Book 1, Walk 6 - Liphook to Haslemere
Length: 15 km (9.3 miles)
Toughness: 5 out of 10
For those comfortable using public transport in these Covid times, your recommended train is:
London Waterloo: 09-45 hrs. Portsmouth Harbour service; Clapham Junction 09-52; Woking 10-13 hrs
Arrive Liphook: 11-00 hrs
Return: Haslemere to Waterloo: 4 an hour at approx 02, 15, 32 and 37 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Liphook, Hants
Car drivers: Liphook is one stop down the line from Haslemere, so park up in either.
Today's walk starts in woods in Hampshire and stays in woods or along woodland trails for much of the morning as you head along undulating paths and tracks towards the village of Fernhurst, for lunch at the (usually) excellent and popular Red Lion pub, with pleasant outdoor seating if the weather permits.
After lunch you encounter bridleways which can be horribly muddy in winter, but - hopefully - firm and dry today as, now back in Surrey - you continue on your way to Haslemere, with its two tea shops (both good) and several pubs.
T=1.6
Walk Directions are here: L=1.6
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
The Red Lion, Fernhurst tell me they are fully booked for this Wednesday lunchtime (folks taking advantage of Eat Out to Help Out). They might be able to accommodate some of us outdoors, weather permitting, but cannot guarantee to have space for us. So best play safe and bring a picnic today, and have a drink in the pub.
13 off the posted train and 2 arrived by car, making a good mid-week turnout of n=15, including one first timer, who I believe enjoyed her day.
We were lucky with the weather today, given the recent rain and storm Francis. It was mostly w=sunny-and-warm-with-a-pleasant-breeze, near perfect summer walking weather.
In the morning after we had left the woods of Stanley Common we spotted patches of purple heather to the side of the New Lipchis Way. Onwards then to pass the barking dog, who came out on cue to serenade us, then the lovely long woodland path along the contours of Greenhill Wood before we arrived in the village of Fernhurst. The Red Lion pub was doing a roaring trade. The tables at the front were "free" - whilst the tables in the pub's pretty and colourful back garden were packed. A few stopped for a drink, but most of us retired to the cricket ground nearby to enjoy our picnics whilst sunning ourselves.
Bar a few we left as one cohort to tackle the afternoon bridleways, for once dry and not calf-deep in mud. When back out in the open, such as Valewood Park, we took advantage of the blackberry bushes, laden with ripe fruit. By the time we had finished the bushes were bare !
Up the final steep bridleway and down into Haslemere, where most of us stopped for tea at Hemingways or Costa, which both were participating in the (last day of) the Eat Out to Help Out scheme. My slab of lemon and elderflower cake was delicious.
Travel by train felt safe today, having coaches mostly to ourselves in both directions. It helped having ten or twelve car formations.
I believe most enjoyed their day out on this lovely woodland walk in pleasant conditions, in company which wasn't too shabby either !
Post a Comment