Length: 11.5 miles (18.5 km) 6/10
This walk has worked really well at this time of year with good paths, autumn colour and mushrooms. Friday Street makes a satisfying high point even without the sadly departed Stephan Langton pub.
Travel: 1011 from Victoria (Clapham Junction 1018, Epsom 1052), arriving Dorking Main station at 1107. You could get the 1024 from Waterloo (arr 1116) and catch us up. The 1000 from London Bridge to Redhill, with v tight change on to the 1040 to Dorking Deepdene arriving 1052, would give you time to intercept the group on the road from Dorking Main station. Returns at 17 and 43 past the hour to Victoria, 30 to Waterloo and 58 from Dorking Deepdene to London Bridge via Redhill.
Lunch: The Wotton Hatch (01306-887694) on the A25 at Wotton after 7½ km, serves food all day and has a large beer garden with views of the North Downs, although it inevitably has some traffic noise from the main road.
Just before the pub, we pass the church of St John the Evangelist which is a suitable picnic spot.
Tea: quite a few options in Dorking, see the main walk page.
Shortening the walk: the short walk on the walk page takes a lower route from Wotton to Westcott avoiding the ascent through woods to Friday Street, to make a walk of 10 miles/16 km (4/10). Those with local knowledge may also be able to show you how to avoid the steep ascent of the Nower on the way in to Dorking towards the end of the walk.
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1 comment:
Another great turnout of #21 - including two newcomers - on a #glorious-autumn-day. Two chose innovative ways to join the route by car. As predicted there was a profusion of mushrooms of numerous types, and one wa picked for someone's dinner.
About six ate in the Wotton Hatch and most others had a drink. I lost track of those who didn't do so, but st least two caught the bus from there. I think all the pubgoers then did the full route via Friday Street, where a couple of us investigated the gutted former Stephan Langton building. The sign is gone so there is no indication it used to be a pub.
The group split up quite a bit in the afternoon, but six of us finished up with convivial drinks in the White Horse. Others were seen disappearing into a tea shop for cake or a supermarket for train journey supplies. A top day out for the last Wednesday of BST.
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