Walk 13 : Guildford to Gomshall

[Numbers in square brackets refer to the map in the book]

1. [1]  Coming out of the station, walk down the station approach towards an office block named Bridge House. Do not cross the road in front of Bridge House, however, but go right down the underpass ramp, following a sign to Town Centre via Riverside Walk.
2. Turn left into the tunnel, and on the far side go right, up the ramp. Follow the pavement round the the left (metal barriers make this the only choice).
3. Round the corner, take the left hand, descending, ramp, signposed to High Street. Turn right under the bridge and follow the edge of the river for 100 metres.
4. Turn left over a pedestrianised stone bridge, and cross the main road. Walk up the High Street ahead of you for 60 metres, and then turn right down Quarry Street, the first turning right, your direction 160°.
5. In 150 metres, after passing a church on your right, turn left up Castle Street. In 50 metres ignore a turning to the left, and in 20 metres ignore another left turn (Chapel Street).
6. Curve right up Castle Street and in another 40 metres, opposite Tunsgate Square shopping centre, is the entrance to Guildford Castle. This is worth a brief visit: you can climb the tower and get a fine view over the town and Wey river valley.
7. Coming out of the castle, resume your former direction up Castle Street and in 50 metres, you come to a staggered crossroads.
8. Go right along South Hill, and in 20 metres turn half left up Pewley Hill, your direction 110°. Climb this steep hill for 400 metres all the way to the top, ignoring side roads. On the way up be sure to turn round to get a fine view of Guildford and its modern cathedral.
9. At the top of the hill, you come to a small crossroads: High Pewley Road is the road to the right, and Semaphore Road to the left. Carry straight on, along a now level road until it comes to a dead end in 350 metres. An opening with wooden posts leads out onto Pewley Down, which is named on a sign.
10. Walk about 20 metres ahead, and the a concrete plinth that looks like a trigonometry point comes into view on the hill half left: make a beeline for this. (This plinth commemorates the purchase of Pewley Down in 1920 as a memorial to all those who died in World War I). Though it is really too early for a rest, some benches immediately below the trigonometry point make a fine point to stop and stare, or even to have a picnic [2].
11. From the trigonometry point, walk onwards along the ridge for 80 metres, your direction 80°, and then fork right on a path that slants diagonally downhill to the right of a line of bushes, your direction 140°. Almost immediately you pass on your right a green metal bench inscribed to “Brion David Jago, a free spirit”.
12. In 230 metres, the path enters a wood and levels off. In 200 metres, merge with a path climbing up from the right, and continue in the same direction as before. In another 20 metres, merge with a path from the left, and keep straight on.
13. You soon emerge onto a long path between hedges, bearing 120°, that slants downwards into the valley bottom.
14. No turning is possible on this path for 600 metres, by which time it is at the edge of the wood. At this point, you cross a car-wide track to carry straight on, initially bearing 140°, up a path which climbs gently uphill just inside the left hand edge of a wood of pine trees.
15. In 50 metres, you can use the less muddy raised path to the left of the main path if you wish. In another 150 metres, the path curves half right to climb more directly up the hill into the wood, with a wooden fence to the left of the path.
16. Where this ends in 70 metres, go left at a T-junction, your direction 110°.
17. In 90 metres you come to a metal barrier, beyond which is a road. A two-armed footpath sign confirms that you are now on the North Downs Way, which you now follow all the way to the church of St Martha-on-the-Hill.
18. But in more detail: go left along the road. In 30 metres, just past Southernway Cottage on your right, turn right up a track, following a North Downs Way sign, your direction 100°
19. In 70 metres, after a short climb, you cross a tarmac driveway, and you go straight on through a wooden barrier to continue on a car-wide sandy track, with a grassy space soon opening out to your left.
20. When the space narrows to an end in 180 metres, you carry straight on along a broad track into a wood, with a wooden fence to your right.
21. In 100 metres the fence ends and the path starts to climb more steeply and in a further 75 metres, a bridleway for horses and cyclists forks right. Stay on the wide footpath, however, and continue to climb for 225 metres more until you reach the church of St Martha-on-the-Hill at the very summit of the ridge. [3] (This church, formerly a stop on the Pilgrim’s Way to Canterbury, was restored in the 19th century.)
22. Pass through the gate into the churchyard and past the church door to the far side of the church, where you will find a series of benches that face the noonday sun. This is another good place for a picnic, but can be rather popular on a fine day: an alternative place, with better views, can be found in the next paragraph.
23. After resting on the benches, turn left (that is, resuming the same direction as before), and walk along line of the ridge and out through the churchyard gate. You are now on a broad sandy path that follows the top of the hill, with a wooden fence to the right (to the right is another possible picnic spot).
24. In 80 metres, a fence starts to the left of the path too and it starts to descend sharply.
25. In 250 metres, as the surroundings get more wooded, an acorn on a post marks the point at which the bridleway merges from the right.
26. 100 metres beyond this, the North Downs Way forks left, following a blue arrow on a post, but keep straight on for another 30 metres to a signpost and large information board describing the Downs Link route. [4]
    • (At this point you can take the shortcut to Chilworth – option b). See the directions at the end of the main walk text)
27. To carry on with the main walk, go straight on, your direction 90°, passing a World War Two pillbox on your left.
28. In 130 metres, the path curves left and then right, and 70 metres after this you come to a three way fork (the centre path may be concealed by a tree in summer). Take the middle of the three paths, your direction 70°, and in 40 metres stay right at another fork.
29. In 30 metres, just before a car park, ignore a path sharp right, but 5 metres further on turn right on a footpath, which in 75 metres bring you to a road. You can see open fields ahead, rising to the a ridge, with another World War Two gun emplacement about 100 metres away.
30. Cross over this road, and go straight ahead down a signposted bridleway between wooden fences (this section of the path is part of the Pilgrims Way). A short post with a purple cow’s head symbol on top also marks the start of this path.
31. You now follow this path, straight on at every junction, all the way into Shere. Note the points marked [*] below, however
32. In more detail: In 400 metres you skirt a wood on your right (a good bluebell wood in spring). In 200 metres, at the end of the wood, you cross an earth path and go through a wooden gate, to follow a bridleway sign half right across a field, your direction 100°
33. At the top of the hill, the path exits the field by a wooden gate, and turns left to follow the edge of a wood along the field edge, descending gently after a short distance.
34. In 160 metres later it starts to descend much more steeply, and 70 metres later you come out on a tarmac lane between high banks.
35. [*] Turn left onto this, and almost immediately, in 10 metres, turn right, following a blue arrow and a purple cow symbol, to resume your former direction on a car-wide track.
36. Stay on this track for 600 metres, until you come to a house and a three-armed footpath sign, where you go straight on, still on a car-wide track, following a sign to Silent Pool (a name belied by the noise of the A25 ahead), your direction 115°.
37. In 30 metres cross a stile to the right of a green metal gate and keep straight on. In 100 metres, fork right off the track up a path, following a wooden footpath sign and a purple cow’s head symbol. In 200 metres this track passes a black wooden shed, and in 90 metres crosses a concrete road, the entrance to a quarry.
38. Keep straight on into what at the time of writing was a wood of largely newly planted trees, veering right with the path in 20 metres. In 70 metres the path curves left, and in 40 metres you cross a stile to the left of a metal fieldgate to enter an open field, with the A25 to your left, and a church ahead.
39. Keep on the left hand edge of the field, and in 230 metres, you cross two stiles beside metal fieldgates to emerge onto a road. Be careful crossing this road: though it may look like a quiet country lane at times, it is in fact a main road, the A248.
40. Cross straight over the road (note the rare Victorian postbox to your left: VR stands for Victoria Regina), to carry straight on up a car-wide track. In 70 metres cross a stile to the right of a rusted metal fieldgate, and keep straight on up the grass slope beyond.
41. In 120 metres, you pick up the line of a wire fence to your right, around an area of newly planted saplings, and you follow this for another 130 metres to a stile to the right of a metal fieldgate.
42. Keep straight on, now on a path flanked by a wire fence and an earth bank, into a wood.
43. In 370 metres, this emerges from the wood to cross an open field (though again, at time of writing the right hand side of the path here has been planted with saplings).
44. In 150 metres cross a car-wide earth track and in another 80 metres enter a pine wood through a metal kissing gate.
45. In 50 metres, you come to a narrow road, which you cross to carry on up a path alongside a high brick wall. [*] In 140 metres, you come to another road, where you go right downhill, your direction 120°.
46. In 120 metres (not 200 yards as the road sign would have it) the road comes to a ford, which you cross on a footbridge.
47. Beyond this, turn left along a road, with a walled vegetable garden to your left. Ignore ways off and in 260 metres you come to a crossroads, which is the centre of Shere [5].
48. Immediately to the right is the White Horse, the recommended lunch stop, with the Prince of Wales another 40 metres further up the road. Alternatively turn left up Middle Street for the Lucky Duck tea room and restaurant, 20 metres beyond the stream on the left. For picnic items, the Post Office, open daily till 10 pm, is just beyond the Lucky Duck on the right.
49. To continue the walk, however, go straight ahead across the crossroad, your direction due east, towards the Church of St James. Take the road to the right of the churchyard - Church Lane.
50. At the end, take the signposted path half right through a wooden gate, your direction 130°, ignoring a drive straight ahead to High House, and a road - Church Hill - to the right.
51. In 120 metres, go through a wooden gate and turn left to walk along the left hand edge of an open field. In 200 metres, at the end of the field, pass through a gap and onto a wide path between fences, your direction 120°.
52. In 250 metres by a red bin, ignore an opening to the left leading to garages, and carry straight on a further 90 metres to emerge onto a gravel drive, and turn left, your direction 40°, by houses named The Old Barn and Highlands.
53. In 60 metres, stay on the track, ignoring a turning to the left to curve right with the track to a road. Turn left on this road, and follow it, ignoring all ways off, to a T-junction with a main road, the A25, in 400 metres. [6].
    • (At this point, the Compasses Inn, a possible lunch stop, is on the right in 170 metres. This is also the way to finish the walk in Gomshall, option a): stay on the road beyond The Compasses Inn for another 250 metres until you come to the railway bridge. The approach road to Gomshall station is on the right just before the bridge).
54. To carry on with the main walk, however, cross this busy A25 with care. [!] Do NOT go up the tarmac driveway ahead (Netley Close), but turn left, and in 10 metres, go right up four steps, on a signposted footpath. In 10 metres you pass a National Trust sign for Netley Park.
55. Continue up this footpath, with a hedge and an open field to your left. In 100 metres, you enter a wood. The path is a bit indistinct here, but keep straight on, uphill. In 200 metres the wood thins a bit and the path becomes steeper and more distinct.
56. In 300 metres, fork right following a yellow arrow on a post, your direction 30°. In another 45 metres, curve right at another footpath post, merging with a path that joins from the left, your direction 60°. In 20 metres, merge with a wider path from the left, and keep straight on, downhill, your direction 100°, ignoring a signed footpath to the right in 10 metres.
57. In 70 metres you can glimpse an open field and valley over the bank to the right. In another 200 metres, you pass a house to the left, and 50 metres further on, you come to a tarmac drive. Cross this, but in five metres, turn left, downhill, on a tarmac lane, signposted to Colekitchen Farm [7]
58. In 150 metres, as the lane bottoms out, you emerge into a charming upland valley, with farm buildings ahead to the left. The road turns into a track. In 140 metres, just past the farm buildings, the track veers left, but your route is straight on, uphill, through three cream posts, following a blue arrow on a post.
59. Keep on uphill on this increasingly steep path. In 550 metres it finally flattens out completely at the top of the hill. In another 40 metres, you come to a five way track junction with a large concrete circular structure ahead. Here, turn right onto the car-wide North Downs Way, your direction 120°.
60. You now stay on the North Downs Way until point [8] below. But in more detail:
61. In 300 metres, you pass an open space with a bench to the right. In a further 200 metres, at a three-armed footpath, fork right off the main track, following the North Downs Way signpost, your direction 140°.
62. In 60 metres, turn right through a kissing gate, still following the North Down Way sign, your direction 200°. Follow the path downhill, picking up a wire fence to the right in 40 metres. In 70 metres, do not go through the kissing gate ahead, but veer left with the North Downs Way, still with the wire fence to your right.
63. In 200 metres, ignore another kissing gate to the right. 100 metres further on, cross a car-wide byway at a four-armed footpath post to keep straight on along the North Downs Way.
64. Follow this path as it meanders through gorse scrub. In 170 metres, you come to a kissing gate. Beyond it, turn right onto a car-wide track, still on the North Downs Way, your direction east. In 200 metres, ignore a path downhill to the right, and instead veer left on the main track to pass through a kissing gate to the left of a fieldgate in 10 metres to emerge onto Blatchford Down, a possible picnic spot.
65. Follow the path across this open space, with fine views. In 320 metres, pass through a kissing gate on to a bridleway. [8].
    • At this point you can take option c) Longer route to Gomshall, or option d) Ending in Boxhill or Dorking: see directions at the end of the main walk directions. See also the Bluebell Diversion, option e) for a side trip to a spectacular bluebell wood at the end of April or in early May.
66. To carry on with the main walk, however, turn right downhill on the bridleway, your direction 200°. In 450 metres, ignore a track to the left marked by a blue arrow, and 150 metres on, ignore a signposted bridleway uphill to the right. In another 550 metres, by which time you have reached the valley floor, cross the railway line, and carry straight on uphill past farm buildings.
67. Beyond the farm buildings, carry straight on up a tarmac lane. In 200 metres, at the top of the hill, ignore a signposted bridleway to the left [9]. Carry straight on downhill on the lane. In 260 metres you come to a T-junction with the main A25.
68. Turn left here for the Abinger Hammer Tea Rooms which are 100 metres along on the left, just before the post office: After tea, you can either retrace your steps to this point after tea to continue the walk, or take the bus from the opposite side of the road to the tea rooms back to Guildford.
69. Otherwise, turn right along the A25. In 60 metres, a pond starts on your left. In 100 metres, 20 metres after the end of the pond, turn left, down a car-wide track on a signposted bridleway.
70. (To go direct to Gomshall station from this point, you can continue along the A25. In 650 metres you come to the railway bridge and the station approach is on the right just beyond the bridge. There is also a footpath to the station to the right 100 metres before the bridge.)
71. Otherwise, having turned down the car-wide track, in 100 metres you pass houses to the right. 100 metres beyond this, the track crosses a stream and curves right. 40 metres further on, at a sign for Brook Cottage, take the right hand of two paths that fork off the track, going half left uphill.
72. In 120 metres, you come out alongside an open space to the left, and 70 metres later, another path merges from the left in front of a house. In 20 metres, your path merges with an earth driveway from another house. In a further 30 metres, turn right downhill at a T-junction with a car-wide track, which curves left almost immediately.
73. In 250 metres, follow this track as it curves right, ignoring a path straight on, and in another 260 metres, you come back to the main road, the A25. Go left, under the railway bridge. The approach road to Gomshall station is to the right immediately after the railway bridge. Continuing on the main road for 250 metres, brings you to the Compasses Inn, a possible tea stop

b) Shortcut to Chilworth

Follow the main walk directions until point [4]

1. From point [4] turn sharply right onto the Downs Link, your direction 240°. This sandy path descends gently through a wood at first, then after 170 metres more steeply between fields in a holloway.
2. In 180 metres it curves right, and in another 90 metres, it emerges from the holloway and levels out, now running parallel to the ridge of the Downs. In another 80 metres it turns left downhill on a broad track.
3. In 270 metres, you approach a thicket of trees, and a T-junction marked by a two-armed footpath sign. Follow the Downs Link left, your direction due east.
4. After 120 metres, you cross a stream, and 15 metres beyond this, turn right through a gate to the left of a fieldgate, to walk along a permissive path, your direction 200°, with a small stream to your left after 20 metres.
5. 60 metres further on, the path crosses this stream, so that it is now on your right, and 15 metres later the stream forks off to the right. Continue straight on for 40 metres to a T-junction, where you turn right, your direction due west.
6. After 100 metres you cross another stream, and 50 metres after this, you come to picnic tables on the right in a small open space. Turn half left here, your direction 200°, and in 25 metres cross a footbridge.
7. Beyond the bridge keep straight on for 10 metres, then curving right with the path to pass between two fields, your direction 220°. After 200 metres, you come to the A248, where you turn left, your direction due east.
8. In 120 metres, you come to the Percy Arms on your left. Chilworth Station is a further 40 metres along the road to the right.

c) Longer route to Gomshall

Follow the main walk directions until point [8].

1. From point [8] in the new afternoon walk directions, continue along the North Downs Way, ignoring ways off and keeping to the clearly defined path. The route passes through a series of delightful clearings with fine views (good spots for a picnic).
2. In 1.2km, the track passes through a kissing gate to the left of a fieldgate.
   • At this point, you can carry on to Boxhill or Dorking, option d) which is 9.2km (5.5 miles from this point. Simply carry on along the well-waymarked North Donws Way until in 3.2km (2 miles) you come to Steers Field, an area of open downland on the top of the escarpment, with Ranmore Church visible in the distance ahead, and Dorking in the valley below to the right. Here you can join up with the directions for walk 14, Effingham to Westhumble at point [8] and follow those directions to Westhumble or Dorking stations.
3. However, for the circular route back to Gomshall, 10 metres beyond the kissing gate, and five metres before a four way footpath sign, fork right, steeply downhill, on a signposted footpath sign, with a barbed wire fence to the right (possibly invisible in summer), your direction 140°.
4. In 160 metres, the path curves left to a road, where you turn right downhill, your direction 220°. (Be careful on this minor road, as cars sometimes come too fast down it). Follow the road around the hairpin bend, and down onto the valley floor. In 400 metres, you cross over a railway bridge.
5. metres beyond the bridge, ignore a signposted bridleway to the left, and a footpath to the left just beyond it, but 30 metres further on, fork right off the road onto a signposted bridleway, passing in 20 metres a National Trust sign for Abinger Roughs.
6. Stay on this broad pleasant path along the valley bottom, ignoring ways off. For 600 metres the path follows the edge of a wood, before going uphill deeper into the wood.
7. In 400 metres, you cross a substantial clearing. In 80 metres, at the far end of the clearing, ignore a fork to the left marked by a footpath post, and keep straight on along the main path, slightly uphill.
8. In 200 metres, at the top of the hill, you leave the wood, and descend down the right hand side of an open space, with a fence to your right. In 150 metres, cross a farm track, and carry on through a gate to the right of a wooden fieldgate. Keep straight on, with a hedge to the left and a fence to the right.
9. In 200 metres, pass through a wooden gate, and in 20 metres, turn left onto a tarmac lane. You can now rejoin the main walk directions at point [9].

e) Bluebell diversion

Follow the main walk directions to point [8]

1. At point [8], turn left at the junction, into the woods.
2. In 100 metres, at a crosspaths marked by a four-armed footpath sign, turn right up a car-wide track. The wood is soon to your left.
3. After exploring it, you can either retrace your steps to point [8] to continue the main walk, or if doing option c) the Longer route to Gomshall, or d) ending in Boxhill or Dorking, stay on the track.
4. In 400 metres, another track joins from the left, and 200 metres beyond this, there is a track fork, where you keep right.
5. In another 100 metres fork right again, this time onto a smaller path that goes directly downhill. In 70 metres this turns left along a fence, and in 100 metres follows the fence right, directly downhill.
6. In 100 metres you emerge onto the North Downs Way.
7. For option d) ending in Boxhill or Dorking go left and follow the well-waymarked North Downs Way for 2.6km (1.5 miles) to Steer’s Field, a large open field on the crest of the downs with a view of Ranmore church ahead, where you pick up the directions from point [8] in the Effingham to Westhumble walk. Boxhill station is a further 4km (2.5 miles) beyond Steer’s Field.
8. For option c) the Longer route to Gomshall go right for 10 metres towards a gate, and then hard left (that is doubling back on yourself) to follow a path steeply downhill. Resume the option c) directions in paragraph 4 (“The path curves left to a road..)

f) Starting in Gomshall

1. Walk off platform 1 at Gomshall station (the platform you arrive at if coming from Guildford), and walk straight ahead through the station car park. In 30 metres, turn left down the approach road.
2. In 140 metres, you come to the main road, the A25, and turn right. In 250 metres, you pass the Compasses Inn on your left. 70 metres beyond this, turn right up Colekitchen Lane.
3. Carry on up this hill for 700 metres, as it climbs increasingly steeply. At the very top of the hill, a private driveway forks left to Kings Holt and Northanger, but your onward route is to stay on the lane, the right fork, signposted Colekitchen Farm. You can now follow the main walk directions from point [7].