Length: 23.6 km (14.7 mi) [many longer and shorter options including a circular
route back to Haslemere]
Ascent/Descent: 433/496m
Net Walking Time: 5 ¼ hours
Toughness: 6/10
Take the 09.30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo (09.39
CJ, 10.12 Woking, 10.18 G’ford), arrives Haslemere 10.29.
Return trains from Farnham are on xx.00 (69 minutes) and xx.30
(64 minutes).
Buy a Haslemere return, you may then have to buy a separate
Farnham – Woking single.
The route leads out of Haslemere in a northerly direction along the
quietest and shortest possible route to ascend through Coombswell Copse and
along the wooded Invall ridge up to Hurt Hill and the Temple
of the Four Winds, the ruin of an early 20th century
belvedere, and one of several viewpoints with striking vistas. Turn westerly up
to Gibbet Hill (the second highest top in Surrey), with more far
reaching views, out to the North Downs and London, as well as back to Black
Down and to the South Downs.
Skirt around the Devil’s Punchbowl along the course of the old A3 and
descend into the remote Highcomb Bottom, a stunning sandy heathland
valley to re-join the Greensand Way to Thursley.
Its common (a NNR) is one of the largest heathlands as well as one of
the last lowland peat bogs in southern Britain and an optional extension gives
you prolonged exposure to it. Next up is Hankley Common, another large
heathland, and mostly MOD terrain, for an exploration of a D-Day training site
with a replica section of The Atlantic Wall and assorted other defensive
structures.
On to the picturesque village of Tilford with its pub and cricket pitch
on the green, followed by quiet woodland paths and lanes along the River Wey’s
North Branch into Farnham, with an optional extension past Waverley Abbey
House to Waverley
Abbey’s ruins along the way.
Elenvenses/Lunch: Café and Hotel Pub at The
Devil’s Punch Bowl, The
Three Horseshoes in Thursley (10.5 km/6.5 mi, food to 15.00), or
The Duke of Cambridge
in Tilford Common (15.9 km/9.9 mi, food all day) or The Barley Mow in Tilford
(17.5 km/10.9 mi, food to 16.00).
Tea: Tilford Village Shop, The Mulberry (food to 20.00), The Lamb or The William Cobbet.
For summary, map, height profile, photos, walk
directions and gpx/kml files click here.
T=swc.144
2 comments:
#4, I hear
Four at the station but intrepid #3 departed and walked the full length of the walk. Lovely weather, with not a cloud in sight. On we went, climbing the hills and crossing the fields until lunch in the Three Horseshoes. It was tasty, but pricy. Future walkers of a smaller stature or appetite may opt for children’s portions as they are available even to those who left their childhood far behind. We took a small shortcut to visit the church just before lunch and admired Saxon parts of the building. Off we went again, though the reserve and the golf course, before taking a break in Tilford Village Green where we caught the very last of a cricket match. After a solid trod of nearly 23km we reached the station and departed for London. Solid walk, with 4h45m walk time (plus lunch break), so not for the faint of heart or legs.
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