tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13665817.post7777594658893967397..comments2024-03-28T11:16:38.801+00:00Comments on SWC - This Week's Walks: The North Downs and the Ash RangesAndrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11395064086819994526noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13665817.post-24075839024500198442017-05-29T10:47:12.309+01:002017-05-29T10:47:12.309+01:00Not a popular outing and I'm not sure if I sho...Not a popular outing and I'm not sure if I should include myself in the total as I decided to do my own bespoke version of this walk because a) I am too old and lazy to get up to catch a 9am train; b)who wants to walk 16m and end up back at Ash Vale; and c) Guildford is an excellent end of walk option for drinks, cakes and trains. <br />I set off at just after 11am to do the Ash Ranges first thus essentially reversing the last section of the walk. I continued on the reverse route until just beyond Fair View Farm where I detoured along the Fox Way, bypassing Wanborough Station and Flexford to walk along narrow and sometimes overgrown paths (which includes some stepping stones over a stream which almost provided a comedy moment thankfully unwitnessed by anyone else!) I continued past Wanborough Manor towards Hogs Back taking a barely discernable diagonal public path through a wheat field to cross the busy dual carriageway and on to Puttenham (10.4km) where I dropped into the lunch pub where 2 women walkers who had started from Ash Vale from the specified train recognised me. I stayed for a drink before having a short picnic lunch in the nearby churchyard and then continued on to Guildford either by the NDW or the more attractive adjacent paths. Back at the station I had cake and coffes before catching the fast 16.35 back to London. An excellent walk of 19.3km (12.1m) and around 4/10 for toughness. Lets say n=3 with the weather w=sunny-and-warm-before-lunch-light-rain-from-two-thirty-onwards.<br />(Sean- hope you are re-united with your Tilley Hat)PeteBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02135468832090264900noreply@blogger.com