Berkshire Walkers (20’s & 30’s Ramblers Group)

Sign up by filling this Google form TODAY! Please note: only Ramblers members can sign up for this trip, for insurance reasons. Whilst the trip does not have a limited number of spaces, we only have space for 26 people in the hostel.
Signup link:

Please direct any queries about the trip to the organisers Dan (Membership Secretary daniel@berkshirewalkers.co.uk), Shannon (Chair & Trips Advisor shannon@berkshirewalkers.co.uk) or Will B.

Itinerary
Between the trip organisers, we will organise a varied programme with the option to choose between leisurely coastal walks and castle visits, and moderate to challenging hikes in the Cheviot Hills. The exact itinerary will depend on the weather during the trip and the group’s preferences, but planned highlights include:

• ⛰️ Moderate to challenging hikes in the Cheviot Hills including sections of St. Cuthbert’s Way and the Pennine Way and crossing the border into Scotland.
• 🥾 Local walks around Wooler.
• 🌊 Walking out along the tidal causeway to Holy Island and Lindisfarne Castle, which features on many calendar photographs!
• 🏰 A coastal walk past Bamburgh Castle, and a visit to Alnwick Castle, a well-known Harry Potter filming location.
• 🔭 Stargazing, as Northumberland is a national sky reserve.
• 🚞 A day trip to Edinburgh.

Accommodation
Wooler Hostel (https://woolerhostel.com/) comes highly rated with a range of room options 🛏️, as well as a self-catering kitchen 🍳, communal dining room 🍽️, outside seating area 🪑, free wi-fi 🛜 and even a piano 🎹. Although the hostel could fit 51 people if we filled it completely, we intend to cap the trip at 26 people, meaning that we will all be able to enjoy having plenty of space.

The hostel has 4 glamping huts and 3 rooms with two beds (two with ensuite) which will be set aside for people to book to themselves. The hostel then has 5 rooms with four beds (one with ensuite), 1 room with six beds, and 1 room with eight beds. If the trip fills, these rooms will be about half full, but if fewer people sign up, we will offer more of these rooms for people to have to themselves.

Therefore, we estimate the costs of these to be as follows, basing our pricing on a group size of between 15 and 26 people:

• Shared non-ensuite rooms: £30–£45 per person, per night (£150-£225 total).
• Shared ensuite rooms: £40–£68 per person, per night (£200-£340 total).
• Solo ensuites & glamping huts: £45–£69 per person, per night (£225-£345 total).
• Solo non-ensuite rooms: £40–£55 per person, per night (£200-£275 total).

The more people who sign-up, the cheaper the final price will be.

Accommodation will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve your place, you must pay a £150 deposit. Your place will only be confirmed when your deposit is paid. As noted above: the trip will only be confirmed when 15 people pay their deposits. We will calculate the final cost of your chosen accommodation option in early May, and you’ll have till 24th May to pay the remaining balance.

Accommodation Terms and Conditions

• Minimum Numbers: The trip requires a minimum of 15 confirmed participants with deposits paid by the stated deadline. If this minimum is not reached in time to secure the hostel booking, all deposits will be refunded in full.
• Deposits and Payments: Once the minimum number is reached and the booking is secured, deposits and final payments are non-refundable. Paying a deposit confirms your commitment to the full 5-night stay, and payment of the remaining balance by the due date. Partial bookings are not available.
• Replacement Attendees (Exceptional Case): After the deposit (and final balance) has been paid, a refund may be issued only if all of the following conditions are met: the trip is fully booked, and all deposits (and final balances, if due) have been paid; a suitable replacement attendee takes your place in the hostel; the replacement has paid their deposit (and final balance, if due) into the Berkshire Walkers bank account; and the Berkshire Walkers treasurer or one of the finance team has confirmed receipt of the replacement’s payment.
• The Berkshire Walkers Account: The Berkshire Walkers bank account is used solely to collect and pass payments to the hostel and other suppliers. Ramblers and Berkshire Walkers act only as payment coordinators and are not liable for refunds in the event of supplier failure.
• Acceptance of Terms: By signing up for this trip and paying a deposit, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted these terms and conditions.

Travel & Transport

• By Car: Driving time from Reading is approximately 5.5 hours (plus stops). We encourage car sharing and will help to coordinate this closer to the date.
• By Public Transport: Trains from London to Berwick-upon-Tweed (approx. 3.5 to 4 hours), followed by a bus or taxi for the final 18 miles to Wooler.

Several of the planned walks and activities will require driving to walks, and we will coordinate this during the trip. But note there are also local buses which could also be used if needed.

Meals
We will organise communal meals closer to the time. These are often very enjoyable and a great part of the social aspect of the trip. We would ask for people to volunteer to lead the cooking on meals. We would also plan to book a table for dinner for the group at a local restaurant one night and possibly a BBQ at the hostel.