Hills near London

[hodgedodge]

Want to take DC (9, 10) hill walking during the half term and struggling to find any near London. We don’t have a car so will need easy train access. We will also need a starter hill as they haven’t climbed a steep one before (and am a bit scared taking them on my own!). Any recommendations would be great!

PS: We’ve already done the cliffs near Brighton/Eastbourne

chilterns? cotswolds?

Box Hill?
Leith Hill?

They would be starter ones

Thank you all. We’ve done Leith Hill, will check out Box Hill.

Any specific ones @parietal?

Chanctonbury ring in Sussex perhaps?

(I was going to be facetious and say the north face of the Kings Road, given people need 4x4s to navigate it).

Thank you! Is it a tall hill though?

www.chilternsaonb.org/ccbmaps/1774/137/pitstone-hill-ashridge-and-aldbury-walk.html

www.10adventures.com/hikes/chilterns/

Holmbury Hill, same neck of the woods as Leith Hill and Box Hill. And is very beautiful.

Thanks all, am tempted to do the easy path at Snowdonia but looks like a nightmare getting there by train. Chilterns may be the easiest to get to..

Easy to get to snowdonia if you hVe a few days
Train to llandudmo Junction change at Chester usually then slow train to Betws and sherpa bus.to Llanberis for snowdon
Betws y coed is great place to stay lots of walks and river boulders to climb

www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Residents/Parking-roads-and-travel/Travel-passes/Snowdon-Sherpa.aspx

The Malverns feel extremely mountainey but are not that big, and there is a station at Great Malvern

Ditto church stretton for the Long Mynd (and caer caradoc on the other side i think?)

Chilterns - train to Tring, Princes Risborough or Wendover and there are lovely walks. Coombe Hill is a good one.

If you don't mind Brighton again, you can get the open top bus to the Devils Dyke very easily, for lots of hilly South Downs Way walks?

The Malverns would be a good 'starter', with train access, though I'm not sure there's many hills in England which wouldn't be within the capabilities of a normally fit 9 or 10 yo.

If you want an area with loads good walking, not massive hills but splendid views , it's a fair way from London but the train line through the Silverdale area might offer possibilities. (Stations at carnforth, silverdale and arnside)

The main problem with Snowdon, IME, is that it seems to have its own weather system and very liable to have its head in the clouds which isn't the nicest experience to hook youngsters. And it's a bit of a slog.

@capercaillie

Chilterns - train to Tring, Princes Risborough or Wendover and there are lovely walks. Coombe Hill is a good one.

There’s a good circular walk from Wendover station, up Coombe Hill and onwards to Chequers.

It’s definitely not a hill in the Snowdonia sense though, more a country walk with a bit of an incline.

The Seven Sisters walk heading west out of Eastbourne has a surprising amount of up and down.

Agree. Train to Princes Risboro or Tring and plenty of good hill walking from either station.

Devils Dyke, Ditchling Beacon

Some great ideas! I am looking at trains/car rental options for Snowdonia as I have next week off, if that doesn’t work out I will check out the Malverns. Devils Dyke looks great too.

Streatley Hill. Very steep.
Goring and Streatley station near Reading.