Length: 18.6 km (11.6 miles) 3/10
This (further) revamped route features a big area of open heath land only a few stops from London, followed with mainly open woodland later on. Bring the up to date instructions /GPX because some of the old route has been reinstated after the conclusion of forestry work in Prince's Coverts and we take a new way through Ashtead Common. There are several possible shortcuts. The main walk loops back from Epsom Common to Ashtead but you can also finish at Epsom (not much difference in distance).
There is only a few hundred yards of overlap with the Oxshott to Cobham walk done on a recent Sunday.
Travel: Waterloo 1003, arriving Oxshott 1038, should fit in with the lunch pub. 4-5 return trains an hour from Ashtead and Epsom. Buy a return to Effingham Junction where the Oxshott and Ashtead/Epsom lines meet.
Lunch: The Star, Kingston Road, Leatherhead is large and has a beer garden. It is reached after 12.4 km (7.7 miles). Tel: 01372 842416. The track through the Prince's Coverts before lunch doesn't have good places to stop so picknickers might want to carry on past the pub into Ashtead Common where you should be able to find somewhere suitable.
Tea: The Woodman, 238 Barnett Wood Lane, Ashtead. Tel: 01372 274524. With an Epsom finish you could try the Cricketers 01372 729384 which is on the walk route to the station.
Shortening the walk: the walk directions make a number of suggestions including a finish at Claygate (making a walk of 11.9 km/7.4 miles) but the simplest short cut is to go straight through Ashtead Common from the Star to the station, missing out Epsom Common and cutting 4.3 km/2.7 miles).
L=swc.178
#2026-09-23T10:03
7 comments:
Hello - am new to the site. Are these walks guided with a group? How may I join the walk please, and is there a meeting point/time etc.? Thank you!
@Naomi: There will be a group of people on this walk but no walk leader per se. To join in just be at Oxshott station at the time the advertised train arrives (10:38). Oxshott is a small station so it will be easy to identify the other walkers. You can download printed instructions (PDF) or the GPS route (KML or GPX) for this walk. Alternatively you could walk with one or more of the group.
We have a page for new members that explains this and more.
If you have a Freedom Pass and SRC you are better off buying a single Surbiton to Oxshott and a single Ashstead to Ewell (Any)
Thank you for working that out SaraiU3A. Indeed, Ashtead (but not Oxshott!) seems to be one of those stations where a single is now half the price of a return (only £1.25 to Ewell with a railcard), although I think if paying for a ticket from central London it's still marginally better to follow the previous recommendation. I just took the ticket advice straight off the walk web page where it has stayed the same for some years - it strikes me that quite a few of these must be in need of an update now.
18 at the station, two on the train behind and one making her way to the route from Chessington makes #21 on an #overcast-but-warm day.
I can't give a report on what most people did as there was a major split early on, with some skipping the Black Pond if not the whole River Mole loop. The latter had many fallen trees to negotiate, nearly a year after the storm they all fell in. My little group was also slowed down by navigational challenges on this bit as many more tracks have emerged than in the instructions - which admittedly need another rewrite.
Having met others who had already picnicked, two of us stopped for lunch in the Prince's Coverts and then met up with about ten more in the back garden of the Star, well after 2pm by now. A post-wedding party dressed as assorted rock stars provided extra entertainment.
The two of us wanted to finish at Epsom and took a slight short cut there. I hear that two did the Claygate ending. I think most others were planning post-walk refreshments at the Woodman in Ashtead - let us know how you got on.
Fay and I did the Claygate finish having lunched at the the Foley pub- see Wednesday What’s app group comments.
One further comment about the fallen trees alongside the River Mole, one tree in particular required a limbo dance to get underneath it and I needed help to get back onto my feet having collapsed to the ground trying to get underneath it with arthritis knees. Many thanks to gallant Joe who was able to pull me up.
As some of you may have noticed I’ve managed to lose 3 stone in weight but it doesn’t cure arthritis for those of us afflicted by this annoying condition which makes scrambling difficult. especially over broken stiles
6 or 7 of us had a lovely time at the Woodman, only leaving at 7pm! Good quality food and wine from a reasonably priced set menu, we also got a free drink by downloading the Ember Inns app. Thanks to Mark for this tip.
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