Length: 20km; various shortcuts are available
Toughness: 4 / 10
Transport: Take the 9:45 from London Waterloo arriving in Guildford at 10:29. Return trains from Guildford at xx:49 with last (slow) train at 17:49 !!
They really mean it this time: Only this connection and the one to Reading are still running. Everything else is shut. However, this is always an enjoyable walk up Martha's Hill, around Albury Mill and through Blackheath Forest. I would recommend to start the walk through the grounds of Guildford Castle and then connect to the bottom of Chantries Hill. This slightly shortens the walk and avoids duplicating the stretch along the Wey Navigation.
4 comments:
It is worth pointing out that these trains stop at Clapham Junction - at 9.53 on the outward service.
I’ll try to join at end of walk in Guildford. Let me know where you end up. Thanks
Some people are in the King’s Head
I didn’t count, not expecting to write this report, but we later calculated that 10 brave souls assembled outside Guildford station, three being not so brave as they had come by car. At lunch we were joined by another driver, making N=11 in all.
W=Brightish-cloud probably best describes the weather. It occasionally tried to be sunny but never succeeded for long.
Our walk poster led us on his New Improved Route (patent pending) through the castle grounds and down to the base of Chantries Hill. A companion and I got a bit left behind on the climb and nearly got absorbed by a large party of bright-eyed young MeetUp types. We met the others of our party at St Martha’s Church.
I think the picnickers ate here and one or two maybe did the Chilworth shortcut (?). The rest of us carried on to Albury where 7 of us had lunch on the back terrace of the Drummond pub, receiving prompt and efficient service.
Two then got the bus back to their car. Leastways, they were last seen waiting for the bus which was 20 minutes late. The remaining 6 of us (including one picknicker) carried on with the afternoon route over Blackheath. Getting close to Guildford we saw a black shape a bit like a child’s cuddly toy scuttling into the Wey, which we decided might have been a water vole.
Two (and one other picknicker) had got to the King’s Head as early as 3.45pm. The rest of us (minus one who had split off to return to his car) got there at 4.15. Three of us went to Gail’s to get tea. We stood in a long line only to be told once we got to the front that they had no hot water. Grrr! So to Cafe Nero.
We met up again with the drinkers (who had got through sufficient wine in the pub, they said, so didn’t want to get any for the train) and had a pleasant ride home on the well-used 5.49pm train, all pleased to have managed a proper country walk despite the strike (which we hope will be settled soon in a manner fair and equitable to all parties….)
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