Thursday 31 December 2015

Loxwood and Alford

Walk Report 6th December

An Elite Eight of us ignored waking up to rain, an early start and the threat of muddiness to enjoy a walk from Loxwood, just in Sussex, over the county boundary into Alford, in Surrey, and back. The early part of the walk took us through a variety of fields with pleasing longish views, then to our tea stop in Alford, through more fields with an equine feel (also some turnips) and then, for the final third of the 5.6 mile walk, along the towpath of the Wey and Arun canal. Fairly flat and easy, the walk was in fact less muddy than when we recce’d it a couple of weeks ago, and we suffered no more than three drops of rain all morning. I forgot to take a group photo, so here’s a not very good one of a tree en-route instead.

 

The whole group (when did that last happen?) then had a good lunch at the Sir Roger Tichborne, about a mile up the road from where we had walked. The roasts were particularly generous and fine.

Tuesday 24 November 2015

Leith Hill from Friday Street

Walk Report 1st November
The countryside was shrouded in fog first thing on Sunday morning, visibility at its worst which might explain the small turnout of walkers. As luck would have it by 10:00 the fog lifted and the sun shone, in fact a perfect autumnal day.
 
The 6 1/2 mile walk began in the hamlet of Friday Street on the gentle lower north slope of Leith Hill. Heading off towards Coldharbour taking in water meadows, sandy tracks and mature woodland. Spurred on by the promise of superb views and coffee ... probably coffee being the main incentive we climbed uphill to Leith Hill Tower, it was well worth the effort! 
 
With the hilly section of the walk behind us the route led us back to the starting point via Abinger Bottom and finally, The Stefan Langton pub where a few of us stopped for lunch.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Monday 26 October 2015

Clandon House to Newlands Corner


WALK REPORT 18th October

One thing I have really enjoyed about the last 3 months of walking has been the number of new areas or routes I have been introduced to, and last Sunday’s walk led by Chris Partridge did not disappoint. However given the location in the heart of our regular walking area this is quite a surprise.

Chris’s walk started from Clandon House carpark; it was sad to see the mansion shrouded in polythene after the fire, but it did mean we had plentiful free parking!

At the far point of the walk we popped out at the familiar territory of Newlands corner (and the coffee shop J), but the walk there and back through pretty and varied countryside was an enjoyable new route to nearly everyone on the walk – thanks Chris!

 

8 people enjoyed a good lunch at the Bull’s Head, but pre-booking was certainly essential.

 

Saturday 24 October 2015

Blackdown Common, Hazelmere

 
WALK REPORT 4th October
Thank you to Godalming and Hazelmere stalwarts Peter and Sheila (but also occasional SWSW walkers and holiday makers) for introducing / reminding us of the fantastic walking to be had if we travel just 10 or 15 minutes further. We enjoyed a lovely walk through Surrey and Sussex heathland over Black Down near Hazelmere, had some National Trust history at the ‘Temple of the Winds’, and some glorious though hazy views. The photo’s don’t really do them justice.
This is an area we should explore again, a lot of beautiful countryside to enjoy!
 


 
Can anyone identify the weird pink cone shaped fruit? Please let me or Sheila know if so!

Sunday 4 October 2015

Wooton And Abinger

WALK REPORT 20th September
We were very lucky on our last walk to have glorious weather which meant we got the best of the lovely views from the North Downs. Most of us had walked from the Wooten Hatch near Dorking before, but Jenny surprised us with a new route over paths we had not used before. There were enough hills to build up an appetite so lunch in the Pub garden was a good finish to the morning.
 
 
Gathering by the monument to Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, who died after falling from his horse on 19 July 1873
 
 
An excellent viewpoint on the ascent to the North Downs Way
 
 
 
A field of Sunflowers
 

Friday 11 September 2015

Windsor Great Park


Walk Report 6th September:

Thanks Sue for a really lovely walk in welcome September sunshine – a great relief after all the recent bad weather. A lovely route, threading its way round the lake and through the gardens in Windsor Great park, with the bonus of a coffee stall half way round. We have seen the azaleas and rhododendrons in the park before, but it was great to walk in the park in a different season and see the heather and hydrangeas at their best.

 
 
The Totem Pole
 
 
 Spotting Ducks
 
View Over The Lake
 
 

Sunday 23 August 2015

Brookwood Cemetery

This walk was lead by Janet and Lynne, starting at The Cricketer's Pub.  13 walkers congregated at the pub,  and set off to Pirbright church, where we stopped to look at the grave of Stanley, the reporter to found Gr Livingstone. We  proceeded along canal under the station in Brookwood to the cemetery. We strolled in a leisurely way around the cemetery,  stopping for a break at the American chapel which was open. Then we continued over Pirbright common and woods back to the pub,  where 5 of us had an enjoyable lunch together.





Sunday 2 August 2015

Shalford & Chilworth

This walk was lead by Margo and John.  14 of us set off, joined by 2 tail-enders who between them remembered the walk description and had a bit of local knowledge, and managed to catch us up. We had a very pleasant walk south of the Chantries, with views up to St Martha’s from a different direction. We had a good arial display from a Buzzard, and managed to find a few paths that were new to even regular SWSW walkers.

This was followed by a relaxed (i.e. slow…) lunch at the Parrot in Shalford, but nice to enjoy the sunny garden.



Sunday 12 July 2015

Walking Around Woking 12th July




Thanks a lot to Keith for his walk with a theme last Sunday. We discovered that HG Wells accurately used the geography and road and rail network of Woking and Horsell as the setting for ‘The War of the Worlds’, and the novel describes junctions, canals and railways and bridges in the sites we can still see today.

We followed a route from the Martians landing site on Horsell Common to town and back, passing some landmark sites described in the book, and the Martian sculpture in the town centre. We also saw the restored 1st World War Muslim cemetery on the common, which has been transformed from an overgrown collapsing building into a beautiful restful garden with a lovely water feature. Inexplicably the entrance is boarded up!


We were joined by new walker Ian, a Horsell resident who used his local knowledge to add an interesting end to the route through woods and local paths back to the starting point.  The forecast was awful but thankfully it turned out to be perfect walking weather.