Holmwood to Gomshall

Length: 16.7 km (10.4 miles) 6/10

I've had a request for a hilly walk so I'm posting this one a bit earlier than previous years. The bluebells won't be out yet but the walk usually gets a Saturday outing later in the spring. 

Travel: 0941 from Victoria (Clapham Junction 0948, Epsom 1024) arriving Holmwood 1047. Return trains from Gomshall via Guildford at 1501, 1601, 1731 and 1831; via Redhill at 1622, 1722 and 1821.

Get a return to Gomshall. This will be valid as far as Dorking on the outward route and might be accepted to Holmwood, although you could be asked to pay a small supplement. Holmwood and Gomshall are on different lines with trains operated by different railway companies, so if you want the option of travelling back via Guildford, you will need a day return to Gomshall any route permitted.

Lunch: the walker-friendly Wotton Hatch pub (tel.01306 887694) in Wotton, some 11.5 km into the walk. This pub serves food all day in comfortable internal and outdoor seating areas (both quite extensive) and has a good value set menu in addition to an a la carte menu.

Tea: The Abinger Hammer Tea Rooms are just over a mile from the end of the walk. Just before Gomshall station, the Compasses Inn at Gomshall Mill has a pleasant beer garden with a stream outside, while the Gomshall Mill next door has reopened after a big refurbishment.

Short and long options: The easiest way to shorten the walk is to catch the hourly 32 bus to Guildford or Redhill opposite the Wotton Hatch pub. If you have tea in Abinger Hammer you can catch the same bus from there or, as detailed in the walk directions, simply turn right, westwards, from the tearoom and stay on the A25 to Gomshall Station.

The route intersects the Dorking circular walk SWC 274 so if you want to finish at Dorking you could follow that from Friday Street or Wotton, a slightly shorter (15 km) route. 

There are various map-led ways to extend the walk, for instance following the Greensand Way west for 6 km to Holmbury Hill (5 km south of Gomshall station; reverse the route of this walk to get there) or heading towards Box Hill (route described on last year's April posting, see History page): the viewpoint on Box Hill is 10 km from the lunch pub.

For walk directions, map and GPX click here

T=1.42