Frequently Asked Questions
We regularly get asked questions about our club, especially from new members so we have tried to answer as many common questions as possible below. If however, you have any questions that are not answered below, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
We are an independent members’ club run on fairly informal lines. We are affiliated to the Ramblers Association but we are not an official RA Group. We have a committee and planning team who are a group of keen members who volunteer their time to organise the walks programme and social events.
Our annual subscription is £20 per person. Our subscription year starts on 1 st. October and ends on 30th September. Those who join for the first time after 1st. April pay a reduced price.
If you are not sure about joining the club, you can come on one or two of our walks for a ‘taster’ session. But if you want to continue walking with us we would then expect you to become a member.
The easiest way to join is to come along to one of our monthly meetings (see below) and pay your subscription via cash or bank transfer. There is a very easy form to fill in for contact details Alternatively you can send your details by email to our Membership Secretary.
We meet at 7.30 pm on the last TUESDAY of each month in Kensington House, 12 Station Road, Maghull L31 3DF. There is ample parking at the front of the building. Non-members interested in walking are welcome.
We have walks to suit all ages and abilities. See the Programme of Walks page for further details.
There are three things to consider:
The grade of the walk.
The amount of climbing.
The time taken.
We grade our walks as:
Strenuous (S);
Hard (H);
Moderate (M); or
Easy (E).
Further information is shown in our Programme of Walks page.
If you haven’t done much walking before, we suggest that you choose one of the easier walks to start with.
We use three different means of transport:
- Coach.
- Own car.
- Public transport.
We arrange a monthly coach trip, which is very popular and seats are normally booked in advance at our monthly meeting. The current fare is £15 for members and £18 for non-members.
For trips by own car or public transport, just turn up at the meeting point shown in the programme. For the car trips starting at Central Square, Maghull, we provide directions to reach the starting point of the walk.
Please wear weather appropriate clothing. We recommend layers and waterproofs (if required). Jeans are inadvisable.
But you wouldn’t need all of that if you were going on say, a Summer evening walk in the surrounding countryside.
But whatever you choose, we do recommend that you always wear a pair of walking boots.
Trainers are not really suitable for walking over rough ground.
Dogs are not allowed on our coach trips.
For non coach walks the walk leader has discretion and should be asked in advance of the walk.
Each walk has an appointed leader and if you are a new member you should introduce yourself to the leader at the start. The leader may briefly explain the walk and, at an early stage, will count the number taking part. He or she will also appoint a back marker.
The leader may check to see if everyone is suitably attired and seems capable of doing the walk in question. If the leader thinks that someone is ill-prepared or does not seem capable of completing the walk, he or she has absolute discretion in refusing to allow that person to take part. This is more likely to arise in Hard or Strenuous walks where such a person might put others at risk. The leader should appoint someone to act as a back marker.
The leader should ensure that all the party is in sight and if necessary, stop or slow down to allow everyone to catch up. He or she should keep in contact with the back marker, who should tell the leader if someone has difficulty keeping up. The party should take a short break in such situations and not set off as soon as the back marker arrives. This applies especially after steep climbs. The leader will also arrange a lunch stop. It is usually not appropriate for walkers to get ahead of the leader as they may go in the wrong direction.
Yes – the leader has absolute discretion on this. For example, he or she may find unforeseen path problems; or encounter bad weather conditions; or may decide that the planned walk is too long (or too short) for the party.
You can, but we don’t usually recommend it. If you decide to do so, you must tell the leader and we would prefer you to have someone with you. If you choose to leave or take a different route, you are no longer taking part in a club activity. The Club is not responsible and our liability insurance will not operate.
We expect all our walkers to follow the Countryside Code. You can download full details on the internet but here are some relevant points:
- Leave gates as you find them – if they are already open, leave them open, but if you find them closed, close them after you.
- Do not damage walls, gates or fences.
- Do not leave litter or unwanted food.
- Keep to the paths wherever possible.
- Walk in single file through growing crops.
- Keep out of the way when farm animals are being gathered or moved.
Please use the contact page and we will get back to you as soon as possible.