Length: 20.6km (12.8 miles). For a shorter 16.2km (10.1 mile) walk, see ** below
Toughness: 6 out of 10. T=1.12
Catch the 9.23 train from Waterloo to Farnham, arriving 10.25
If you just miss this train, get the 9.30 Portsmouth train from Waterloo to Woking and change there (arrive 9.54, depart 10.00) for the above train.
From Clapham Junction, get the 9.27 Exeter train and change at Woking (arrive 9.45, depart 10.00).
Buy a day return to Farnham. On the way back you need a single from Godalming to Guildford (tickets to Farnham are valid via Guildford, even though this is not the normal route).
For walk directions click here. For GPX click here.
Once you get free of the horrid A31, this walk is a very pleasant walk up an interesting river valley to the pretty village of Tilford. You are then into more woody heathy territory (which has the advantage of sandy soils to keep the mud quotient down) as far as Charleshill.
Lunch can either be at The Barley Mow in Tilford or the Donkey in Charleshill. The latter is quite small and somewhat gastro and it would probably be wise to have phoned to secure a place. (I have made a booking for 8 people, just to start the ball rolling...). The former is from memory a somewhat larger establishment but is only 3 miles or so into the walk.
After Charleshill you are out in quite wild and remote Surrey territory. Truth to tell, I have not done this part of the walk for 15 years or so, so my comments must needs be somewhat approximate. I can vouch for the pretty ending in Godalming though an area of wild riverside also passed on the Warnborough to Godmalming walk. For tea Godalming has various choices, including - if all else fails - a Costa Coffee open till 6.30pm.
** The shorter option, a walk of 16.2km (10.1 miles) is to do the Farnham Circular option of the Guildford to Farnham walk. To do this, follow the Farnham to Godalming walk as far as the Donkey and then switch to paragraph 109 on page 9 of these directions (you need only print pages 9 and 10). GPX here.
Trains back from Godalming are at 25 and 53 past and from Farnham at 28 and 58 past
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2 comments:
I can recommend Changing Perceptions Community Cafe and Workshop in Godalming for tea. Cafe Mila is also good although last time I was there it was very busy with families.
N=13 on this walk. Despite rain being threatened for the afternoon, it largely held off, with only very minor precipitation after 3.30pm. It was even sunny at times around lunchtime and in the early afternoon. So W=mostly-dry-and-occasionally-sunny.
I had booked for eight at The Donkey, a wise precaution as it turned out. As it happened, eight was the exact number who wanted to eat, so that was handy. One also joined us as a drinks-only companion. Four picnickers presumably went on without us, as picnickers are wont to do. We eight had a very nice lunch in the conservatory with a good view of the eponymous donkeys, who some of the party communed with after eating.
The afternoon stretch was the bit of the walk I had not done for years. It is perfectly pleasant in winter, dry underfoot, with some nice wooded bits. We got to Godalming around 4.30, so filled the day nicely. Cafe Mila was just closing and there was some fragmentation of the group as we looked for alternatives. Four of us ended up in Costa Coffee and two of those joined two others later in a pub. The train home was full of football supporters on the way back from Portsmouth, but fortunately the BTP (British Transport Police) were out in force and there was no rowdiness.
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