2020 - COVID and some circular walks...

2020 was a little different... During the Covid-19 Lockdown, and particularly later on as it eased I tried some circular walks from Woking. Walking to Old Woking, I went down the River Wey (from the New Inn pub) until just after Trigg's Lock, then shortly after taking the next right over the sturdy concrete bridge. Passing the farm and then bearing right, take a left down Foxes Path. This will take you through Sutton Place until you get to the Church of St.Edward the Confessor. Pass the Church (it will be on your right) down a path to meet Blanchards Hill and turn left. The road will take you to Jacob's Well, with a slight left-right 'dog's leg' onto Jacob's Well Rd. On meeting Woking Rd (A320) turn right and then left at the roundabout onto Salt Box Rd and carry on under the rail bridge (caution required). Make your way back to Woking via Whitmoor Common, the Jolly Farmer pub, Burdenshott Rd and finally Mile Path which intersects Woking Golf Club, as described on previous walks on this Blog.

Another was a walk along the Basingstoke Canal (Aldershot direction), then turning right to cross Sheets Heath, then on to Knaphill via Stafford Lake (a road!), then St.John's and back down the Canal.

After restrictions were lifted further I tried the following walk:-

Newlands Corner - Shere - Albury Heath - Blackheath Common - Chilworth - St. Martha's Church - and back to Newland's Corner.

Newlands Corner start - down to Shere (as described in previous walks!), but rather than bearing left at the end of Chantry Lane bear right after the square seat (with a roof, see picture later on) and pass between mature trees in a south-westerly direction, then make your way to the Albury Heath Cricket ground (where a small monument can be found to commemorate Field-Marshall Montgomery's address to Canadian troops in May 1944, just prior to D-Day). From there pass down Sandy Lane and go on to Blackheath Common (pass the WW1 War memorial there) and head down to Chilworth, past the stables, then Chilworth Gunpowder Mills (on your left), on to Chilworth Manor and then up to St.Martha's Church and back to Newland's Corner via the North Down's Way - as described in previous Blog posts! Essentially this was just linking two previously described walks together to make a 'new' walk, with a little new ground in between. Pictures to follow.

At the end of Chantry Lane.

Over the small bridge next to the Ford.

Looking back at the Ford before passing through the gate shown above.

Two pictures of this dead tree, but loved both pictures!

Old!

Approaching Albury Heath Cricket ground.

No more Canadian troops, but a new Cricket Pavilion being built.

The end of Sandy Lane.

Blackheath Common War Memorial.

St. Martha's on the Hill in the distance.

Climbing up from Chilworth Manor.

Fairly steep.

A bench with a view.

Sgt Jakins was killed in an air crash (not combat related) in 1941. He lies next to his brother killed a few years earlier, before WW2. Sad times.

Bernard Freyberg's grave. A Victoria Cross medal winner.

Back via the North Down's Way. Well signposted.

Nearby a Pill Box from the 1940 GHQ Line defences. Luckily never needed.

Back to Newland's Corner, just beyond the woods.