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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Wednesday 17 January 2018

Wednesday Walk: Wanborough to Godalming - Watts Gallery and Chapel, and along the River Wey

Book 1, Walk 2 - Wanborough to Godalming

Length: 12.9 km (8 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10 (more if muddy)

London Waterloo: 10-15 hrs   Haslemere service.   Clapham Junction 10-22 hrs
Arrive Guildford: 10-50 hrs   Change trains
Leave Guildford:  11-00 hrs   Ascot service
Arrive Wanborough: 11-06 hrs

Return: Godalming to Waterloo: 15-25, 15-51, 16-25, 16-38, 16-51, 17-25, 17-40 and 17-51 hrs

Rail ticket: Buy a day return to Wanborough plus a single from Godalming to Guildford

This short walk has lots of variety and sights and it usually makes for a lovely winter's outing.

In the morning a new route avoids a waterlogged path as you head over fields towards Wanborough Church (worth a visit), Your walk then continues steadily uphill along a bridleway over-arched by evergreens before you cross the A31 road and head down through Greyfriars Vineyard. You are soon on the North Downs Way as you head for Watts Gallery (worth a visit) with its much improved tea room, a possible early lunch stop. Just down the road from the Gallery is Watts Chapel, again, well worth a visit.
You now head for the village of Compton, via a farm and along the edge of a wood (which can be muddy), for the lunch pub stop on today's walk, the usually excellent and comfy Withies Inn Booking ahead is strongly advised - I prefer the informal bar area to the restaurant with its low ceiling, which I find cramped and claustrophobic. Withies Inn: 01483-421158. Your e.t.a will depend on the number of sights you visit in the morning.
After lunch you have a pleasant route over fields and through woodland, then along an undulating path above and beside the River Wey, before you drop down to walk beside the river all the way into Godalming. The preferred  tea stop of late is the upstairs room in Cafe Mila, in Angel Court, just off the High Street. After tea you have a ten minute walk to Godalming station, for your journey home.
This is a lovely little walk - and so Recommended.
T=1.2
Walk Directions are here: L=1.2

2 comments:

Marion Watkinson said...

Weather forecast looks good. I’m coming

Marcus said...

9 off the scheduled train, and 2 who took an earlier one, so for the second Wednesday running, we had n=11 for today's adventure.
Once again we were fortunate with the weather: w=sunny-and-cold-but-dry-all-day, with medium mud levels as to be expected. The early arrivals visited Watts Gallery, to be joined by others for a visit to Watts Chapel. On then to Withies Inn where 7 of us enjoyed a good luncheon, with usual excellent service despite this pub being full, as always (booking ahead, which we did, is now essential, both mid-week and at weekends). Our 4 sandwichers had a drink at the bar, some sitting by a cosy fire.
Forcing ourselves back out into the open for the afternoon leg, we enjoyed some nice views along the route, then some sloppy mud on the undulating path above the River Wey, before the pleasant, dry leg beside the River into Godalming, where 5 headed direct to the railway station for an early train and an early return to London. 4 (I believe) went to Cafe Mila for tea, whilst 2 of us set out along the tow path beside the River for the four and a half mile walk extension to Guildford. We arrived there just before 5 pm in fading light (but still not dark) for a quick drink at the Britannia pub, then on to the station for a fast train home.
Another most enjoyable SWC mid-week outing in the best of company.