| home | meetings | events | miscellanea | contacts |
Walking for Health began in 2000 as a way to encourage
people, particularly those who don't normally take much exercise, to become
more active. The benefits of regular exercise are well-documented and
walking is a simple way to improve fitness and lower the risk of developing
serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, dementia, heart disease and
osteoporosis. Regular exercise has also been shown to improve mental health.
Besides the obvious health benefits, health walks also offer a chance to socialise and make new friends, and get some fresh air. And it's all absolutely free!
Patricia Daniels organised the first of the Bar Hill Health Walks in January 2011 and earned full accreditation by Walking for Health just six months later. All of our walks are led by trained walk leaders and normally last about an hour. Everyone is welcome, no matter how inexperienced, and no one is ever left behind. Shorter walks of 10-30 minutes are available within the regular walks for those needing a gentler outing.
We have a number of routes so the walks vary from week to week. We regret that the Dry Drayton and Lolworth routes are not suitable for buggies or wheelchairs. Please note that for the safety and comfort of walkers we only permit assistance dogs and assistance dogs-in-training on our walks.
| summer 2015 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 3 | Dry Drayton | July | 1 | Dry Drayton | August | 5 | Bar Hill Village |
| 10 | Bar Hill Village | 8 | Bar Hill Village | 12 | Dry Drayton | |||
| 17 | Dry Drayton | 15 | Dry Drayton | 19 | Lolworth | |||
| 24 | Lolworth | 22 | Lolworth | 26 | Dry Drayton | |||
| 29 | Dry Drayton | |||||||
Routes may be changed in bad weather. If you are not sure which walks are suitable for you, please contact the co-ordinators to discuss your needs.
Starting at the maple surgery in Bar Hill, walkers traverse various routes in the village. The Bar Hill Village walks are all-pavement walks which are suitable for beginners, wheelchairs and buggies. A 10-30 minute all-pavement short walk is also available on this route. The new summer Bar Hill Circular walk includes rural footpaths with some level changes and is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.
Beginning at the maple surgery in Bar Hill, the walk to the neighbouring village of Dry Drayton proceeds down one of the spine paths to the ring road. After crossing the ring road, walkers proceed along the grassy verge until they reach the paved path that connects the two villages. This path goes past the local nature reserve before ascending through arable fields to Dry Drayton. There are a number of routes through and around the village. Eventually walkers head back to the High Street before returning to the path or the Old Drift to Bar Hill. After crossing the ring road, participants continue northeast, either on the grassy verge or on paved footpaths, until arriving at the The Drift just beyond The Spinney. This wooded track takes the walkers back into the centre of Bar Hill, past the Village Hall and ending at the Library.
This walk is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies as it includes some rural footpaths. A 10-30 minute short walk is also available on this route.
The walk to the neighbouring village of Lolworth begins at the maple surgery in Bar Hill and runs along a village path parallel to Viking Way, crossing the ring road and starting on the Millennium Path to Lolworth. The Millennium Path is a hard-packed gravel and dirt trail which traverses arable fields and dirt farm tracks, and offers exceptional views of the distant countryside. The Millennium Path ends at Cuckoo Lane in Lolworth and walkers then proceed on paved roads through the village. One path leads down Redlands Road towards the neighbouring village of Boxworth, ending at Yarmouth Farm. Another route turns left onto the High Street and proceeds towards Childerley for a short distance. The walk then returns to Bar Hill along the same route, with an option to divert briefly to view the church of All Saints, heavily damaged in the 1393 fire that destroyed most of the village.
This walk is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies as it includes some rural footpaths. A 10-30 minute short walk is also available on this route.
For more information on these walks, contact the co-ordinators
Copyright ©2010-2015 by the maple surgery patient participation group
Last updated on 1 June 2015 by the Webmaster