Length: 17.9km (11.1 miles) T=1.20
Catch the 9.45 train from Waterloo (9.52 Clapham Junction) to Milford, arriving 10.38
Buy a day return to Milford (Surrey)
South Western Railway reckon their services will be largely unaffected by yesterday's Aslef strike, and so operating mostly normally today. So cross fingers. Since this is only an hourly train, in the event of its cancellation, get the next fast train to Guildford and meet in the station foyer there. There are lots of possible walks from Guildford.
This favourite SWC walk probably needs no introduction. Surrey woods and fields and a walk through Winkworth Arboretum on a right of way. I have no idea if it has good displays of snowdrops, but I am hoping the Arboretum will have some at least.
There are two lunch pubs, one a bit early, the other more to the middle of the walk. The latter usually lets us in, but in extremis there is a tea kiosk by the entrance to Winkworth Arboretum.
Hectors on the Wey, charmingly situated at Farncombe Lock, is a possible tea option. Otherwise Godalming town centre has various options. The Star Inn in Church Street is (mysteriously to me) a walkers' favourite.
Trains back from Godalming are at 12, 25 and 40 past the hour
As it is the day before the full moon, if the skies are clear, there is the possibility of a moonlight extension up the Wey Navigation from Farncombe to Guildford. This is an easy to follow riverside path with a nice range of scenery, pubs at the end, and more or less pointing into the moonlight (which will be east north east), so producing the best visual effects. Note this would be a moonlight walk, not a torchlight walk....Let your eyes adapt....
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We have got to stop meeting like this…n=32 on this walk, who made a large crowd on the platform and were only outdone by an even larger group from some other walking outfit in the car park. But thankfully we never saw them again.
It was w=cloudy-but-mild. Paths were weirdly dry. OK, there were a few gloopy bits where the path was confined by fences near subterranean springs, but mainly it was July underfoot. Something ain’t right with our climate…
An uneventful morning apart from two llamas being taken for a walk (they were excitedly nibbling the nettles and shrubs by the path, while their fellows in a nearby field sported “Hey, it ain’t fair!” expressions) and a nice snowdrop display in the churchyard at Hambledon. Birdsong included great tits, a dunnock and a mistle thrush.
Two separate tables had been booked for lunch in the White Horse. We tried to add a third and were told we would have to wait till 1.15pm. But when we arrived at 12.40, the pub was empty. Lots ordered at and sat in the bar. On our reserved third table in the restaurant we eventually decided it would be quicker to do the same. The staff were happy with this and the food came quickly.
Approaching Winkworth Arboretum in the afternoon we saw lots of daffodils in flower - a bit weird for 4 February. We got a bit strung out on the next section, but regrouped at Farncombe Lock, where Hectors-by-the-Wey having shut at 3pm caused a whole gaggle of walkers to stand around bewildered.
Half the gaggle went to Godalming. Seven of us swiped right to go up the Wey to the Manor Inn in Farncombe for tea, drinks and sticky toffee pudding. We then set off at 5pm to walk to Guildford in the gloaming. Sadly, persistent cloud meant no moonlight but a compensation was a Hitchcockian-sized flock of rooks and jackdaws wheeling to roost in some nearby trees, and seven or eight song thrushes all competing in song as the light faded.
There was some attempt to persuade us to finish in Shalford, but this was scotched and we all went on to Guildford, where on our third attempt we found a rugby-free pub (the White House) for end of walk refreshies. We then got a train home. Not sure at what time: I always forget to take note.
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