Ascent/Descent:
194/195m
Net
Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours
Toughness:
4 out of 10
Take the 10.03 Guildford train from
Waterloo (stops Vauxhall, CJ,
Earlsfield, W’don, Surbiton etc.), arrives Oxshott 10.37.
Return
trains: 6 per hour (irregularly, 42 mins journey time).
Buy
an Effingham Junction return (but don’t use a
Network Railcard, as the price is below the £13 threshold).
This walk links together several diverse heaths,
woods and commons in metropolitan Surrey. It begins by heading North through
Oxshott Heath and cuts West across Esher Common and round Black Pond to the A 307
(Portsmouth Road). The route descends through Winterbottom Wood to take in a
section of the River Mole, heading North, then climbs up to the Ledges with
views down to the river. You cross the A 307 again and continue through Esher
Common from a high vantage point, now heading first East, then South-East on
farm lanes and well-marked bridleways through Arbrook Common to the little-known
Crown Property of Prince’s Coverts.
You emerge to the South of the Estate by the Star Inn for lunch.
In the afternoon you take a convoluted route around
Ashtead Common and Epsom Common, with options for taking a more direct route to
Ashtead station.
Lunch: The Star (12.5 km/7.8 mi, food all day).
Tea: a pub, a coffee shop
and a bakery in Ashtead.
1 comment:
Just a hardy bunch of n=7 walkers out for this today, as the weather turned out as forecast: w=heavily-overcast-with-periods-of-drizzle-then-rain. It was dry initially and again in the last hour or so, but inbetween all kinds of gear had to be put on. That didn't distract from what is a very good autumn walk, with plenty of varied woods en route (all with good colour displays), amongst the sandy paths, heathland and ponds. The ground was muddy in places but not much. The Star Inn was busy but with some tables available and friendly and efficient, and we got to Ashtead station just before 16.00 hours. 3 went to the platform, the other 4 to The Woodman.
The directions could do with some more compass bearings at critical junctions (there are always more paths in the woods than a map suggests) and some of the waymarkers etc were not there anymore, adding to doubts about the onwards route in places. All good stuff, apart from the obvious downsides: the closeness to the A3 and the noise it generates, and some stretches along an HV pylon line.
Post a Comment