Length: Length: 16¾ km (10.4 miles). Toughness: 5/10
09:41 Dorking train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 9:48), arriving Box Hill & Westhumble at 10:37
Buy a return to Box Hill & Westhumble or Dorking (same price). If you want the option to do one of the alternative endings (see the walk document for details), get a return to Dorking.
Return trains from Boxhill are at xx:35 to Waterloo & xx:46 to Victoria (from Dorking at xx.32 to Waterloo, xx.17 and xx.43 to Victoria
You may recognise the villages of Betchworth and Brockham from another walk, but this walk offers some novelty: the inside of a large chalk quarry (and maybe its pair of peregrine falcons), fine views across parkland towards the North Downs and an opportunity to visit the ruins of Betchworth Castle (detour at point 41 in the directions).
The Red Lion in Betchworth (01737-843336) has been well received by past walkers. You may wish to call in advance but their website says they accept walk-ins with no booking. Fifteen minutes further on the walk route also passes the Dolphin (01737-842288), for which booking ahead is advised.
For end of walk refreshment, there is the Stepping Stones pub near Box Hill station or there are earlier mid-afternoon refreshment at Brockham's large village green: The church sometimes offers Teas on the Green with home-made cakes. The Village Hall contains the Reading Room Coffee and Cake House and a small bar The Taphouse The Inn on the Green serves a full afternoon tea
For full details and to download your copy of the directions see the L=swc.396 page.
2 comments:
The Brockham church teas are wonderful, but only on Sundays April to October, sadly
11 at the start of this walk, but others materialised in the early stages, so in all n=15. Unexpectedly the weather was w=mainly-sunny - at least till 3pm when the cloud rolled in. No rain till after dark, though. The paths a bit slithery in places due to recent rain, but not massively so.
I had wanted to try out this walk for a while. It is very familiar territory to me - a paradise for butterflies in summer - but the route took me to some delightful new places. In particular I liked the panoramic valley views after lunch in Betchworth. There was also a good wild garlic wood or two, and one bluebell wood that looked set to be quite spectacular. None of this in flower yet, of course, but cheerful yellow celandines and daffodils making a good showing in places.
I think most of us ate in the Red Lion. What a pub! Speedy and efficient service, a great menu and some vast portions. I am known for my gargantuan appetite but even I wondered if I would dispatch the huge slab of steak and ale pie and mash I was presented with. But reader, I managed it.
In the afternoon at least six of us stopped at the tea room in Brockham, a few of us daring to sit outside and pretend it was spring (unfortunately it was just at this point that the sun went in…). After a very nice finish along the swollen brown Mole River and the flank of Box Hill, eight went for drinks in the Stepping Stones, six staying for some time. We ignored the rugby and talked of cultural differences and constitutional law and all sorts before getting the 18.35 train to Waterloo.
A great day out. Happy, chatty, and scenic, with the promise of spring in the air.
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