Farningham Road to Sole Street

SWC Walk 207 - Farningham Road to Sole Street 

Length: 17.2 km (10.7 miles). Toughness: 3/10 

Catch the 09:42 from London Victoria arrives Farningham Road station 10:20. 

Buy a day return to Sole Street. Return trains from Sole Street xx:32. 

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Wednesday walk: The Pilgrim's Way and Surrey slopes: Dorking circular via Friday Street

Length: 11.5 miles (18.5 km) 6/10

This walk has worked really well at this time of year with good paths, autumn colour and mushrooms. Friday Street makes a satisfying high point even without the sadly departed Stephan Langton pub.

Travel: 1011 from Victoria (Clapham Junction 1018, Epsom 1052), arriving Dorking Main station at 1107. You could get the 1023 from Waterloo (arr 1116) and catch us up. The 0951 from London Bridge to Redhill involves a long wait before the 1040 to Dorking Deepdene arriving 1052, but this would give you time to intercept the group on the road from Dorking Main station. Returns at 17 and 43 past the hour to Victoria, 30 to Waterloo and around 54-59 from Dorking Deepdene to London Bridge via Redhill.

Lunch: The Wotton Hatch (01306-887694) on the A25 at Wotton after 7½ km, serves food all day and has a large beer garden with views of the North Downs, although it inevitably has some traffic noise from the main road.

Just before the pub, we pass the church of St John the Evangelist which is a suitable picnic spot.

Tea: quite a few options in Dorking, see the main walk page.

Shortening the walk: the short walk on the walk page takes a lower route from Wotton to Westcott avoiding the ascent through woods to Friday Street, to make a walk of 10 miles/16 km (4/10). Those with local knowledge may also be able to show you how to avoid the steep ascent of the Nower on the way in to Dorking towards the end of the walk.

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Saturday Walk - Otford Circular

Length: 14 km (8.7 miles) Toughness: 5 / 10

This walk includes a good mix of woodland and open countryside, with fine views from the steep-sided hills overlooking the Darent valley. 

The walk starts with a stiff climb to the top of Otford Mount and then leaves the Walk 1–43 route to go through the secluded valley of Magpie Bottom, one of several small nature reserves in the area managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust. A steep descent through the wooded White Hill brings you to the attractive village of Shoreham and lunch.

The afternoon section starts with a climb up the other side of the valley into a fine bluebell wood. After a close encounter with a motorway the walk descends via another small nature reserve, Polhill Bank, then an easy stretch along the Darent Valley Path into Otford, another attractive village with many interesting old buildings.

Trains: Get the 0955 Southeastern Ashford train from London Victoria arriving 1032. There are a number of return trains, taking berween 35 minutes and 1 hour. The fares seem to be different, with a return now being double the single fare. The cheapest from the zone 6 boundary is from Swanley.

Lunch: Various pubs in Shoreham. The first place you come to is The Samuel Palmer (01959-525442), a pub / restaurant, conveniant for the picnic spot in the churchyard.

Tea: The Hospices of Hope charity shop; and Sally's Cake Emporium. Also the Bull pub.

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Sunday Walk - West Wiltshire Downs: Chalk Figures, Scenic Rolling Landscapes - Tisbury Circular via Dinton and Fovant

Sunset is at 16.42, so good light for walking until 17.15 or somesuch.

Length: 24.1 km (15.0 mi) [shorter or longer walks possible, see below] 

Ascent/Descent: 431m

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours

Toughness: 6 out of 10

Take the 09.15 Yeovil Junction train from Waterloo (Clapham J. 09.25), arrives Tisbury at 11.01. You have to be in the front three coaches of the train. 

Return trains: xx.55 (basically).

 “This walk explores the Nadder Valley east of Tisbury, part of the West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is spectacular walking country with some breath-taking open vistas in a varied landscape. Without scaling any ridges or steep ascents, the route meanders through the beautiful undulating and peaceful countryside with a few grassy U-shaped valleys, pretty views out to some distant coombes, and scenic Dinton Park with its grand mansion (Philipps House).
A couple of picturesque former corn mills on the Nadder River are walked past, while the afternoon route also offers views from a wood’s fringe across a valley to the Fovant Badges, regimental badges cut into the chalk, and the largest group of hill side figures in Europe, before leading through a couple of quiet villages followed by a gentle descent across fields back into Tisbury, a remarkably unspoilt village. The route features several good bluebell woods and wild garlic-lined paths, and it also goes through plenty of meadows and pastures rich in wildflowers, especially buttercups.”

Walk Options: 

A Shortcut before lunch reduces the walk by 1.4 km (0.8 mi) and the ascent/descent by 25m. 

Bus Line 25 (Salisbury – Tisbury or Zeals), with 5 buses a day Mon-Fri and 4 on Sat, has convenient stops in Teffont Magna (after 7.9 km, at 14.26) and in Dinton (11.8 km, just after the lunch pub, at 14.30). 

A Shortcut right after lunch reduces the walk by 1.9 km (1.2 mi) and the ascent/descent by 21m. Taking both Shortcuts makes this a 5/10 walk.

An Extension to and through the Fovant Badges and up to Fovant Down and the Chiselbury Iron Age hill fort site adds 5.1 km and 150m ascent/descent (8/10).

Lunch: The Wyndham Arms in Dinton (11.7 km/7.3 mi, food served although often booked up). 

Tea: One pub en route (see the webpage or the pdf) and plenty options in Tisbury.

For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. #2026-11-01T09:15 T=swc.249

 

Saturday Walk - The Chilterns in the Fall: Wendover Circular via The Lee and Swan Bottom

Sunset is at 16.37, so good light for walking until 17.15 or somesuch.

Length: 20.1 km (12.5 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 401m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ¾ hours 

Toughness: 5 out of 10  

 

Take the 09.27 train from Marylebone to Aylesbury Vale Parkway (Harrow-on-the-Hill 09.39), arrives Wendover 10.16. Return trains: xx.54 to 17.54, then xx.24.

This walk combines some of the finest elements of the Chiltern Hills, while having very little overlap with other walks in the area. After leaving Wendover in a south easterly direction on the Ridgeway the walk rises into woods, which are rich in Bluebells in springtime. It then passes along fields to get to the picturesque green in The Lee, a conservation area village. From there it continues through woodland and the beautiful Lee Common to a 16th century lunch pub at Swan Bottom. After crossing some more fields, the afternoon section then leads entirely through woods right up to the outskirts of Wendover: it re-joins the Ridgeway for a while and then descends steeply off the escarpment down an ancient Holloway. Only to rise again, on forest tracks with some magnificent panoramic views, until getting to the highest point of the walk in the middle of Wendover Woods. From there the route to Wendover meanders through the woods, passing a wildlife hide and an ancient hill-fort site, before descending steeply to the plains.

Shortcuts:

-      Shortcut I cuts 5.1 km, 68m ascent/descent;

-      Shortcut II cuts 1.1 km and 55m descent/re-ascent; 

-      Shortcut III cuts 0.7 km and 25m descent/re-ascent.

Lunch: The The Cock and Rabbit Inn (7.3 km, food to 14.30) in Lee Green is passed too early, so it’s a Picnic lunch!

Tea: Plenty of options, incl. several pubs (some with decent food), cafés, a chocolatery, a tapas and wine bar, restaurants… Check the walk directions pdf for details.

 

For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.

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