We try to have at least two social events each year, and will update this page each time one is arranged. If you would like to be kept updated on a more regular basis then please send your email address to info@railrambles.org and we will add you to our mailing list.
LUDLOW LECTURES SPRING 2026
The next series will commence on Tuesday 10th February and run until Tuesday 17th March 2026. Lectures, all in the Assembly Rooms, will start at 10.00am and finish at 12 noon, with a half hour coffee break in the middle. Entrance payment is £5 at the door.
February 10th Les Lumsdon Trails and Tribulations – Stories from a Trail Pioneer Lonely Planet heralded the Heart of Wales Railway Line as one of the top ten journeys in Europe. The talk illustrates this journey and why the railway route from South Shropshire to the South Wales Coast deserves this accolade. Les, a slow travel expert, will also unfold the story about how a group of people made the Trail that follows the Heart of Wales Line happen against the odds.
17th January 2026
A very big thank you to Pat and Linda for organising post Christmas lunch in Welshpool. It was a great turn out and it is always lovely to see people who have not been able to come out with us recently. Our walks are not only about keeping us fit but they are so very social too. So a big thank you also to those who turned out!
8th-11th May 2026
Next year we are planning a return visit to Llandudno and on this occasion will be staying at the Merrion Hotel as sadly the Dunoon did not have availability for our group for those dates. The price for three nights dinner, bed and breakfast will be £307 per person in a twin or double room and £370 in a single room. Deposits are not required until the autumn but please can you let us know asap if you wish to come along. We have a number of rooms on allocation and once those are gone then we would have to hope that the hotel could offer more, so the sooner we know who wishes to join us the better.
Our reason for choosing Llandudno again is that there are still plenty of walks we can do and it also offers a good range of accommodation for anyone who wishes to book their own hotel/B&B/hostel while still joining us for the rambles.
If you click the down arrow by the gallery you will see pages of photos that were taken last year, the scenery was amazing, so check it out if you weren’t with us.
Currently all rooms have been allocated but if would like to be informed should any become available then please email us at info@railrambles.org and we would be happy to let you know if that happens.
12th July 2025
Our summer social was held in Welshpool, following a short walk along the canal and up to the castle. The weather was a stark contrast to last year’s summer get together, when it poured with rain and we all got soaked! This time we had beautiful blue skies and soaring temperatures. It was our first visit as a group to The Raven and they did us proud, everyone enjoyed their lunch and it was lovely to see so many there.
6th July – Celebrating 35 years of Rail Rambles
After a shortish walk, we had a get together in All Stretton for those who had walked with us that day and in days gone by. A chance to catch up with old friends and to celebrate the not only our anniversary but the birthday of one of our regular walkers. It was great to see so many there, and for those who missed out this time we hope to see you at our next social occasion.
Charity fundraising
There are many ramblers who support charities through walking events and we would like to give them a boost on this page.
On May 25th John Mattocks took part in the Mighty Hike in Bangor, to raise money for Macmillan. He has so far raised £315 through sponsorship and Just Giving. If you would like to help boost this to an even bigger amount please click here for a link to his Just Giving page.
Post Christmas Lunch in Chirk January 2024
We had another lovely meal at The Hand in Chirk and were delighted to see so many there, including some who may not be coming out with us as regularly as they used to. A big thank you to Pat for all her hard work ensuring that we all got the meals we ordered and to Linda and Joan for organising a very successful raffle. You can see from the photos below that there were a lot of smiles (and clean plates!).
