20.6km (12.8 miles), 6/10
(A shorter 10 mile walk is possible - see below).
We start along the River Wey, then follow the North Downs Way through woods, past the ruins of Waverley Abbey and through more woods. We peer nervously into Mother Ludlum’s Cave then run away quick before she catches us. In the afternoon, sandy bridleways, woods, open parkland and more River Wey till Godalming is reached.
For a shorter 10 mile walk you could follow the second half of CW2 Walk 12 back to Farnham from the Donkey. (Note, though, that that option involves a 450m stretch along a road with no verge).
Trains
Get the 10:07 Alton /Basingstoke train from Waterloo (Clapham Jct 10:15) arriving Farnham 11:13.The train divides at Woking so make sure you are in the Alton section of the train.
Return from Godalming at xx:27 and xx:56.
Get a return to Farnham plus a single from Godalming to Guildford.
(Should you do the shorter walk, trains return from Farnham at xx:00 and xx30)
Lunch
First up, the Barley Mow (tel 01252 792 205) in Tilford. The traditional lunch stop for SWC walkers comes some 2.75km (45 minutes) later, The Donkey (tel 01252 702 124), in Charles Hill (booking advised). Both pubs described as walker-friendly.
Tea: Godalming
For an early stop, try the Stag on the River in Eashing (tel 01483 421568).
In Godalming itself, Caffè Nero is open till 5:30 and Costa Coffee open to 5, both on the High Street. (Café Mila closes at 3). For a pub, there's the Star on Church Street.
Tea: Farnham
The Mulberry, the pub by Farnham station, serves tea and coffee well into the evening,. Quieter pub options nearby include The Lamb and the William Cobbett on the other side of the A31. T=1.12
Directions: Main walk Farnham to Godalming
Shorter walk back to Farnham: From the Donkey, follow the Guildford to Farnham walk from point 108.
1 comment:
N=4 arrived at Farnham. It was a w=chilly-cloudy-start-but-got-warmer. We made good progress through the verdant countryside until we got to the sheep. The sheep had fallen on its side in a heavily fortified field and was struggling to get up. Being sophisticated city folk, sheep wrangling was not really our thing. Not mine anyway. After some deliberation, we headed on and tried enquiring at local houses. Having been told it would die if left there, we headed back,with a few more walkers in tow, to sort the sheep out, but were overtaken by a local who had overheard us. She sprinted past, leapt over the locked gate and before any of us could catch up, had flipped the sheep over. It was fine. (As was I when I fell over earlier).
Only one ate at the Donkey but some drinks were consumed. One of the donkeys gave us a hee-haw. Windows rattled.
Here we parted company, 2 going to Godalming and 2 back to Farnham.
The Farnham 2 tried going over Crookham Hill to avoid the stretch of road with no verge. The detour was fine with good views but we then had to contend with a busier, longer road that also had no verge.
We got to Farnham OK and visited the Bush Hotel which has a pleasant garden and a couple of cheeky robins looking for scraps. Worth noting, perhaps, that some of the route retraces the morning's.
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