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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Sunday, 27 October 2024

Sunday Walk - Farnham to Blackwater: Farnham Park, Caesar’s Camp, Beacon Hill, Bourley Reservoirs, Gelvert Stream, Fleet Pond, Foxlease Meadows and Hawley Common

Length: 22.5 km (14.0 mi) 
Ascent/Descent: 313/330m 
Net Walking Time: about 5 hours 
Toughness: 5/10

 

Take the 09.05 Alton train from Waterloo (CJ 09.15, then Wimbledon, Surbiton, Woking etc.), arrives Farnham 10.13. 
Return trains are on xx.04 & xx.30 to Paddington (change Reading) and xx.09 & xx.35 to Waterloo (change Guildford). 
Buy a return to Blackwater and a single from Woking to Farnham.
 
The walk crosses Farnham Park to Upper Hale then enters remote MOD land (careful navigation needed) including a steep climb to Caesar’s Camp and equally demanding descent from Beacon Hill, overlooking a network of water channels and reservoirs. After lunch at The Foresters, you follow Gelvert Stream to Fleet Pond, get your feet wet in Foxlease Meadows, dry out over a cuppa watching cricket at the Crown and Cushion and view the boats from the sandy shores of Hawley Lake, before crossing Hawley Common to Blackwater station.
 
After Upper Hale the walk is largely within or close to MOD land until the outskirts of Blackwater. The area is designated on the OS maps by clear rather than red triangles, signifying managed access subject to the displayed by-laws, as opposed to danger areas. In practice this means that you are free to roam and the paths are clear on the ground, but there are no footpath or bridleway signs. The section through Foxlease Meadows is also not marked and is usually ‘spongy’ underfoot, so a drier alternative is given in the text.
 
Shorter Walk: Various options, check the webpage or the pdf for details.
 
Lunch: The Foresters , Church Crookham (11.3 km, food served to 18.00). 
Tea: Crown & Cushion, Minley (after 17.3 km).
 
For a summary, map, gpx/kml files and the walk directions click here. T=swc.160

1 comment:

Thomas G said...

After disentangling us from a larger walking group (meetup or similar) on the platform, 9 SWCies started the walk, soon caught up by a 10th walker, who after some questioning turned out to be looking for that other group though. Farnham Park was busy with people in the W=sunny weather and Upper Hale was a fine burb to walk through. Up into the MOD land of heaths with views, an iron age hillfort site, many fine woods and an 'interesting' descent from Beacon Hill.
2 turned off the route for early lunch at The Windmill Inn, which made sense as they were only going to walk to Fleet anyway.
Us 7 others walked on to The Foresters which had no tables inside until 4.30! but plenty of free ones outside.
We bumped into walker n=10 there who had parked at Fleet and walked back along the route. Punters who wanted to have the carvery lunch had to wait to be called up, so we had a long-ish stay but it was all worth it: a very well run establishment.
On then through more woods and past ponds and lakes to the slightly notorious bit of this route: padlocked gates, no right of ways and water-logged meadows with fallen trees and unclear paths. Only it wasn't bad at all today: most gates were not locked, there was a path most times and the water was just about ok. 1 then went to Fleet.
Which left Hawley Common to cross and then exit from it quite near the station. 16.35 it was and the trains we had just missed, so to the Mr Bumble pub we went before the next trains back to London (or Fleet).
A very rewarding route despite much noise from the many A roads, a motorway, Farnborough Airport and a race course. Great for autumn, not too muddy (it's mainly sandy soil after all) and with many fine views.