SWC Walk 144: Haslemere to Farnham via remote heathery heathlands
Length: 14.7 Miles or 23.6 km for those more metrically minded (various options exist to lengthen or shorten the walk – see walk instructions for details)
Difficulty: 7 out of 10
Train: Take the 9:30 AM South Western Portsmouth Harbour train from London Waterloo arriving in Haslemere at 10:29. Return trains from Farnham are hourly and half-hourly until 23:00. Buy a day return to Haslemere (you may then need a separate Farnham to Woking single).
This walk is chock-full of variety and interest….from the fine view points of the Temple of the Four Winds and Gibbet Hill (the second highest point in Surrey) around the Devil’s Punchbowl then across heathery heathland with interesting World War II relics and finally to the romantic ruins of Waverley Abbey before arriving in Farnham. Also, interestingly, the early part of the route passes by a few landmarks associated with the poignant tale of the unknown sailor. More information and the walk instructions can be found here.
Unfortunately, the Three Horseshoes is currently closed and being refurbished, so the suggested lunch stop is the Duke of Cambridge in Tilford, 9.6 miles/15.5 km into the walk with a possible second afternoon refreshment stop at the Barley Mow also in Tilford. On arrival in Farnham, there are numerous options for post walk bevies….the Mulberry near the station and the William Cobbett a short distance further on are two recommendations….See walk instructions for details….
Look forward to seeing you on the walk!
#2026-08-23T09:30
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1 comment:
n=7 assembled at Haslemere station under w=partly-sunny-and-warm-skies. Cohesion was not great as the group quickly divided into one of 5 and a trailing one of 2. The group of 5 enjoyed all the viewpoints and places of interest on the main walk but did not indulge in any of the recommended extensions since our lunch stop was 9 miles away! The 3 Horseshoes in Thursley was indeed under a massive renovation project. Hopefully, it will reopen in the autumn as promised on the website. We carried on to the Duke of Cambridge in Tilford which has a very nice open terrace with a canopy -- perfect for enjoying al fresco dining while shaded from the sun which had become quite hot by then. Four had lunch there and one sandwiches and moved on before we finished. The 4 lunchers arrived in Farnham about 5:30pm -- one went to catch the delayed 5:30pm and the other 3 stopped at the pub for a bevie before catching the also delayed 6:00pm,,, Overall, the heather was nice -- good areas of bright color -- but also some patches that were dull and dried out from the heat presumably.... Also, we were surprised to note that many of the area springs were still pumping up good amounts of water.... which was reassuring...
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