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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 13 August 2016

Saturday First Walk - Heather in bloom and the Devil's Punchbowl

Book 1, Walk 27 - Milford to Haslemere
Length 18.7km (11.7 miles)
Toughness: 6 out of 10

10.15 train from Waterloo (10.22 Clapham Junction) to Milford, arriving 11.05

Buy a day return to Haslemere

For walk directions click here.

In case anyone is confused, this is not not not the same walk as last week (that was Milford to Godalming) and it has nothing in common with it except the same starting station. 

One of the the great glories of this walk is a large expanse of heather heathland around the lunch pub, and usually in mid August this is in full flower (see photo).

Otherwise in the morning you have shady paths through ancient woodlands, and in the afternoon the highlight of the Devil's Punchbowl, a dramatic valley now thankfully freed from the noise of the A3 road (which was put into a tunnel). There is a choice of routes as you approach this, and personally I prefer the newer variant along the rim of the bowl.

The National Trust cafe at the Punchbowl is a good tea stop if the queues are not too long, and after it the variant to Gibbet Hill etc is recommended. Speedy types may get to Haslemere in time to enjoy Darnley's tea room, but personally I would take it easy and enjoy the magnificent scenery.

Trains back from Haslemere are at 02, 15 and 32 past, the 15 being slightly slower. There is also a 39 past, slower still and only worth taking if you just miss the 32.

5 comments:

MG said...

Just to clarify - it's a Book 1 walk.

Walker said...

Thank you, MG: corrected!

Anonymous said...

Your lunchtime stop on this walk is the Three Horse­shoes pub in Thursley (tel. 01252 703268)

ian t said...

N=25 or more showed up. (Hard to count that high, not enough fingers). W=cloudy-start-hot-and-sunny-later. Dry underfoot. So dry on the heath that the sand was difficult to walk through. But not impossible. The heather put on a good show. 3 Horseshoes fine. Did a nice cider called Hazy Hog.

Anonymous said...

Two more latecomers arrived on this walk on the 12.15 train from Waterloo. Lovely walk with heather at its best. No walkers or people around until the pub and Devil's punchbowl. Orientation problem at Bagmoor common, found it easier to use new footpath with yellow arrow (perhaps directions need updating here). Finished with tasty dinner and good service at the Swan Inn in Haslemere.