Black Down from Verdleyhill
SWC Walk 218 Haslemere to Midhurst (The Midhurst Way)
Verdley Place
SWC Walk 218 Haslemere to Midhurst (The Midhurst Way)
South Downs from field north of Easebourne
SWC Walk 218 Haslemere to Midhurst (The Midhurst Way)
Easebourne Priory, Easebourne
SWC Walk 218 Haslemere to Midhurst (The Midhurst Way)
Cowdray House Ruins
SWC Walk 218 Haslemere to Midhurst (The Midhurst Way)
Marley Common
SWC Walk 218 Haslemere to Midhurst (The Midhurst Way)
View from Marley Common NT Car Park
SWC Walk 218 Haslemere to Midhurst (The Midhurst Way)
Haslemere to Midhurst via Midhurst Way Walk
Quiet hills and forests, 2 country pubs, and Cowdray Park.
| Length | 9.7 miles ( 15.6 km) with 850 ft (250 meters) |
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| Toughness | 4 out of 10 |
| OS Maps | OS Explorer Maps: 133 |
| Features |
This walk leaves Haslemere via Marley Common - a similar route to TOCW1's Haslemere Circular Walk. However, after the Red Lion pub at Fernhurst, it continues south through a mix of quiet forests with nices views, to Henley and the Duke of Cumberland Arms pub. Finally it enters Midhurst via Cowdray Park. Return to Haslemere station is by bus. This walk's website has the latest information about the walk, more detailed directions, and photos |
| Walk Options |
This walk can be combined with the Arundel to Midhurst walk to form the Midhurst Way - a 3 day south to north traverse of the South Downs National Park. |
| Eat |
The Red Lion pub, Fernhurst (tel 01428 643 112), by the village green. It serves food from noon until 2.30pm daily. Groups of more than 20 people should phone to book. The Duke of Cumberland Arms, Henley, GU27 3HQ, 01428 652280. Pretty country gastro-pub, views from the deck, award winning restaurant |
| Travel |
Trains from London Waterloo go to Haslemere. Return from Midhurst by bus to Haslemere. Check the times of the last bus! You might find it less stressful to do the walk in reverse, and finish at the train station. Midhurst Taxi: BJ's Private Hire (01730 716327 or 07732 590806). |
| Author | This walk is © John Trueman |
| Midhurst |
Travel from Midhurst Updated Mar-17There are 4 bus routes to choose from.
Waterloo line to Haslemere / Petersfield
Victoria line to Pulbrough / Amberley / Arundel
Both lines (a more expensive ticket to Chichester, valid for all the above stations)
Midhurst Taxi BJ's Private Hire (01730 716327 or 07732 590806). Uber is about £25 for Midhurst to Haslemere. |
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| Help Us! |
After the walk, we would love to get your feedback |
| Photos |
Upload your photos to the SWC Group on Flickr, and videos to Youtube. This walk's tags are: swcwalks swcwalk218 |
| Profile | |
| Trains |
Out: (not a train station) |
| By Car |
Start: GU27 2PE Directions Finish: Midurst, West Sussex Directions |
| Amazon | |
| Help |
Start walking Large print Using GPS data National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Travelline SE (bus times): 0871 200 2233 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234 |
| Version | |
| Copyright | © Saturday Walkers Club. All Rights Reserved. No commercial use. No copying. No derivatives. Free with attribution for one time non-commercial use only. www.walkingclub.org.uk/site/license.shtml |
Walk Directions
The directions for this walk are also in a PDF (link above) which you can download on to a Kindle, tablet, or smartphone.
- From Haslemere Station take the ‘In’ entrance to the right, cross the main road and go up Longdene Rd, a gentle upward climb to the the top of the hill.
- At a sharp left bend go straight ahead into Hedgehog Lane and then turn right down the footpath to Sturt Farm.
- Cross the main A287 road and follow the pavement to the junction with the B2831. Turn right along the pavement and walk down the B2381 pavement for half a mile until you see a wooded hill and National Trust sign on your left.
- Just past this on the left is the footpath which rises to Marley Common. Cross Marley Common and intersect with the lane to Kingsley Green. Follow the road south east a little way and then break off right and continue down a path in a southerly direction. This crosses the Marley Heights private road and descends the hill to Fernhurst via Vann Common. There is a wonderful view of the next wooded sandstone ridge which you cross shortly before dropping down hill gently to Midhurst and the Rother Valley .
- Turn left into Vann Road and continue east. Cross the A 287 and follow the one way road past the church on the left until you arrive at the cross roads almost opposite the Red Lion pub.
- Turn right and follow the lane south and turn right at the next junction on a sharp bend left after about half a mile. This road loops round. At the first sharp bend to the right go straight on down the metalled track ahead of you with Verdley Place hidden behind a wooded rise to your left, bearing gently right – not straight ahead to Bridgelands Farm - to cross the bridge over the stream and turning sharply right into the restricted byway before Courts Farm. Follow the stream bank a little way and then continue south west via Dawes Highfield Copse and the westward edge of Verdley Wood until you reach the hamlet of Henley perched on the side of a long east-west sandstone hill.
- Turn left into Henley Lane, go past the pub on the right – The Duke of Cumberland Arms – and walk up the slope 100 yards to the hairpin bend. The path breaks south east at this bend and follows the underside of the hill, rising gently, until you get to Verdley Farm.
- Walk down the access track to the farm until you hit the lane, turn left and then right down a footpath through the wood crossing the bridleway. When you leave the wood you get a wonderful view down a gentle rise to Midhurst and, beyond, to the South Downs . The path drops straight down this farmland and enters Wick Lane . Follow Wick Lane south for half a mile and where it suddenly turns left – south east – continue along the path in a southerly direction, through the allotments, down the side of some houses until you hit a side road leading immediately to a sharp bend in the A272.
- Walk along the pavement in a south easterly direction through Easebourne with The Priory and Church of St Mary to your right, and then turn immediately right into the Cowdray Estate Road . This passes after 100 yards or so the Cowdray Farm Shop and Café on the right - known locally as the Food Emporium or Fortnums on Rother - and the 100 space free car park on the left and continues as a rough unmetalled track in a south westerly direction with polo fields to the left and finally, near the banks of the serpentine River Rother, to Cowdray Castle.
- Opposite the wrought iron gates to Cowdray Castle there is a bridge over the river leading to the Castle Causeway, a half-mile-long broad sandy pathway to North Street car park, the bus station and, across the main road, Capron House, the new HQ for the South Downs National Park Authority.