To the moon and back … twice

July 2007 saw the fortieth birthday of the Winchester Ramblers group. With approaching 600 members, the Winchester Ramblers go from strength to strength and all from a humble beginning back in 1967.

In 1967 the Hampshire Chronicle sent along a reporter to the inaugural meeting of the Winchester Ramblers. He reported that "A group of keen country walkers met in Milner Hall on Saturday to form the Winchester Branch of the Ramblers' Association and despite heavy, continuous rain they christened the new branch with a walk to Twyford". It seems that in mackintoshes and gumboots the group were "drenched but satisfied".

The reporter perhaps thought it strange that people would want to set off in all weathers in pursuit of a good walk in the country. After all this was the year of the Summer of Love and lazily chilling out was the order of the day. Striding out across fields to access the countryside was less in favour than a run out in the increasingly popular and becoming more widely owned, motor car.

Whilst the Beatles were topping the charts with All You Need is Love the song boded well for one couple brought together by their joy of walking. At the inaugural meeting of the Winchester Ramblers Hugh Fitzgerald was appointed as the first Chairman. A Miss Betty Tiltman also joined the committee and it wasn't long before they became Mr and Mrs Fitzgerald. The couple still live in the area and are still active walkers. They will be special guests at the 40th Anniversary of the Winchester Ramblers which is being marked with a celebratory barn dance at Sparsholt College.

In 40 years the aims of the Ramblers haven't changed. Access to the countryside and keeping open the rights of way are still on the agenda. Planning matters that might affect these are still monitored by the group and an eye is kept on the network of pathways, tracks and stiles in the area. The main emphasis, though, is on the promotion of the enjoyment of walking in the Winchester area. And 40 years on things do seem a lot better for the walker - paths are more accessible with fewer walks being of the "bramble-slashing" variety. And the lot of the walker is much improved with waterproof and technically advanced clothing performing a great deal better then army surplus boots, woollen pullovers and the ordinary coats of four decades ago.

Photograph by Alan Marlow

Today the walk programme for the Winchester Ramblers usually consists of three walks at 5, 8 and 11 miles designed to suit all tastes and abilities, these being held every Thursday. Then on Sundays there are usually walks of 5 and 10 miles.

To celebrate the 40th Anniversary there was a week of activity starting with an evening walk to Twyford, retracing the steps of the first walk in 1967. The regular walks celebrated the anniversary, and a barn dance took place at Sparsholt College. And for those still with the energy left there were more anniversary walks, including a walk along the St Swithun's Way with a trip on the Watercress Line to finish.

The Winchester group's programme of walks is as varied as possible. A 26-mile long Midsummer's Day Marathon, split into three sections has been held. Long distance trails are often tackled by the group, these sometimes spread across several outings. In recent years such walks have included the St Swithun's Way - a pilgrimage trail between Winchester Cathedral through to Farnham with this then joining pilgrimage routes to Canterbury. Last year the 71-mile Wayfarers Walk from Emsworth to Inkpen Beacon was covered over several weeks and this year the group are tackling the delightful South Downs Way from Winchester to Eastbourne, and thus clocking up another 100 miles per participant. Another feature of the annual programme is long weekends and week long trips to other parts of Britain and France.

When totted up the Winchester Ramblers will have covered a pretty impressive mileage over the last forty years. With about 50 miles of led walks a week and about 50 walkers out each week for 40 years, the Winchester Ramblers who first donned mackintoshes and gumboots and got a soaking walking to Twyford have probably walked something approaching half a million miles between them. That's the equivalent of thirty six times around the equator or to the moon and back ... twice!

"With more and more people seeing the benefits of staying healthy and seeing the benefits of enjoying walking and the countryside then in the next forty years I am sure we will see us clocking up many more miles" says the current Winchester Ramblers Chairman, Philip Owens. Philip and the rest of the Ramblers in Winchester extend a welcome to those who would like to share their passion for walking and join them in the Ramblers. There are plenty of walks available in this area and being a member of the National organisation for walking gives access to walks all over Britain.

Winchester Ramblers