Countryside Walking Group 1 is a group of members who enjoy not-too-strenuous monthly walks. We do 3½ - 4½ mile walks, mainly within a 10 mile radius of Bath, and finishing with a pub lunch.

 We achieve a varied and interesting programme by sharing the leadership of the walks. In January we meet to discuss where we are going to walk in the coming year, and who is going to lead each month. We ask for volunteers in pairs − two for each walk (a leader and a back-stop).

We are an easy-going and friendly group; along the way we quite often pause to take in interesting features of the area such as its scenery, historical associations or wildlife, and we have a coffee break at around the half way mark (members bring their own refreshments). We walk along footpaths through fields, bridleways and quiet lanes. The only agility test we have is to be able to get over stiles; members also need to be able to walk up to 4½ miles in 2½ hours, so that we do not keep a pre-ordered pub-lunch waiting.

Our Membership
Countryside Walking Group 1 has a limit of 24 active members. We regard this as a sensible number as it normally results in about 16 members participating in one walk. More than that and the queues for getting over stiles become extended. The number walking also affects where we can arrange to go for lunch. We mostly use smaller country pubs, where food is generally cooked to order, and a large party could easily overload kitchen and bar staff to the detriment of locals and ourselves.

We are a fairly stable group and often have people on our waiting list, but vacancies do occur from time to time and we'd welcome anyone for a “taster” walk.

If you'd like more information, Bath u3a members can contact us via the Enquiry link at the top of this page. Non-members should contact the Groups Advisers for more information.