"This walk climbs to the celebrated viewpoint on Box Hill (named for its abundant box trees), it swiftly descends to become a gently undulating walk in and around the Mole Valley.
After its descent the outward leg follows the Pilgrims Way near the base of the North Downs escarpment, with a diversion into the disused Brockham Quarry. You might be lucky enough to see the pair of peregrine falcons which nest high up on the cliff face. Soon the walk swings round to make its way into the village of Betchworth, with its impressive parish church and a choice of lunch pubs.
The return leg starts with a particularly attractive stretch in the low hill above a loop of the River Mole, passing a fine bluebell wood. There are more refreshment places around Brockham's large village green, after which an old ‘Coach Road’ takes you back to the river. It then follows parts of the National Trust's ‘Riverside Walk’ and ‘Stepping Stones Walk’ to the famous crossing point at the foot of Box Hill, with a final refreshment stop at the eponymous pub on the road back to the station."
Daylight: Sunset is 15.53 so there is time, with an hour for lunch. Having crossed the river, it is also possible to take the path alongside the A24 rather than Burford Medows. The Dorking ending choice is at Pixham Bridge, and makes for a 15K walk.
Trains: get the 0941 Southern train from London Victoria (Clapham 0948) arriving 1037. Return trains are xx46. There is also an xx33 to Waterloo which requires having a more expensive all routes ticket (£11.60 or £14.80). A walk option is to return from Dorking with its more frequent service. Ticket prices are the same so you might want to get a Dorking return.
Lunch: There is a choice of two in Betchworth. The first one encountered (after 7¾ km) is the “traditional, quirky and independently-owned” Red Lion (01737-843336) on Old Road, which serves substantial portions of good home-cooked food. Its website no longer explicitly states that it ‘welcomes walk-ins with no booking’, but it does have plenty of space. Fifteen minutes further on, the Dolphin (01737-842288) does equally good food and in this case booking ahead is advisable.
Tea: There won't be time to stop before the end, so the Stepping Stones pub on the way to the station. Various choices in Dorking including The Lincoln Arms in Station Approach.
2 comments:
The group had some early fragmentation on routes up Box Hill, but regrouped at the viewpoint. We were 15 at that point, but 3 from an earlier train briefly joined after lunch, making n=18. The Red Lion was closed for a private function, but 6 of us ate at the The Dolphin, now owned by Dorking brewery, and an excellent pub stop.
Most picnicers went on, leaving a group of 7 walking back to West humble. Given the rain, it wasn't too bad underfoot apart from a few soggy fields in the afternoon. We got to the Stepping Stones pub a couple of minutes after dark, having enjoyed Box Hill lit up by the setting sun. Various trains home. A new walk for me and well worth repeating.
W=cloudy-clearing-to-sunny-intervals
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