Length: 20.6 km (12.8 miles) 6/10
This walk starts and ends along the River Wey. It follows the start of the North Downs Way through a narrow forested valley. It passes the village of Tilford (an early lunch there is the best bet) before going through woods, mainly on sandy bridleways (which therefore shouldn't be as muddy as some) before entering the open parklands of the Peper Harrow estate and along a narrow wooded valley beside the River Wey to tea in Godalming's ancient centre. A bit longer than some Wednesday walks but we completed it comfortably in daylight in January a couple of years ago, so by mid February it shouldn't be a problem.
Trains: 0953 from Waterloo (Clapham Junction 1000, Woking 1029), to Farnham, arriving 1055. Return trains from Farnham at 28 and 58. Plenty of trains back from Godalming. Get a return to Farnham and a single from Godalming to Woking.
Lunch: Following the closure of the Donkey in Charleshill, the only practical place for a pub lunch is the Barley Mow in Tilford (tel 01252 792 205), unfortunately only 4 miles into the walk, and the green there is probably the best picnic spot.
Tea: The Star on Church Street in Godalming is a favourite post-walk watering hole. There is a choice of tea rooms in Godalming although by the time we get there, only the well-known chains are likely to be open. I don't think the formerly recommended Cafe Mila is still extant.
Shortening the walk: When we get to Charleshill after about 6 miles, you can switch on to walk 2.12 Guildford to Farnham which gives a 10 mile circular walk back to Farnham. Directions etc. for this are in option (c) here.
L=1.12
1 comment:
8 on the posted train today not put off by the weather forecast which turned out to be #cloudy-then-sunny-then-rainy. Walker #9 missed the train and then got held up by multiple delays, heroically doing the walk a couple of hours behind, and reported to be a mile outside Godalming when most of us were catching the 1711 train.
In between . . . five of us stopped for a sandwich by the river at Tilford then popped into the Barley Mow for a drink. We split up a bit in the aftenoon but the same five met again for tea at Thyme for Tea opposite the Star: offically closing at 4.30, they kindly served us at about 4.29 and let us sit finishing our drinks till 5. Two of those who had not stopped at Tilford went to the Star and we met them again on the station platform.
Quite a lot of flowers emerging, lots of crocuses and one or two celandines. Lots of solid sandy paths but some big path-wide puddles to wade through and not all feet stayed dry.
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