Woldingham to Oxted
T=swc.2
Length: 16¾ km (10.4 miles). Toughness 5/10.
Length: 16¾ km (10.4 miles). Toughness 5/10.
There is a shorter version missing out Godstone of 11½ km, 7.1 m. Toughness: 3/10
The train problems two weeks ago put paid to doing this walk, so here it is again.
The train problems two weeks ago put paid to doing this walk, so here it is again.
"The walk is only just outside the London boundary and yet the first part with a steady climb up the side of the valley into Marden Park Woods feels completely rural. In these woods the route joins the North Downs Way and heads west on an undulating stretch, still mostly through woodland. This section ends at a fine viewpoint on Gravelly Hill, a potential picnic spot.
The walk then descends from the North Downs ridge into the attractive village of Godstone, which features a large green and a good choice of places for lunch. The afternoon route mostly follows the Greensand Way, heading east from to Oxted. This section is quite different in character: a more open landscape dotted with small settlements, including one with a magnificent ancient tree in its churchyard, the Tandridge Yew."
Trains: Get the 0950 East Grinstead train from Victoria, Clapham 0957, East Croydon 1010 arriving Woldingham at 1026. Return trains are: xx23 & xx53 to Victoria & xx20 to London Bridge. Get a return to Oxted.
Lunch: Godstone, 9½ km along the main route. The Hare & Hounds (01883-742296) serves typical pub food; the more up-market alternatives are the White Hart (01883-742521) and the Bell Inn (01883-743216). Light lunches are available at the Green Rooms of Godstone
Tea: Various options in Oxted, including a Wetherspoons pub by the station.
The walk then descends from the North Downs ridge into the attractive village of Godstone, which features a large green and a good choice of places for lunch. The afternoon route mostly follows the Greensand Way, heading east from to Oxted. This section is quite different in character: a more open landscape dotted with small settlements, including one with a magnificent ancient tree in its churchyard, the Tandridge Yew."
Trains: Get the 0950 East Grinstead train from Victoria, Clapham 0957, East Croydon 1010 arriving Woldingham at 1026. Return trains are: xx23 & xx53 to Victoria & xx20 to London Bridge. Get a return to Oxted.
Lunch: Godstone, 9½ km along the main route. The Hare & Hounds (01883-742296) serves typical pub food; the more up-market alternatives are the White Hart (01883-742521) and the Bell Inn (01883-743216). Light lunches are available at the Green Rooms of Godstone
Tea: Various options in Oxted, including a Wetherspoons pub by the station.
3 comments:
N=14 on this walk - 13 at the start and another who got the train half an hour later and caught up with us near the end. There were also another seven non-SWC walkers who had apparently seen the posting on our website and decided to do the walk independently, but I don’t think that really counts, since they didn’t interact with us.
The weather was misty to start - even up on the downs ridge. After that w=cloudy. The sun did come out at 3.30pm but by then all but your correspondent were in headlong rush for the next train mode.
We had a nice walk through the North Downs woods, admiring from time to time the inconspicuous way the 1980s road planners threaded the M25 through the landscape below. We came down to Godstone, where the unpretentious Hare and Hounds were not busy, and served nice food. Six ate there and others had drinks.
Did some finish in Godstone by taking a bus? Whatever, there were fewer of us afterwards. We ploughed on past the Barley Mow (revamped) and after some hemming and hawing took the slightly longer route via the Tandridge Yew. A zillion years old and still producing berries. Gilbert Scott (who? - Ed) is buried in the churchyard and possibly other famous people: but since we could not remember who or where, we could not find their graves.
At Old Oxted, as the sun came out, I lobbied in vain for a stop in a pleasant pub garden. Instead we went on by the old mill, where I was arrested by the sight of several dragonflies and an unusual damselfly that I think was an Emerald. Due to this I lost the rest of the group.
Oxted proper, when I got to it, seemed in a miserable state of torpor. All the shops and cafes either were shut or looked it. I went to the Costa and had an interminable wait for a takeaway tea while the barista made some sort of frozen yoghurt triple latte mocha cream whip concoction for another customer. Just before going in, I was informed the others were in the Weatherspoons by the station, but when I got back to it they were not there, so I guess the 4.23 train swallowed them up. I took my tea to the park and sat in the sun to write this, trying to ignore the noisy funfare in its opposite corner.
Gilbert Scott:Harrow School library, St Pancras Railway Hotel, Brighton College. And many more, including multiple workhouses.
I don't wish to prolong this thread unduly, but to be accurate [Sir George] Gilbert Scott is buried in Westminster Abbey. As stated in the Walk Notes, the marble tomb-monument in Tandridge churchyard (which we had a quick look at) is in memory of his wife, Lady Scott.
Annoying that both the coffee shops in Station Road West were closed. One walker reportedly pressed on to look for a fabled community orchard in the next town, others had a quick drink in the conveniently-placed Wetherspoons. I had a brief chat there with three of the independent walkers, who were all very complimentary about our website and walks. I think most went for the 4.20 non-stop to Croydon, spurning the attractions of the park fairground.
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