Length: up to 15¼ km (9.5 miles), with shorter afternoon routes possible. Toughness: 2/10
09:57 Hampton Court train from Waterloo (Vauxhall 10:01, Clapham Jct 10:06, etc), changing at Surbiton (arr 10:27, dep 10:32) for the Guildford via Cobham train which should be waiting on the adjacent platform, arriving Oxshott at 10:42. [NB. This train starts from Wimbledon at 10:13 and for some reason then hangs around at Surbiton for 11 minutes.]
If you just miss the Hampton Court train the faster 10:07 Alton train should make the connection at Surbiton (arr 10:30), but don't hang about.
Trains back from Cobham are hourly at xx:10 and run through to Waterloo. Buy a return to Cobham & Stoke D'Abernon (its full name).
This walk was originally conceived as an opportunity to visit Painshill, which modestly describes itself as “England's most elegant 18thC landscape garden”. I'd intended to post it two weeks later when the garden is one of the attractions of Heritage Open Day, but the Fat Controller has decreed rail replacement buses across swathes of south-west London on the 20th which means no free visit this year. You could of course still fork out the £15 entrance fee (it's not a National Trust property) but I'm assuming that most will simply want to enjoy an easy walk around Surrey's wooded heaths and the Mole valley.
The suggested lunch place in Cobham is The Bear (01932-967040) on River Hill, a Young's pub with a secluded back garden as well as a patio area at the front. There are other eateries along its High Street and a crescent-shaped patch of grass with a few benches opposite the pub for picnics.
If you don't break off to visit Painshill you might be in time for Cafè Barbera, an Italian coffee house in the parade of shops next to Cobham station (it closes at 4pm on Sundays). Stronger fare is available at The Old Plough, an attractive pub with a large beer garden which is a short walk away at the other end of Station Road.
This walk had to be completely redesigned after an influential walker grumbled about being offered a garden apple instead of cider for his mid-morning refreshment. The pub is now on the afternoon leg and comes before the offending garden, which should allow for all tastes to be accommodated. Anyway, please don't rely on an old version of the walk document and bring the current directions from the L=swc.305 page. #2026-09-06T10:45
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