Ahead of the Curve
On the completion of this account, I will have finally caught up with my recent walking. The current heatwave meant I did not walk last Friday in 30 degrees plus and this gave me a window to get things done. Giving myself multiple walks to recall has reinforced a good reason for the blogging exercise because I'd almost displaced the memory of this route. I never really expect anyone to actually follow in my footsteps but the whole online offering is my walking diary and a record not just of my routes but thoughts, feelings and experiences. There will come a point when I will begin to re-walk some areas because, up until now, I've been able to plot between my former excursions and keep things new. Having a practical record of places I found worth it, might be helpful for the future as well as affirming a good reason to keep getting out and exploring. It is also, just as likely that I will walk the same route and have a completely different experience. And so the thing perpetuates, in whatever circumstances.
While this walk is largely new for me, I find Surrey's heaths and waterways are drawing me back.
Guildford can be made by a train via Gatwick. Return is on the same line but nearer, at Chilworth Station.
From the station entrance, bear right and south to walk through the underpass to the far side of Park Street. Round the corner to the Friary bridge over the Wey. At this point, I wanted to join the Wey South Path that runs underneath but there are some works going on and we have a diversion here to appreciate a bit more of Guildford. Continue round to the left and cross Onslow Street. Now return south, over North Street to Friary Street. Turn left at the High Street and go right on Chapel Street.
In front of you is the castle. Turn right and enter the gardens, opposite. Built not long after the conquest and probably by William, Henry III made it his fancy palace but having changed a few hands, it later fell into disrepair. The keep, a prison for 300 years and other ruins remain. You can visit the keep from midday. Too early for a visit inside, continue through the grounds and over Castle Hill to Castle Cliffe Gardens. Descend the steps to Rocks Court and on to Quarry Street. Turn left and you'll reach Millbrook.
At the main road, turn left and cross to take the footpath on the left, to cross the Wey Navigation and after the Weyside pub. Continue on the Wey South Path. A pleasantly sleepy walk with the occasional vigorous runner was had. With Shalford Park away to your left and the ruins of St Catherine's Chapel on your right, the North Downs Way crosses your path, at the bridge. I didn't visit the Chapel which is behind the trees on a hill.
Further on, you are in National Trust land and you reach St Catherine's Lock. You can explore more of Shalford Water Meadows here.
After the railway crossing, you find some steps on your right, up to an unusual 'Mowlem Drum' design pillbox. This is also on a redundant railway line and you can walk this Railway Walk and loop back round to the river. I didn't but visited the concrete defence and returned to the bank as far as the Broadford Bridge. Here, a generous driver stopped to let me across and I went a little off track as a result. As it turns out, you can continue on the western bank, as permitted by the NT and join the Railway Walk as it returns to the water on what is also the Downs Link.
At the Horsham Road. My intention had been to get to Unstead Wetland Nature Reserve through some access land near Trunley Heath Road but it turns out you can't. Instead, I followed the road right round to a junction. Here you can access one side of the area but I found the main part and bird hide locked to casual visitors. You might get better views along the footpath on the south side of the reserve and the Downs Link (much as I dislike it), is probably the best way to get to this.
Continue on Unstead Lane, narrow but generally quiet, to the junction with Foxburrow Hill Road. Turn right and turn right again on the Fox Way and bridleway. Stay with this, as it turns around Unsted Wood and Farley Hill. Stay with the bridleway as it bears south and leave the Fox Way. You join Catteshall Lane before leaving on the left and walking east below the hanger at Springfield Farm.
It is easy now to continue with the southward bridleway, over the Munstead Heath Road and left on Alldens Lane. A footpath then, on the right takes you on the wooded track down to Thorncombe Street and to the east of Winkworth Arboretum. You will see a sign and a footpath will now take you west, right through the middle. The previous owners were keen for the public to enjoy the place. Wilfred Fox, who lived at Winkworth Farm, purchased the land in an auction. He said of the place:
‘It was the remarkable beauty of the valley...quite unspoiled, of pastoral and wooded character, patterned with hedgerows and abounding in wildflowers, with gentle undulating hills on the east side and a steep slope on the west side – which is now covered by the arboretum – and the river stream winding between, forming two lakes which are the haunt of wildfowl.’
The retired physician was a founding member of the surprising Roads Beautifying Association. He and the other members have left a legacy, spawned from the growth of the motor car and its necessary infrastructure, we may have little awareness of but their planting schemes are still in evidence, in places. The choice of trees at Winkworth may have a lot to do with visuals but, the family did think of the future, going for long-lived species of oak and beech.
You can stick with the footpath beyond Rowe's Flash and the visitor's centre and through to another that goes south after Fox Cottage, to the Brighton Road. It was at the lake that the larch plantation had been felled and replanted. As a member, I wandered more freely and had my lunch. Turn right and at the corner, turn left onto the bridleway and continue south over Mare Lane.
You enter The Hurtwood, not to be confused with Hurt Wood (we will come across this later). Take the Greensand Way and bridleway left, out and over a footbridge to Godalming Road. Cross at the White Horse to the bridleway on Nore Lane, leaving it on the next footpath on your right. You will be on Hascombe Hill and reach the iron age fortifications. Some newer standing stones were erected by druids on the slopes near Lodge Farm. And by newer, I mean the 90s. There are views, as you'd expect from this wooded hill but at the height of Summer, they appear to be quite limited.
At Creek Copse, you reach a junction with a bridleway which you take right and then left to continue north. Nore Hanger is on your right and the path will turn right. At the junction with the bridleway, turn left. Join the main track towards the pond at New Barn. Go sharp right into the field and take this northern edge eastward. I made a bit of a mess of the next field by following a flattened track through the field. Instead, walk towards the building and take the path to the south of it. The footpath will join a track going northeast to Tilsey Farm and to the Horsham Road.
It is not difficult to walk north and then leave the road east on the footpath. A couple of footbridges over the Wey later and you join the Downs Link going south but only very briefly. Leave it east and rejoin the Wey South, south. After Rowly Farm leave the bridleway and turn left to eventually go northeast on the footpath. This path becomes Rowly Drive.
Cross Guildford Road and continue on the footpath into Smithwood Common. There are numerous paths on this access land but I followed the footpath a little way before bearing left on a solid track to meet the Smithwood Common Road. Turn left and join a path onto the North Common. The path turns and ascends the hill. I watched a red kite flying above the buildings. Stay with this path as it moves past the right of The Lodge, joining Alderbrook Road. Turn right. A driver stopped to ask directions. I wasn't very helpful but explained I was on my way to Chilworth and that was enough for her. Bear right on the bridleway and enter Winterfold Heath on your left.
I don't know whether Hurt Wood or Hurtwood or, oftentimes, The Hurtwood is part of the same estate as The Hurtwood, over in west but this area is access land and covered in mountain bike trails. The whole string of wooded slopes was owned by the Perrys, the Dukes of Northumberland. It was with difficulty that I made my way north and up Winterfold Hill. Cross Winterfold Heath Road. Shortly after, bear left and continue over Row Lane. You will now be on a byway and then a footpath going north. Go left on the byway known as Madgehole Lane. Leave this to go north on a bridleway. Here, I passed some DofE walkers and entered Farley Heath.
On the home straight, and crossing the road and taking the bridleway, closely paralleling it, I heard the desperate shouts of a dog owner for quite some time. I saw neither of them. Take the left of the second crossroads within Blackheath Forest towards the car park. Just before it, bear northwest on a bridleway on Rosemary Hill. You pass a war memorial on your left. You eventually meet Sampleoak Lane.
Follow the road north to Chilworth Station. Being very thirsty and having half an hour, I hydrated at the Perry Arms.
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