20 on this walk. So nice to see lots of familiar faces after a run of wet Saturdays with disappointing turnouts. The weather was sunny to start and then cloudy. Autumn colours past their best but with a fair showing of coppery (and sometimes gold) beech leaves.

After the always enjoyable climb including SWC veterans doing the “steep bit” undaunted some of us stopped for tea at the Leith Hill kiosk, where the Shard and the sea through the Shoreham gap in the South Downs were both visible. We then descended through plentiful woods to Friday Street where 14 (?) of us had lunch. The pub insisted on table service but was not busy when we arrived and took our orders quickly. The food came relatively swiftly too. It is always a delight to eat at the Stephan Langton.

We all (mostly?) left lunch together but got strung out in the afternoon. I arrived at the Lavender Goose tea room at 3.30pm to find four others having tea and around six queueing to order. But there was then a wildebeest style stampede to the 3.50pm train (those queuing having ordered takeaways) and by 3.40pm I was left alone with the newspaper. However two other walkers, feeling the walk was too short, had gone for an extra loop up onto the North Downs and I met up with them at 4.30pm for a drink in the Compasses Inn before we all took the 5.50pm train home.

Think I may join need to tackle some more hills. You just turn up at Holmwood at 10.30am on the 6th?

That is correct. We meet on the station platform on arrival.

Thank You, will keep it in mind!

Hi, this is my first time wanting to join. 10:30am at Holmwood station. What gear would you recommend? and how will i identify the walking group? sorry if this is obvious

You are very welcome. Yes, we meet on the platform at Holmwood station. Don't worry it is a quiet rural station so the group will be obvious. As for gear, boots or footwear comfortable for walking (trainers are fine if you can walk 10 miles in them: mud should not be an issue at this time of year). Otherwise, water, a waterproof in case it rains, and the directions or GPX. See this page for info on how our walks work: we have no leaders, which is a very important difference between our walks and other walking groups...

https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/swc/index.shtml

Thank you :)

you're so kind Walker😊well done

According to National Rail, there are more return trains than usual running tomorrow, which is good. At least one per hour:

15:53 – 16:57 London Waterloo
16:04 – 17:18 London Victoria
16:52 – 17:57 London Waterloo
17:06 – 18:18 London Victoria
18:06 – 19:18 London Victoria
18:09 – 19:27 London Waterloo
19:06 – 20:18 London Victoria
19:21 – 20:23 London Bridge
19:56 – 20:57 London Waterloo

(First up: special thanks to the volunteers that maintain the walks and organise the walk posting.)

A good number of walker types on the train led to speculation that perhaps a Meetup group had posted the same walk? On arrival it wasn't long before 22 self identified with the Saturday Walkers Club group that formed on the station platform, many of whom were on their first SWC walk (welcome!)

The group set off and unintentionally spilt at the first opportunity with the minority opting for the alternative start. All experienced the same weather: light cloud, sunny intervals and a sly north westerly wind to test our clothing options. The next test being the ascent of Leith Hill where cakes and hot drinks were welcomed as the group tarried a while, rested and enjoyed the panoramic views.

Many were persuaded to detour to the Leith Hill Rhododendron Wood: spectacular colourful and fragrant blooms our reward.

The front runners pushed on past the first pub stop (the Stephan Langton Inn very busy) and made the second (the Wotton Hatch) in record time. Under promised, over delivered and generously sized portions were dispatched and the group, having gathered, once again split as some determined to make the earlier trains amidst speculation that the published Saturday timetable (promising hourly trains) WAS A LIE.

The determined minority did make the earliest train, the next wave braved the tunnel under the railway line the Lavender Goose (tea room and interior furnishing) their reward. Others reconnoitred Abinger Hammer where there is another tea room. Walk tales told and excellent cakes (and not so excellent tea) consumed, the majority adjourned for the 17:06 from Gomshall station. (Hourly trains after all!)

Big hills climbed in good company on a not so big day out of London.

This comment has been removed by the author.

Thank you very much for organising it and giving directions

You would only have to pay from DORKING to Holmwood on the outward journey, since via Dorking is a perfectly legitimate route to Gomshall.

Tillings Tea Room is now the Lavender Goose. This appears to be a retail store with a cafe attached, so the amount of seating will be dramatically reduced, I presume (it was shut when I passed it). It is open till 5pm daily. The Abinger Hammer tea rooms are still there though I am not sure if they open on a bank holiday.

Hope to get bus from Wotton then train to join the walk at Holmwood. If the bus doesn't run on bank holidays, I'll walk to Leith Hill and hopefully join you there!

hi guys

no trains to holmwood all trains cancelled. sorry marcus cant go on this walk after all.
hope you guys found an alternative walk.

monica

There’s a 10:01 train to Holmwood. Anyone still intending on going?

All trains cancelled. I'm off to do Saunderton via Bledlow.
10.07 train from Marylebone. Joe.

Suggest getting the 10.01 from Victoria to Dorking and doing the Dorking to Gomshall instead. 10.01 gives time for adjustment and ticket to Gomshall is valid for this.

Dorking to Gomshall is walk 147 in reverse
or Dorking Circular walk 274

We can decide on the train

Will be on the 1001 train, from another Anonymous.

I am in the 9:31 train from Victoria to Gatwick. Will stop at Dorking to take the replacement bus to Holmwood. It seems quite fast.

I’ll be on the 10:01 Dorking train
Ranjna

We should be able to do the main walk using the replacement bus service

Glad to see the last comment. I have a black and pink backpack “le coq sportif”. Say hi if you see me. Arriving at Dorking in a few minutes now.

10:01 train will get to Dorking at 10:50. Happy to share a taxi if the wait for the bus to Holmwood is too long.
I’m wearing a pink skirt and carrying a blue rucksack.

About 24 walkers in total. It's hard to know exactly how many as the comment about trains to Holmwood being cancelled caused some confusion, resulting in few walkers taking a later train and 2 opting for a circular from Dorking. In fact, the service was running with trains as far as Dorking, where a Bus Replacement service awaited for the short hop to Holmwood. This walk with it's woodlands and 4 or 5 refreshment options proved a very good choice in such sunny and hot weather.

Glad some of you had a good day's walk with the bluebells and the woods in a hot day like today. Wish I had gone but was confused by the train cancellations etc. Well soemtimes these train websites are misleading.

Monica

My apologies for the confusion over the outward train service for today's walk. As recently as last Friday afternoon I checked in person at Victoria station that the 09 31 service to Horsham was running on Bank Holiday Monday, to be told it was. But over the weekend Southern decided to change the termination point of the 09 31, from Horsham to Brighton, to help the service to the seaside town, a service otherwise affected by engineering work. Given the expected hot, sunny day, this was a sensible decision by Southern. Unfortunately, to speed along the service, intermediate stops between Dorking and Horsham had to be omitted, but no problem Southern put on a rail replacement service for these intermediate stops, including Holmwood, which worked very well. The problem was these changes to the service did not filter through to website information.
Just to expand a bit on Anonymous's report on the walk, when twenty plus SWC walkers arrived at Holmwood station, there was a similar sized group of male Meet Up walkers, waiting at the station and planning to do our walk. They set off just ahead of us on the alternative start (which offered better shade) but the Meet Ups let us through whilst they waited for additional members to join them. Some of us stopped for elevenses at Leigh Hill tower, which was very busy, as expected, whilst others set off in anticipation of securing a table for lunch at the first pub en route. Four of us took the detour to the Rhododendron Wood,to find a blaze of rich colours white, yellow, deep pink and vivid red rhodos and azaleas, above a carpet of bluebells. The rest of you really missed out. Said bluebells elsewhere on the walk in places were still in full bloom: in other places, like ageing walkers, they were beginning to flag.
Most took sandwiches and picnicked along the way. Four of us dined at the Wotton Hatch, with its chaotic ordering system, and I believe four had lunch at the Stephan Langton. By now our group was well dispersed. Those that made Gomshall in time for an early train were fortunate. The Travel Gods decided to play another trick on the rest of us, as our scheduled train never showed up. So it was a pleasant bus ride into Guildford after refreshments in Gomshall ( but DON'T mention the rip off tea in the Gomshall Mill), then a delayed train back to London.
A nice walk in very nice company on a very hot day, but an outing somewhat spoilt for some of us by the vagaries of the rail companies.

Wonderful walk, thank you, the colours in the brilliant sunshine were so vivid and bright felt like I was in another world it was perfect.

Have got a polite suggestion, the walks have a very early start particularly as you have to leave lots of time to collect your train ticket these days. Any chance of posting a later time?

Polite reply: 9.31 is not that early. Also, it is easy to buy a ticket online in these modern times. If you look more carefully, you'll find relatively little used ticket machines in the big stations.

Final thought: those of you armed with hand held devices please be less trigger happy with them. At least two of you posted incorrect information on our website which probably put off a number of would be attendees today. Please remember train company websites often lag behind latest events. Perhaps better to let walkers work out what best to do when at the train station, as many of us did today.
Thanks !

Weather forecast is for 50mph winds and Ramblers have cancelled some of their country walks. Woodland areas particularly vulnerable to falling trees.

Yes, falling trees worries me too

12 walkers on this walk. So windy up on Leaf Hill that the tea and coffee bought by walkers was literally being swept out of their mugs. The Surrey Hills looked as beautiful as ever especially so in the sun. A big group of us missed taking tea and cakes in Gomshall because the 15.53 was just about to arrive and we didn't want to have to wait 2 hours for the next train. To compensate, two of us had a nice cup of tea in Dorking.

It has been pointed out to me that two years ago a railway crossing early in this walk was closed for repairs. I have no idea if it was reinstated.

A vey nice alternative start is as follows:

Go up the steps from the station to the road and turn left on it. In about 150 metres, just after the last house, take a path to the left (not the track just to its left). In 150 metres this emerges onto a tarmac drive, which you follow in the same direction.

In 300 metres, just before a house on the left, ignore a signposted path to the left, but in another 150 metres, take the left fork, a track leading into the woods, ignoring a farm track more sharply left just before it.

In 800 metres, a little after you emerge into the open, you come to a three way track/tarmac drive junction. Keep straight ahead and you are now at point 11 of the online directions.

Capital Walkers are doing similar start from Gomshall. Will be on same train, however they are going to Ockley. So care to join the correct walk Gavin

Sorry, I meant from Holmwood, not Gomshall. So, yes, need to ensure there is a seperation at Holmwood or it might cause confusion, Gavin

Wednesday walkers "privileged Pampered" ? !

Privileged yes to be able to walk during the week, away from the madding crowds. But pampered ? how dare you, sir !! Many of us may be long in't tooth with fading old fogey passes, but we are just reaping the rewards of hard work over many a moon and in some cases, too many a moon.

Now, you young swain, young blades and lassies out there should take great satisfaction in knowing by working all the hours of the day and night you are paying for my pension and paying for the subsidy on my travel. So please keep it up it is much appreciated. Yes you will all probably have to work until you are 75 or 80 so you will need to keep fit. So keep up walking with the SWC but not on Wednesdays !

Pampered ?

I needed another word beginning with "P" for the alliteration.

Re the Capital Walkers group, yes, I know I note this in the walk post (paragraph in italics after the outward train details). Sorry about this, but there are so many damned groups these days and I can't avoid all of them all of the time. They are not going to our lunch pubs: that seemed to be the main thing. Otherwise, I am sure we can give them a clean pair of heels.

I suggested that the SWC group sit at the back end of the train and meet at the back end of the platform by the steps to avoid the Capital Walkers....so long as they do not do the same, of course.

6 Very wet all morning. Given the rain on Saturday and the fine forecast for Sunday it was not surprising that only six brave souls alighted at Holmwood. The Capital Walkers had a few more but we left them on the platform. With almost zero visibility at Leith Hill Tower we went on to The Stephen Langton Inn. Despite the restaurant being full with a large group staying at Holmbury YHA we were served efficiently with good food and excellent Tillingbourne beer. The rain eased off in the afternoon and we had time for tea at Tillings Cafe in Gomshall. There was a bit of confusion about train times but every one got away to Guildford or Dorking/Redhill. A grand day out despite the weather.

Now I might do the Walk on Wednesday. But I can't Guarantee I will. But when we stop at a Pub Restaurant. How much are the prices?

There is a sample lunch menu on this website: http://stephanlangton.pub/menu/

thanks but too early for me

Angela I got the authors wrong. I meant to say Challacombe, Oldfield and Salkovkis. You should find it.

13.5 on this walk, the 0.5 being the "walks inspector" who joined us for lunch and most of the afternoon. A pleasant mild day with quite a bit of sun. Good autumn colours but no noticeable advance on last week. The tea kiosk on Leith Hill was open and there was a very distant view of the sea sparkling through Shoreham Gap as some of us had a cuppa. Five of us (plus walks inspector) ate in the not at all busy Stephan Langton so I guess others had sarnies or ate elsewhere. We got to Gomshall rather too early 3pm or so and I hear four at least went on to make it a 16 miler by carrying on to Guildford. So in fact did two more of us, one of whom (me) had not intended to be so heroic. But with an extravagant hour and a half of daylight still to go when we set off at 4.30, it seemed a shame not to make the most of it. We got to St Martha's Hill for a soft and lovely dusk and did the last bit over Pewley Down in the dark. Then tapas, wine and home.

lovely walk, Max and Mel hope to go

Looking forward to the walk. Thank you Mr Dent.

Shortening the walk ! para 56, Wotton Hatch pub (about 45 mons after lunch) has a bus stop on the other side of the road which will take you to Dorking station for trains back to London. http://www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk/se/TTB/EFA04 00001a22 TP.pdf

I think one might find the Wotton/Dorking bus timetable here ...
http://www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk/se/TTB/EFA01 00007fe0 TP.pdf

7+dog. misty & overcast with brief faint drizzle. Long woodland stretches ablaze with colour and carpeted with leaves. One walker detoured to visit the impressive Anstiebury Hillfort, which might be worth including as an official variation on this walk. Welcome refreshments at Leith Hill where mist obscured views though we got a glimpse of the North Downs bathed in sunshine. The Stephan Langton provided an excellent lunch, though some thought portion sizes could be more generous. Despite taking an occasional wrong turning in the woods, and not leaving the lunch pub till 3:00pm, we managed to reach Gomshall just before dusk.

If you get caught between trains at Gomshall, you can get buses from there to Redhill or Dorking.

Does that train stop at clapham Junction? Hope to attend.
jfk

It sure does, at 9:38 Its the Horsham train
Train back calls there, too

13 on this walk, one of whom, a late starter, caught us up at Gomshall. cloudy early sunny later. A varied and energetic walk quite pretty, and plenty of dramatic trees. It is possible to feel lost on this walk, even when you’re not! Particularly the stretch after Leith tower. Though, given the vague path choices and lack of definitive landmarks, the book did well to steer me through.
Lunch at the Stephan Langton seemed to please. As did a languorous tea stop in Abinger Hammer.

There was some debate about whether it was better to change for Victoria at Dorking Deepdene or Redhill. I did some research and, according to Journey Planner, it should be 5 minutes faster to change at Redhill despite the half hour wait for the connection. Sadly on this occasion the train from Redhill was 3 minutes late and by the time it reached Clapham Junction the Deepdeners would have been a whole 5 minutes ahead. That half hour wait does swing the balance in favour of Dorking Deepdene in cold weather, though.

Thanks, Mr Whistle, I forgot to mention that the (normally locked) church at Wotton was open, thanks to Heritage Open Day. Contains one famous tomb, that of John Evelyn. Apparently, it is kept locked because of vandalism to that very tomb.