful walk over the downs starts on the Ridgeway Path with distant views of Oxford as we head westwards. In due course we turn south and drop down through a winding valley to make a wide circle through beautiful chalk downland. The customary evening meal is taken at a pub not far away.
Early July - Broad Chalke - Salisbury
We follow one of the lesser known ridgeways to the west of Salisbury, including the ancient earthwork of Chiselbury and regimental badges cut out of the chalk at Fovant. There are fine sweeping views as we follow the lip of a steep escarpment for more than 4 miles out of a triangular route exceeding 10 miles, though the going can be rough underfoot. This walk has attracted record numbers and we can be nude for 85% of the time.
Mid July - Sugar Hill - Near Hungerford
We visit the Ridgeway Path again on its way from Ivinghoe Beacon to Avebury during this walk of about 9 miles, though not for long this time. In previous years we have done this walk in warm sunshine but also endured a snow shower. Last year we watched a calf being born, and hopefully July with prove more benign. We start from the attractive village of Aldbourne where parking is available in the centre or near the church.
Late July - Ibstone - Near High Wycombe
Unusually, this walk passes over and then under the M40, once more using the Ridgeway Path on the latter occasion. In between, Beacon Hill provides a grandstand view for our picnic lunch - if the weather is kind - with Aylesbury's civic centre and Didcot power station the most prominent landmarks. This 10 mile walk involves two assaults on the scarp slope and is not suitable for weak hearts or knees.
Early August - Hinton Down - Near Swindon
This walk through quiet Wiltshire downland is very suitable for naturism and can be thought of as a twin to the Sugar Hill walk, which lies on the other side of the M40. Indeed, the Sugar Hill ridge can be seen from Hinton Down. It is a fine walk with vast fields of wheat, views of Ashdown Park stately home, the ancient earthwork of Alfred's Castle, butterflies and wild flowers - idyllic!
Mid August - The Giant's Grave - Near Marlborough
This walk was in our programme for the first time in 2004, but only a small band of hardly souls set out in driving rain. Most of the 11 mile circuit was completed, but at the western end the wind was so strong that we couldn't go last mile westwards along the top of the Marlborough Downs. Effectively, then, this walk is the only new one in the 2005 programme, so come and enjoy lovely views and just one steep ascent.
Late August - West Sussex Downs - Arundel
Another walk that starts from a car park rather than a pub, this is an old favourite in the forested downland west of Arundel which nevertheless includes some fine open country and a stretch of Roman road. We have occasionally visited the Climping naturist beach west of Littlehampton after the walk, although its status is contested by Arun Council.
Early September - Mereworth Forest - Borough Green
This is an area of extensive woodland, but there are open stretches from which the Medway valley with its new road and rail bridges near Rochester can be seen. Quite often we do this walk at the end of the season when the evenings are drawing in and the weather can be less benign than in mid-summer. This location has the advantage that that if the weather is poor we can visit Silverleigh in West Kingsdown for some indoor naturism.
Late September - Graveley - Near Stevenage
A few years ago we resurrected this walk across the Hertfordshire Downs after a lapse of some years. It is not a closed loop, which means moving some cars to the far end, but the second half in particular offers wide open spaces where not many people seem to go. There is a possibility of ending up at Candles Health Club in Baldock, which is partly clothes-optional in the wet areas
Early October - Patching
Formerly known as the Blackberry Woods, this circuit through wooded slopes where the South Downs run gently down towards the sea offers shelter in attractive country as we work our way around Angmering Park. Bristol Gardens health club in Brighton offers a naturist retreat should the weather be against us.