Toughness: 5 out of 10
9.45 train from Waterloo (9.52 Clapham Junction) to Witley, arriving 10.43. There will be a Meet-Up group on this train: they are going the opposite way to us, but don't get caught up in the wrong group on the platform at Witley.
Buy a day return to Haslemere
There are no written directions for this walk, but you are following the Greensand Way throughout, which ought to be waymarked. For GPX click here, for a map of the route click here.
It is worth pointing out what this walk is NOT: it is NOT Witley to Haslemere from book one, and it is NOT Milford to Haslemere. It has not had an outing with the SWC since November 2019, when it was adjudged a good autumn walk.
That being said, it shares some elements with the Milford to Haslemere walk, going to the Three Horseshoes lunch pub in Thursley, and past the Devil's Punchbowl, only along the other side of it.
As on that walk, the early tea option is the National Trust cafe at the head of the Devil's Punchbowl, open to 5pm, or you can push on the Hemingways in Haslemere, also open to 5pm. Haslemere also has pubs...
Trains back from Haslemere are at 02, 14 and 30 past, the 14 past being slightly slower, but only slightly
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13 (plus dog) assembled at the station for this walk and managed to disentangle themselves from two other groups (going in different directions, thankfully). We even managed to poach someone from one of the other parties, making the count 14. Then at lunch number N=15 turned up, having taken a later train because the hamster ate his homework or somesuch excuse. But he caught us up, so credit to him.
Lots of woody bits on this walk, but a lot less autumn colour than we saw in the Chilterns last week. However there were masses of sweet chestnuts on the ground and lots of collecting of the same. Several got to lunch to find no room inside and the garden shut, but free tables out front. About six of us forgot about lunch altogether until we were about a mile beyond the pub and then had to backtrack. Food service was cheerful and efficient - we were allowed to order at the bar, which is always nice.
After lunch, a long gentle climb up a track. Masses of fungi to be seen, including more (and larger) fly agaric than I have seen in my whole life up to now. The weather, which had been sunny-ish, turned increasingly cloudy and gloomy for a time (so w=variable-sun-and-cloud), but it never actually rained.
Getting to the National Trust tea room at the top of the Devil’s Punchbowl, we found it open (for a change), though somewhat denuded of cakes and serving tea in paper cups because no staff were available to do washing up. I counted eleven having tea, and we were there a good while, a contrast to last week when I had tea alone.
Down in Haslemere six of us went straight to the station but then repaired to Harper’s Steakhouse, the former pub opposite the station which is still like a pub, basically. After a round of drinks we got the 6.14 train home.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria (fly agaric mushrooms)
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