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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Saturday 11 July 2015

Saturday First Walk Hugh Request Book 1 Walk 22: Haslemere Circular 8.7 miles

I picked this message up off of the walk requests and thus Hugh's first choice is posted
I worked with Nicholas Albery on the 1st TOBCW, contributing 10 of the walks. I now live abroad, but will be visiting London in July and would love to join a Book 1 walk on Saturday July 11th. I would love to meet up with walkers who knew Nicholas and were around in the early days of the walking club, as well as meeting present-day members. If anyone would be interested in organising a walk from Book 1 that day, would it be possible to choose one of these walks (in order of preference):
22: Haslemere Circular
15: Leigh to Tunbridge Wells
44: Witley to Haslemere
I do hope it will be possible to organise this.
Hugh Kelly 


Book 1 Walk 22: Haslemere Circular 
Length: 14.0km (8.7 miles)
Toughness: 4 out of 10
Explorer 133 or Landranger 186
There is an OS map with the route drawn on it here 
http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/book_1/walk_22/map.shtml

10:30 London Waterloo (Woking 10.55)  arriving Haslemere at 11:20
This train doesn't stop at Clapham Junction so get the 10.22 from Clapham Junction which will get you to Haslemere at 11.16 and then just 4 minutes to wait for the Waterloo train to arrive.
4 return trains from Haslemere at XX.02   XX.15  XX.32   XX.39
Buy a return to Haslemere

The route is through very beautiful countryside. It is mainly National Trust land - mixed woods with blackberries and bluebells and heathlands of bracken, gorse, heather and bilberry, with fine views from Black Down (280 metres / 919 feet), the very highest point in both Sussex and the South Downs National Park.

It is a fairly short walk and the Temple of the Winds detour is highly recommended, (see the walk directions) and thanks to anon in the comments section for this
You came and look'd and loved the view,
Long known and loved by me,
Green Sussex fading into blue,
With one gray glimpse of sea. 
well thanks to Alfred Lord Tennyson as well of course
A path just after the lunch pub can be very wet and muddy , even in dry weather: use appropriate footwear but a comment in the Updates and Feedback Section section says that they were okay with trainers and a stick.

Lunch 
The suggested lunchtime stop is a lovely fullers pub the Red Lion pub (http://www.red-lion-fernhurst.co.uk/ according to this one http://www.theaa.com/pubs/fernhurst-the-red-lion-375765 dogs are welcome, tel 01428 643 112), by the village green at Fernhurst, offering quality home cooking. It serves food from noon until 2.30pm (I guess that you will arrive around 1.30pm)
They definitely appreciate a phone call when you leave the station to warn them that you are coming The village green opposite the pub has some benches where you can sit to eat a picnic.

Tea 
The suggested tea place is Darnleys tearoom (tel 01428 643 048) on Haslemere High Street, which closes at 5.00 pm but Hemmingways ( http://www.hemingwayscoffeeshop.co.uk/ ) opposite seem to stay open throughout the afternoon and evening.
Alternatives are the Swan Hotel (a Wetherspoons), or the White Horse Hotel (food: midday-9.30pm Saturday), both in the High Street.
The station is a good ten minute walk from the town centre.
There is a bar at the Inn on the Hill opposite the station (though it can be walker unfriendly and didn't serve real ale the last time that I was there) and
Metro Café (tel 01428 651 535) is just before the station (open till 5.00pm Saturdays)

You will also find more details on the lunch and tea options and background to the walk here

8 comments:

tartanrug said...

Have booked for 14 peeps, in the garden, for 1.30, at the pub. There is a smokers shelter and a back room for us if it rains. She will email me the menu for us to peruse and pre order! [Goodness she must think we are the Ramblers]. Will have a few copies for you to read on the train, if you wish, and I will get an indication, at the arrival introduction, if I may, who lunches and who sandwiches.

Marion Watkinson a founder walk checker and Founder of the Mid week walkers said...

I'm working every Saturday
but would love to meet up with Hugh again. Are people planning on staying on somewhere after the walk for an evening meal? Or maybe Hugh could come out with the Mid week walkers where i should love to meet up and walk with him again.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Pauline

Josefine said...

Hi Marion and anyone who knows me, I am coming on the walk with Hugh, my first for many years! I look forward to walking together and talking...!

See you on the train!

My number is 07949 86 86 06. Best to send me texts.

Love,
Josefine

Hugh said...

Marion, sorry you can't join us this weekend, and that I'm flying home Monday so won't make it to a mid-week walk. Good to know you're still active in the walkers club.
I'll be meeting the train at Haslemere as I'm staying nearby in Surrey.

Anonymous said...

n=40
w=warm and sunny

Far too many people to count but I'd say we were about 40. Fantastic walk.

Anonymous said...

Glad to see the old favorite still very popular. Many thanks to Hugh, Josefine and other veterans who built a strong foundation for the club to grow and prosper. And thanks to all volunteers, past and presents, for the contributions over the years and for keeping this club so unique and enjoyable.

Josefine said...

It was a glorious day! It was great to meet Leila again after so many years and John!
Hugh and his sister met us at the station and we got deep into conversation all the way to the pub and got lost on the way there. After lunch, Jane, Hugh and Sheila, Martin and Catherine where the last to finish our meal and made our own way back, so we lost you all! But what a day! I so enjoyed it!
Marion, Sorry you could not make it! We went to have tea at my hut and everyone enjoyed it. We left at 7pm, earlier than planned.