Welcome to the Web Site of the Surrey Group of the Long Distance Walkers Association.

Although the vision of a Long Distance Walkers Association was first muted in Surrey way back in 1972 by Alan Blatchford and Chris Steer, who both enjoyed walking and running, Surrey were not the first local group of the Association.

The idea for the Association was born from a notice pinned to a local store in Peaslake, near Guildford, advertising the Tanners Marathon, a thirty mile walk organised by the Tanners Marathon Association. From this they set about forming the association by placing an advert in a walking magazine, their aim was to collate information on organised challenge events and long distance walking for circulation in a newsletter. The annual subscription was 35p and at the end of the first year there were 355 members throughout the Country with the first local group forming in the High Peak area of Derbyshire the following year.

The Surrey group are about 120 strong and based, if you can say we have a base, in and around the Guildford area. We have an elected Chairman, Secretary, Editor and Membership Secretary and a membership drawn from all parts of the Country (we currently have members from Cornwall, South Wales and even as far as Cumbria). Membership subscription is £2 annually, which entitles member to receives our newsletter (three times a year) outlining in more detail the group's activities.

About sixty Surrey members are actively involved in organising our Challenge and Social events. Surrey was the first local group to organise a 100 mile challenge walk, the 1973 Downsman, from Winchester to Eastbourne. The 100 mile walk is now an annual event, organised by different local groups, in various parts of the country. From 1973 Surrey have organised a number of the 100 mile walks culminating in the 25th (Silver Jubilee) walk in 1997.

Surrey also organise five other events each year - commencing with the Surrey Inns Canter, a 12/20 miles orienteering event on New Years day from Guildford - the Winter Tanners, 30 miles from Leatherhead on the 2nd Sunday in January - the Punchbowl Marathon, 20/30 miles on the 1st Sunday in February - the Surrey Summits, a 62 mile overnight event in early Spring from Leatherhead - and in October the Dunsfold Cater another orienteering event.

All these events require detailed and committed organisation and the group is always looking for additional volunteers with fresh ideas. In addition to our own events, we regularly receive requests to help from other groups, in particular we have hosted checkpoints on all recent 100 mile events, frequently providing the breakfast stop.

Surrey Group hold their AGM at the Percy Arms in Chilworth near Guildford in January, with two further planning meetings in May and September. These meetings are often followed by slide shows of individual or Group activities.

In addition to organising events and social walks, during the Autumn Group members have the opportunity to spend a long weekend away together in areas such as Wales, the Peak or Lake Districts.

You are invited to join the Surrey Group, or if you would like to learn more about us e-mail the Group Secretary.

With the Site now up and running (albeit very thin on data) we do now have a vehicle for other areas of communication, so if you have anything to say or have any last minute changes to existing events, let me know and I will attempt to include it as soon as possible. Send to me, preferably via e-mail Reg Chapman or snail-mail 63 Yockley Close, Camberley, Surrey GU15 1QQ