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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.

Sunday 13 January 2019

Sunday Walk: Woldingham to Oxted

Main Walk: 16¾ km (10.4 miles). Toughness 5/10.
Short Walk, omitting Godstone: 11½ km (7.1 miles). Toughness 3/10.
Though just outside the London boundary, the first part of this walk through Marden Park and Marden Park Woods feels completely rural, following the North Downs Way west on an undulating, mostly wooded stretch.
The full walk takes you into the attractive village of Godstone, with a good choice of places for lunch. The afternoon largely follows the Greensand Way east to Oxted, through a more open landscape dotted with small settlements, including Tandridge whose churchyard is home to a magnificent old yew tree.
Trains  Get the 9:53 Oxted train from London Bridge  (East Croydon 10:09) arriving Woldingham 10:25. Get a return to Oxted.
Return trains at xx:29 and xx:59. 
Lunch
Main walk: Godstone has three pubs and two tearooms around its large village green. The Hare & Hounds (01883-742296), the White Hart (01883-742521), and the more up-market Bell Inn (01883-741877).
Also the Green Rooms of Godstone (01883-740407), and the Old Forge Deli Café (01883-743230).
Short walk: The suggested lunch place is The Haycutter (01883-776955) in Broadham Green. Before that,  there are three pubs in Old Oxted High Street : the Old Bell (01883-712181), the George Inn (01883-713453) and the Crown Inn (01883-717853).  Later, a short detour would take you to the Barley Mow (01883-713770) in Tandridge.
Tea
Two possible tea places in Station Road West: Robertsons at #42 (01883-712777; open daily to 5pm) and the Oxted Inn, a Wetherspoon's, right next to the station (01883-723440).
On the other side of the station, Station Road East, you'll find Caffè Nero at #139 (01883-730220; open to 5pm), and Costa Coffee at #62 (01883-723149; open to 5.30pm).
Directions here
t=swc.2

1 comment:

PeteB said...

14 assembled on the platform but we picked up the walk inspector late on in the pre-lunch section who had caught a later train and done a short cut and was waiting for us at a panoramic viewing point so we'll count him as well making a total of n=15. Two dropped out early on to do their own thing. Weather w= mild-and-cloudy. The ground was dry with little mud so we made good time along the undulating woodland trails. Four ate in the Hare and Hounds and the "sandwichers" met up with them fora drink before setting off on the afternoon leg.

Just before lunch a small hawk (about the size of a wood pigeon) was spotted in a tree mewling piteously as it appeared to have lost its handler. The bell on its leg could be heard when it fluttered away. I resisted pleas from the group to attach a piece of sandwich meat to my arm to lure it down but lets hope it found its way back home. Also a lost hat was reunited with its owner by 2 assiduous back-markers.

Most caught the 3.29pm train back to London whilst I and 2 others had a coffee at Costas and caught the 3.59. A superb day out with much witty chat and banter - obviously not from me - on a walk which deserves a spring or autumn outing to see it at its best.

Best wishes to the walker who is tackling a challenging mountain trek in Ethiopia to raise money for children in need. Finally a special mention in dispatches to the venerable and venerated SWC stalwart who using written walk instructions of vintage provenance drawn from the bowels of his unique bespoke filing system managed to take a wrong turning after lunch and ended up doing a huge extra circular section to complete a walk of around 13 miles and still just missing the 3.29pm train. A fine adventure in the very best traditions of the Saturday Walers Club (Sunday section.)