Godalming to Guildford, 31 Jan

1. Train: The train starts at 9.00am from Waterloo and arrives at Godalming at 9.42. It is the Portsmouth Harbour train.

2. Lunch:  The pub at lunchtime is the Good Intent, Puttenham. If you wish to eat there, please look at the menu here and let the walk leader, Terry, know your choice of meal by 12 noon on Friday (non-members please email walks@morleyramblers.uk). The pub requires a pre-order for groups. 

If you’re taking a picnic lunch, the recommended place is a churchyard and the church is usually open.

3. Summary of the Walk: This is a lovely walk through gentle rolling hills. The morning takes about 3 hours and is mostly through fields, although it starts with 45 minutes on roads, including passing through the beautiful Upper Eashing. The afternoon takes about 2.5 hours and is mostly through attractive woods. We may have to miss out some riverside sections because of flooding.

Highlights on the way include the medieval (13th C.) Eashing Bridges, a view of the Grade 1 listed Peper Harow House (built in 1765), a medieval granary on huge stilts, a Lutyens bridge and, if time allows, a visit to the Watts Cemetery Chapel which is also Grade 1 listed.

The church at lunchtime has Norman (Romanesque) arches from 1170 along one side of the Nave and a lancet window near the door dating from the early 12th Century. Otherwise, what you see is a Victorian “restoration” of about 1860.

4. Warnings: The paths are mostly flat or gently undulating. However, Terry advises bringing a walking stick and wearing stout footwear with ridged soles, because there are some short steep descents and ascents which become muddy and very slippery after rain.  There’s a 15 minutes uphill section at the beginning of the walk – it’s not very steep but it’s a bit of a slog.

5. Dropout Point: There is one dropout point, which  is about 45 minutes after lunch and is at the Watts Gallery, from where the no. 46 bus leaves once an hour. It takes 13 minutes for the bus to reach Guildford bus station. It’s then a 10 minutes walk to the train station, from where there are fast trains to Waterloo about every 20 minutes.

If you decide to leave the walk to visit the Watts Gallery, the Gallery closes at 5pm.