Take the Nature Reserves Challenge: Discover Forest Hill & Honor Oak’s Nature Reserves – All in One Day!

Looking for a unique walking adventure that combines local history, green spaces, and a good bit of step-counting? Lace up your walking shoes and join us for an exclusive walking challenge through Forest Hill and Honor Oak—visiting all five of our incredible local nature reserves in a single day!

Why Join This Walk?

This isn’t your average stroll through the park. These nature reserves—usually only open to the public one day a month, and rarely on the same day—are opening their gates especially for this one-off event. It’s a rare chance to explore them all, soak in their natural beauty, and hear the fascinating stories connecting them to the Great North Wood, the Deptford to Croydon Canal, and the age of the steam railway. This is the big challenge walk of the 2025 Forest Hill Walking Festival.

What’s on the Itinerary?

We’ll be making stops at:

• The Horniman Nature Trail

• Devonshire Road Nature Reserve

• Buckthorne Cutting Nature Reserve

• Garthorne Road Nature Reserve

• Dacres Wood Nature Reserve

• Bonus stop: Albion Millennium Green

Each spot has its own unique character and ecological treasures. We’ll spend about 30 minutes at each site to explore and learn a bit of its story—plenty to whet your appetite for future visits during their next open days.

A Challenge Worth Taking

While the direct walking route is around 5 miles, we’ll be adding a few more steps as we explore each reserve. The terrain isn’t too demanding, but there are a few steeper sections and a railway footbridge with stairs to cross—so bring your sturdy shoes and a spirit of adventure.

Do expect this to take a few hours as we want to spend a little time in each nature reserve as well as the walk itself. That's why we're call ing this A CHALLENGE.

This is a circular route, so you’re never too far from your starting point if you need to head back early. We’ll likely be out during lunchtime, so pack a sandwich or snack to keep your energy up. We will have a brief stop in one of the nature reserves to have our picnic.

Spots Are Limited!

To ensure we can access all sites smoothly and stay on schedule, we’re capping this walk at 20 participants. So if this sounds like your kind of day out, don’t wait—sign up now to secure your spot.

🌿 Ready to take on the Forest Hill Nature Reserves Challenge? 👉 [Sign up here]

Reconnect with nature, uncover local history, and enjoy a rewarding day of walking with like-minded adventurers. See you on the trail!