"Walking is the best possible exercise" - Thomas Jefferson

"All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking" - Friedrich Nietzsche

To find out for yourself if the above quotes are true, come and join us for walks in our wonderful countryside. If you are not sure, contact the group leader and try a few walks to see if you like it.

All walks are circular, usually about five to six miles long.

We walk in different areas around North Hampshire and Surrey.

The walks are chosen and led by volunteers from within the group.

We typically walk from 10.15am until 1:00pm. This is almost always followed by an optional pub lunch.

If you would like to contact the group by email click on the Group Contact above.

On our Tuesday walk we were intrigued by a large structure outside a farm in the Farleigh Wallop area.

The creator was equally intrigued by the number of people showing interest!

It turned out that Adam Roud is a well-established local artist, perhaps best known for his sculpture of Jane Austen which stands outside the Willis Museum in Basingstoke.

He has a studio workshop at Manor Farm and came out to explain that we were looking at a preliminary polystyrene model for a sculpture to be found in the grounds of Farleigh House, possibly the one pictured at the side.

Our Walking for Pleasure group continues to thrive and several new, younger members have joined in the last few months, some of whom are already leading walks.

Our aim is to enjoy fresh air and exercise in our lovely countryside in good company.

And since nearly all walks start in a pub car park we don’t need much of an excuse to continue chatting over lunch in the pub afterwards.

Some walks have known points of interest on the route such as the Totem Pole and ancient remains from Leptis Magna discovered on a walk around Virginia Water;

And The Watt’s Memorial Chapel, described as Romanesque Revival, equally incongruous, but an amazing sight in Compton.

Other finds are more unexpected, like one of the smallest churches In England in Bramdean; various plaques commemorating such diverse events as the spot in the woods near Finchampstead where Henry VII was hunting when advised of the safe arrival of Katherine of Aragon at Dogmersfield Park.

And one on a bench at Fleet Pond to a local dog who carried the Olympic torch in 2012.