Tuesday 21 July 2020

The Wey South Path - July 2020

I would have tried this earlier in the year but of course 2020 was no normal year, and train travel was a problem during the Lockdown. I try to fit longer one day walks into May - June - July for daylight reasons.

Please see earlier posts for route information, these are just a few additional 2020 pictures of a walk now done a few times. A map is probably not necessary, but 'the book' most certainly is (see earlier Wey South Path posts), and 'the book' can be bought from the Wey and Arun Canal Trust online shop.:-

https://weyarun.org.uk/shop/maps-and-books/6-the-wey-south-path.html

Despite being careful and having walked this sometimes difficult to navigate walk four times I became blase towards the end, took a wrong turn and the 34 miles became more like 37 at least! Keep your eye on the ball, and on that very useful little guide book...

One other note, I tried walking shoes instead of boots for the first time on a longer walk (30+ miles in a day). Although they had been fine on numerous 10+ mile walks over the last year, they did not measure up for the extended mileage and I had sore feet for a few days afterwards. From now on longer walks will be with tried and tested boots only!

An overview map:-

https://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Wey-South+Path

and another:-

https://www.walkandcycle.co.uk/trail?trailcode=SURRTR0032


Leaving Guildford after a 5.45am start.

These signs are very reassuring but some can be missing, hard to spot or overgrown.

Bramley and Wonersh station, now abandoned. The Wey South Path follows the same route as the Downs Link here.

Beats busy cities, beats traffic jams, beats a lot of things.


Love these open vistas.


A new housing estate near Cranleigh. No sign of this when I first did this walk only four short years ago.

And this is the view now blocked by the above new housing estate that can only be seen with difficulty. Easy to take these things for granted. Progress cannot be stopped, and some of the beauty of the English countryside is not forever, so enjoy it while you can.



Too early for a pint, and no time anyway. This walk can't be done (by me anyway!) in a single day if you stop and pause... 


The Sidney Wood section with it's dried out canal bed.

The Onslow Arms near Loxwood is very much at the heart of the Wey and Arun Canal Trust, and is where they offer canal boat trips and have their Gift shop.

Looking down the canal from the Onslow Arms.

Giant Hogweed, keep away from it.....


One lucky house looks onto this from their garden...

Him again!

The circle of life....

Spot the face. A bored artist during Lockdown? It wasn't the only one.

Approaching the White Hart pub near Pulborough. The first time I did this walk that was as far as I got due to fading daylight. It was pitch black in these woods. Hence I only attempt this one day walk in May, June, or July. Now it's a more polished affair!

Amberley at last. Interestingly the walk only finishes after quite a severe climb up Mill Lane, perhaps included as a final 'test' for the Wey-South Path walker, to finish you off as it were.... :-)

After finishing the walk you still have to walk to Amberley train station, but it's only about half a mile.

Resting your feet on the train ride home never felt so good!

Newlands Corner - Shere - Albury Heath - Blackheath Common - Chilworth - St. Martha's Church - and back to Newland's Corner. July 2020

Went back to this one in July 2020, the fourth time and more 'polished' by now, with some excellent extra woodland walking now worked in to the route approximately between Sandy Lane and Blackheath Lane. Liking this walk more now, especially when the weather is near perfect!

***(Essentially these are extra pictures, for further route information see earlier posts relating to this walk.)

The rest of this walk can be seen in the June post "Newlands Corner - Shere - Albury Heath - Blackheath Common - Chilworth - St. Martha's Church - and back to Newland's Corner" under:-

2020 - COVID and some circular walks...

Cutting across from Albury Heath Cricket ground to Sandy Lane. This avoids some road walking. It's quite overgrown at this time of year. Check for Ticks when you get home, and light coloured trousers help to spot them...



Joining Sandy Lane after the woodland 'shortcut'.


Looking left from Sandy Lane.

The crucial junction! Bear left here to climb up into the woodland (Hurtwood) rather than continuing on Sandy Lane to Ford Farm.


Looking left from the track as you climb.

The path is easy to follow and becomes a sunken path through the woods just South of Ford Farm. On coming to a Y junction I bear right and go upwards.


After a little while you will meet Blackheath Lane where I turn right.

Looking back as you leave Hurtwood.

A short while after you will see a house where you turn left towards Blackheath.

Bear right at the Y junction. After this the trail is a little ambiguous but essentially keep straight ahead ignoring various paths off to the side.

Looking back over a section of Blackheath Common.

When I see 'the Twins' in the middle of the path I always know I'm on course! Although this is a 'new' walk this particular section has been incorporated into other walk routes for several years.

Blackheath Common.

Blackheath Common with the War Memorial in the distance.

 A very tall Scots Pine.

Heading down the Downs Link path from Lockner Holt towards Dorking Road. Always liked this view.


Passing Chilworth Manor Vineyard on the way to St Martha's on the hill church.

After a fairly steep (and overgrown) climb the view from St. Martha's on the Hill.

Note Hascombe Hill in the previous picture, just left of centre between trees in the foreground.

North Downs Way Part 5 (Wye to Dover) - July 2023

 This was the final part of the Trail for me. Once again, this was 2 sections from Colin Saunders official National Trail Guide, Wye to Etch...