Sunday walk – Milford to Haslemere
T=1.27
Thursley, Hindhead & the Devil's Punch Bowl
Length: 18.7km (11.7 miles)
Toughness: 6 out of 10
This is a lovely walk, with remote heathland and some pretty lakes in the morning, and Devil's Punchbowl and Gibbet Hill in the afternoon.
A long walk along a road out through Milford is rewarded by the beauty of the landscape beyond. Bagmoor Common Nature Reserve’s heathland of purple moss grass and heather, and woodland of oaks and Scots pine, leads on to the lakes of Warren Mere and across to the village of Thursley which has a fine old church and your lunchtime pub, the Three Horseshoes. Mainly you are walking through National Trust land, sandy bridleways through ancient established woodlands and the heather, gorse and bilberry of the heathland.
Trains: Catch the 10am from London Waterloo (CJ 10.09, Woking 10.32) arriving Milford 10.55am. Return trains from Haslemere are at xx.17 and xx:42.
Buy a return to Haslemere.
Lunch: The Three Horseshoes in Thursley (advisable to book) or picnic in the churchyard.
Tea: options described in the walk directions plus a couple of other coffee shops which have sprung up in recent times.
For COVID contact tracing purposes, please email swc.wanderer@gmail.com or register on LWUG if you intend to come on the walk. In the event that you develop COVID symptoms in the week following the walk, please email swc.wanderer@gmail.com Your contact details will not be shared with anyone.
For walk directions and map click here
8 comments:
See Wendover walk comments. Is this Sunday walk invitation-only? Thank you.
No, SWC walks are never by invitation only. The walks are open to all.
Thank you.
Pub is fully booked even for drinks!!
N=12 on this walk, eleven off the train and one, delayed by traffic, sucessfully navigating the route alone. W=Light-drizzle-at-the-start-quickly-gave-way-to-clearer-skies-and-sunshine. Nine had a picnic in the churchyard and carried on in smaller groups. (Did two inveigle their way into the pub?) The landscape was at its verdant best. There were splashes of colour from rhododendrons in woods, lots of cow parsley and great displays of flowers in gardens we passed. We encountered very few people on this walk until we reached the National Trust cafe near the Devil's punchbowl and even that was not very busy. Four of us reached Haslemere just in time for the 16.41 train back to London.
Yes 2 of us managed to get a table outside the 3 horseshoes pub where tables had been set up for drinks only no food possibilities where we ate our picnic in comfort and used the facilities. Two tables of dog walkers had booked for 12 dogs which
made for interesting table companions. It seems it’s always worth checking out the pubs in person when denied a booking by phone as it seems to vary considerably as to whether there are tables available or not. We made our way slowly to Haselmere and joined up with 2 other walkers in the Swan pub and enjoyed drinks until catching the 6.42 train stopping at Milford to allow 3 car driver walkers to return home. A lovely walk with superb weather and accurate navigation across the heathland in the morning by those with GPS. The walk directions are too complex to follow without GPS. The lone Walker who missed the train had used an ordnance survey map and compass and caught the same late train as us 4 without the early evening pub stop we had enjoyed. It was her first walk so I do hope she comes again. Our founder Nicholas Albert would have been so impressed with our endeavours and ability to attract new walkers as was his wife walking with us for the first time after his untimely passing 20 years ago. She thoroughly enjoyed the day and commented how much Nicholas would have enjoyed all the new technology we now deploy. Thanks to Andrew’s web site and all the walk posters who should take credit for promoting and developing the Club. It is the only “social invention” that has endured and long may we continue to enjoy its benefits.
We are hoping to post the Haselmere circular walk on Saturday 3 July for a memorial walk to include a booked lunch.
Sorry the above should read NICHOLAS ALBERRY. Damn predicted text!! And my eyesight
Albery.
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