“The joy of being in a community” – a welcoming word from Petersfield Rambling Club
June 10, 2025
Have you ever thought about joining a rambling club and doing your South Downs walks as part of a friendly group? Fiona El Hasnaoui is from Petersfield Ramblers and writes about the joys of shared walking experiences.
Petersfield Ramblers is an independent walking club that has been running successfully for over 55 years and currently has around 70 members. We run walks twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the year, generally within 20 miles of Petersfield, many within the South Downs National Park. We are so lucky to live in this beautiful part of the country as it provides a wide variety of terrain and scenery. Walks vary from gentle strolls of around 6 miles up to more challenging walks up to 12 miles or more, although our average is around 8 or 9 miles.
An example of a recent walk would be a 10-mile circuit we completed from Cheriton, which took us across open meadows, along a section of the South Downs Way, through woodland rich in tree canopies, alongside farmland and various wooded tracks. We crossed the River Itchen joining the Itchen Way and enjoyed lunch in picturesque Ovington village. After refreshments, we headed down to Tichborne with its pretty thatched cottages and historic church and back to Cheriton.
Some of us have also just completed Mary’s Crescent, a four-day walk split over four weeks, set against the spectacular backdrop of the South Downs, the walk links medieval churches in a crescent-shaped route from Portchester Castle to Chichester Cathedral, via Droxford, Buriton and Chilgrove.
Apart from the great outdoors, we are also a friendly club with regular social events, such as meals, picnics, days out and an annual BBQ (usually with a walk involved!) There is also an annual club holiday to different parts of the country such as Cornwall, the Peak District or Lake District which members can join, at a cost, should they choose.
The joy of the club is in the community it provides, getting to know local walks amongst friends, and all for the princely sum of £5 per year!
The benefits of joining the club are many – improved fitness, new friendships and exploring new places that you might otherwise not find. Do feel free to join us for three free walks before committing to membership. Find out more at www.petersfieldramblers.org