9 off the train at Bentley set off in hot sunny windless conditions. We had lost one walker by the time we re cafeached Alice Holt visitor centre and didn't see him again despite waiting a few minutes. Perhaps he was going at a sensibly slow pace to cope with the heat. A combination of woods and tree-lined paths shaded us throughout the walk and the full glare of the sun was never felt for long. Frensham Great Pond looked very inviting but a large sign warned of blue green algae and nobody was tempted in. There was no shade on the beach so we carried on to Frensham Little Pond passing the bus stop and losing a second walker who decided to wait for the 13.23 to Farnham. The remaining 9 picnicked among the trees at the Little Pond where a couple of people and dogs were swimming despite a sign asking people not to swim.

We didn't visit the café there but set our sights on Tilford where some had beers in the Barley Mow and one had coffee and cake in the adjacent café.This fortified us for the last stretch and we reached Farnham in time for 5 to catch the 16.58 train while 2 stopped to have a drink before their return journey. Two of us risked sitting in first class while many passengers had to stand on the overcrowded train. Thankfully the air conditioning was working.

From Tilford followed the main route in reverse hoping to meet others but didn’t so took the shortcut loop back.

Sorry Southern Explorer, we all took the "Tilford shortcut". 10 started at Bentley - so making11 in all - but I'm afraid we lost track of one regular back-marker soon afterwards. He didn't make the hoped-for reappearance when we stopped so I hope he found the way OK. The rest all picknicked at Frensham Great Pond and two swam in cool calm water, having the cordoned-off swimming area to ourselves.

When we got to Tilford, some remembered birthday drinks there on a previous outing, so all but one went in to the Barley Mow to partake of beer, cider or coffee and cake (there's a cafe beside the pub now). We opted for the finish through the Bourne, but the road at the start was very busy so might try the other route another time. 1658 train, with supplies for some.

It was cloudy but warm .

The ‘back marker’was starting to come down with something and was walking even slower than usual. Didn’t help that he was deceived by the hidden turn off through Mill House and had to backtrack.Got to Frensham Pond for 2:10. Decided against continuing and got the 2:34 bus to Farnham.

Flashes, Hankley Common, and Devils Jumps would be stunning at the end of August when the heather is in full bloom.

All trains to Bentley cancelled today I'm afraid. Direct trains to Farnham don't seem to be running either (you have to change at Guildford)

An alternative 10 mile walk would be the farnham cirular.

Farnham to Godalming (Book 1, walk 12) - as far as the Donkey pub then follow the second half of book 2 (CW2 Walk 12) back to farnham.

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/farnham-to-godalming/index.html

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/guildford-to-farnham/

Was aiming to drive to this walk. What alternatives are people doing?

Donkey pub has sign outside saying ‘closed’.

1

As far as I know, 1 person did the Farnham Circular and 2 did a walk around Guildord. So,0 for the posted walk due to all trains being cancelled.

Latest information on Waverly Council and environment agency websites is that great pond is closed to bathers due to blue green algae.

Thanks. A shame, but good to know in advance.

17 set off from Bentley on this walk which offered lots of welcome shade from unaccustomed sunshine and mid 20s temperatures. A few people stopped for refreshment at the Bluebell Inn and later caught up with the others who picnicked on the beach at Frensham Great Pond. The water looked very inviting but none of us swam. We didn't see any warnings about water safety and some children were splashing about in it. Heather was out- great expanses of pale pink, just in bloom and patches of vivid purple here and there which looked a bit older. Frensham Little Pond looked very nice and less busy than the Great Pond. It too has a swimming area and the Tern cafe nesting in the shade by the edge of the pond. A good picnic spot. Three had taken the bus from the Great Pond, the rest carried on to Tilford and on the way a keen eyed walker spotted an Emerald butterfly (or was it moth) which allowed itself to be picked up and photographed. It was leaf-coloured and veined. Amazing camouflage. On to Tilford and the Barley Mow where 12 stopped for drinks in their garden. There is now a coffee shop attached to the pub which had some tempting cakes. After a pleasant sojourn there, we tackled the final stretch to Farnham where most caught the 17.28 back to Waterloo.

Just 4 walkers alighted at Bentley, 1 of those being a first-timer of sorts (he had been on a previous posted walk without seeing anyone else [Tring, I think]). The day was cloudy initially then mainly sunny .

What we didn't get was mud, despite the heavy rain this week, on account of the mainly sandy soil and - presumably - the rain keeping bikes and horses off the wooded bridleways, so that the one very cautious walker that had brought gaiters (for those notorious bridleways in the woods) looked a bit sheepish.

What we did get was loads of sailing boats on Frensham Great Pond, reasonable colours from the heather, some gorse and plenty of lovely birch trees, some deep sandy paths, dragonflies, one startled grown-up deer just 10m away, a baby slow worm (we think), a very large burnt-down area of heathland on Hankley Common (according to the www, it's been on fire three times in the July heatwave, at times needing the attention of 19 firecrews!), a far away concert of a rock tribute band as we were crossing Farnham Heath Nature Reserve (plus numerous art pieces scattered about there), and two delightful stops inbetween all that: a fine lunch at the Bel and Dragon, and a longish tea stop at The Barley Mow (minus the first timer, who marched on). And we then made the 18.28 with 5 minutes to spare. A very good day indeed.

I am inclined to follow the travel advice on the walk: train closest to 09.00, if I can find it.

Austen

Well, after the apocalyptic forecast It did not rain . Maybe a few drops at the start and a few at the Bariey Mow in Tilford, but that is it. I sweated in full waterproofs until lunchtime waiting for the lightening-riven deluges. They never came.

Let’s get straight to the second bit of bad news for those of you who didn’t come: the heather was wonderful, absolutely at its best. Rarely have I seen such glorious swathes of purple, darker and lighter hues creating a kaleidoscope of colour.

12 on the walk. Myself and another nature-loving companion got left behind, popping seeds on small balsam and seeing a rare Lesser Emperor dragonfly, among other delights. We also came across a nearly-free range piglet. He had slipped through the fence of his enclosure and had a chance to escape bacon-hood and be a wild boar. But then my colleague oinked at him and he fled terrified back to captivity.

All this meant that we had a dim idea of what the other ten walkers were up to, but several seemed to lunch, as we did, at the kiosk at Frensham Great Pond (menu: beefburger and chips or vegan burger and chips), and I think most (all?) then went on to do the long walk. We two did the shorter one, and stopped for tea at the National Trust cafe by the Little Pond (it seemed rude not to). In the woods we told some young ladies where to go (Don’t tell the Duke of Edinburgh people).

We met some of the longer walkers at the Barley Mow, which was doing its best to be a classic village pub - cricket on the green, locals talking about dogs. Almost as soon as we arrived the fast walkers pushed off. Nothing personal, I am sure.

They went the direct way to Farnham. We two took the slightly longer valley route. By now the sun had come out and a very pleasant evening it was. Some faster walkers got the 6.27 train. We lingered in the Mulberry and got the 7.57.

One of Britain’s largest spiders, the Great Fox-Spider, has been discovered on a Ministry of Defence training ground in Surrey, having last been spotted in 1993 on Hankley Common. It has 8 eyes and wraparound vision!

5 off the train and 4 car drivers, so 9, with the rain starting the very moment we stepped off the train and getting harder and not stopping until 1 o'clock. By then the lunchers on the full walk (3) had reached the Bel and Dragon, where we had very good meals and soaked up the fireplace-generated warmth. Meantime, the sky broke and it started the relentless improvement of weather to mostly blue sunny skies. The 2 picnickers on the main walk had already moved on and they caught the 16.28 train, us 3 the 16.58. 4 walked the short walk, cutting out Hankley Common. hard rain to 1 then improving to blue skies

The ground: not very muddy at all, just as I had hoped, considering the amount of wet we've had. Mainly tarmac and cycle-track-ready gravel paths in Alice Holt Forest anyway, then two mud-prone stretches in the wood and along a bridleway from Frensham Mill to Great Pond, but they were not too bad, no slipping and sliding certainly, no depth to the mud. Plenty of standing water on the sandy heaths of course, but easy to navigate around and never a problem for boots. The rest of the woods were fine as well.

The autumnal colours: very good. Alice Holt is mainly oak forest and conifer plantations but interspersed with plenty broadleafs so was lovely. The heaths were really interesting, with plenty of birch in colour, brownish grasses and reeds, even the dying bracken adding to the mix, so together with the dark purple heather, sandy soil and green conifers it was quite a picture, especially in the sun. Finally, the woods nearer Farnham were a fine mix of colours.

Also: Massive numbers of mushrooms, almost everywhere. A gaggle of swimmers at Frensham Great Pond (where are the SWC swimming-aficionados when you need them?). No dog walkers while it was chucking down, but a handful of other walkers. No Great Fox-Spider spotted, maybe it was too sunny?

All in: a fine autumn walk, I thought.

Aiming for the earlier train to walk the normal 25.2 km version. [09.00 W'loo, change Woking, Bentley 10.02]. Lunch pub after 13.5 km: The Bel and the Dragon in Churt. The last 2 km or so are along residential streets in Farnham, so will be fine for light.

3 off the early train in mostly sunny weather to 1 pm, then overcast. A few muddy bridleways in the woods en route but not overbearingly many, and the vast stretches across heathland were fine anyway (very fine far views from the heathland ridges today). Good leaf colour, plenty mushrooms: a good walk, and a good walk for the season.

We had made good progress when the turnoff to the Bel & Dragon came up, so we strode on to the Barley Mow for lunch, assuming we'd bump into/be met there by walkers from the posted train, but just a couple turned in (and only to use the facilities). So we were behind after lunch and coffee and got to Farnham in good time for the 16.28, on which we met some (5) of the main group, who emerged from the Mulberry Tree. Others apparently had taken the 15.58. [Note: The Waverley Inn is now shut for good and currently disembowelled for being turned into a Day Nursery.]

I'm slightly unsure because of people's different starts and finishes, but I think there were 14 walkers on the standard train, making 17 in all, in initally beautiful weather clouding over later . Many of the 14 picknicked at Frensham Little Pond, but I think some went to the NT cafe and 4 walkers stopped for lunch late-on at the Barley Mow. I hope they found their way on to Farnham OK. 3 (?) improvised a slight short-cut from there to Tilford, and 2 of those then did the longer return to Farnham by the NDW, getting to the train in time to meet some of the rest of us . . . meanwhile 7 proceeded to Farnham via the recommended route and met a lost walker who we helped find the station. I was amazed to find we got there in time for the 1558, which 3, I think, made a bee-line for, leaving 4 of us to visit the Mulberry for a nice cup of tea/TEA/cider having deciding we didn't have time to venture further into Farnham before the next train. I think that leaves one person unaccounted for I'm afraid!

This is one of my favourite walks and it was a most enjoyable day out, enhanced by all the variations and some nice bits I couldn't remember from previous outings. And indeed, lots of interesting mushrooms not to mention some free-range pigs.

5 emerged from the train onto the platform and stepped almost directly into the surrounding woodland and countryside under grey skies followed by light but persistent rain for a spell then drying out for the afternoon . At the Visitor Center, the ranks split...one reconsidering options without a rain jacket, two doing the shorter option and two setting off on the longer main route for the Devil's Jumps.....This is a cracker of a heather walk...loads of the stuff encountered on the longer main walk and its extensive exploration of heathland...though, sadly, not really at its best this year -- some looking a bit like my house plants and back garden....somewhat parched....Although not really an ideal swimming day, disappointingly, the swimming hole had a number of signs warning of high levels of blue-green algae....so not even any paddling took place.....nonetheless, an enjoyable Sunday outing in good company....

For what it's worth I would have rated the two options as 6/10 and 4/10 (rather than 7 & 3). There are indeed no lurking Alpine hills on the longer version, but it is a fair bit hillier.

I've done this one previously. There was some road noise but otherwise I thought it a nice walk and there are sandy paths when you're up on the heathland.

But most of the heath and sandy soils are actually just on the longer option of this walk. With the short cut you only get a bit at Frensham Common.

20 on this walk, one taking the train an hour earlier, who the rest of us briefly saw at lunch. This made a delightful walk in the lovely sunshine , with a long stretch on a tarmac path through a forest to start, dry sandy heaths after lunch, and only a few rather gloopy bits in between. Gradients were easy, the landscape varied, and in general the scenery really seemed to suit this time of year.

The walk author materialised and negotiated lunch for ten of us at the rather posh Frensham Pond Hotel, which put up with our walking clothes and boots left at the door with good grace. They were alas a little slow to take orders and bring our starters (the fact that the walker who took the earlier train still did not have her meal when we arrived perhaps should have been a warning to us), so that we spent an agonising hour (I speak personally) staring out the window at the sunshine, feeling the best of the day was passing us by, and envying the sandwich eaters, who after a quick repast by the lake and a brief drink in the hotel bar, carried on. But the food when it came was delicious, the starter portions large, and the main courses very tasty: very reasonable for a fixed price of £15.50.

Setting off finally at 2.45, we skirted the very scenic Frensham Ponds and passed over the magnificent heathland of Frensham Common, stopping for a brief refreshment at the Barley Mow in Tilford. The walk route into Farnham then went through more sandy woodland, with some considerable hills, about half of which we backmarkers negotiated in the dark.

My conclusion is: great walk, but in winter get a 9am train to get to Tilford for lunch: or do it in August, when the pond would have nice swimming (there is a beach) and the heaths would be covered in heather.

Sun 17th May: Extra Walk 184 – Bentley to Farnham

6 on the walk on. Seemed quite a low number for such a lovely day. After a picnic lunch at Frensham Pond, the group split up; three taking the short-cut to Farnham, the other three keeping to the main route.

-- Monbrain