SWC 287: Holmwood to Shamley Green, Shalford or Guildford t=swc.287

Distance: 11.6 miles (18.7 km), 14.5ish miles (23ish km) or 17.4 miles (28 km), respectively

Difficulty: 8 out of 10

Train: Take the 9:25 AM Horsham-bound train from London Victoria arriving in Holmwood at 10:29. Unless walking on to Shalford or Guilford, the return journey requires a bus from Shamley Green to Guildford (bus number 53 or 63), each bus runs hourly and takes about 10 minutes, the 53 at 22 past the hour and the 63 at 52 past the hour with the bus stop located conveniently opposite the pub! Plenty of trains in Guildford.....For those walking on to Shalford, trains run hourly at 31 past the hour (additionally the 53 and 63 buses both stop near the station). Buy a “any permitted” day return to Gomshall.

This walk provides a great late autumn outing with some invigorating hills to climb….Hopefully, there will also be some remaining flashes of color from the beech trees along the route….This is a largely map-led outing with a GPX file available for guidance. If you decide to walk to Shalford, you will need to consult the map and deviate from the GPX…it is a short diversion….With the short days upon us, the walk into Guildford would likely be in the dark, though it may be possible to make it to Shalford before darkness falls. You can find more information about the walk and download the walk instructions here.

The recommended lunch stop is the Royal Oak in Holmbury St. Mary (about 5 miles/9 km into the walk). Tea or afternoon refreshments can be enjoyed at the Red Lion in Shamley Green while waiting for the bus or at the Queen Victoria in Shalford also while waiting for the bus or train.

Enjoy the walk!

Length: 18.7km (11.6 miles) - or 19.6km (12.2 miles) including the diversion to the lunch pub
Toughnesss: 8 out of 10: several big climbs

9.16 train from Victoria (9.24 Clapham Junction, 10.09 Sutton) to Holmwood, arriving 10.44.

Alternatively get the 9.39 train from Waterloo to Epsom, arriving 10.12, to connect with the above train at 10.20.

Buy a day return to Gomshall, making sure it is an “Any Permitted” ticket. This is a bit counter-intuitive because you are not going to Gomshall, but this ticket is valid via Dorking, the stop before Holmwood, and for return from Guildford. It would be a hard-hearted “on-board train manager” who also denied its validity from Dorking to Holmwood, but one such may exist.

For the first of my two autumn leaf colour blockbusters (cross fingers that the autumn colour cooperates....), I have selected this very woody section of the Greensand Way. Whatever autumn colour there is should be well displayed. Now and again the route also brings you to magnificent viewpoints, such as Leith Hill, the highest height in southern England, Holmbury Hill and Pitch Hill

This is a “map-led” walk for the most part - ie no written directions. But please don’t let this put you off. Firstly, for the first three miles there ARE directions if you need them since the route follows the book 1 route from Holmwood to Leith Hill (link here, but note we will be doing the alternative start on page 7 of the directions). After that you are on the Greensand Way, which is fairly well waymarked and largely does what you expect it to do - ie it follows the escarpment. GPX-ers can download the entire route here or you can print off a map of the route here. More details of the walk are here.

The first refreshment stop on this walk is the National Trust tea kiosk in the side of Leith Hill Tower, 2.9 miles into the walk. Two miles further on a short diversion off the walk route brings you to the Royal Oak, Holmbury St Mary, which has several vegetarian and at at least one vegan option on its menu. The other pub option on this walk, the Kings Head, is currently closed.

The walk ends in Shamley Green, where the Red Lion is well-situated next to the bus stop. Number 53 and 63 buses to Guildford go from the opposite side of the road to the pub at 12, 32 and 52 past the hour until 18.52 and then at 19.22, 20.22, 21.22 and 22.22, taking 20 minutes.

RMT strike action for this Saturday has been cancelled, so trains back from Guildford to Waterloo should be every 15 minutes, taking 36-38 minutes. T=3.287

t=SWC.287

Length: 19km / 12m
Toughness: 8 / 10
Transport: Take the 9:25 from London Victoria arriving in Holmwood at 10:29. The return trip requires a bus journey from Shamley Green to Guildford. The bus times are:
63: xx:52 until 18:52
53: xx:12 & xx:32 until 18:32, then xx:22 until 22:22
There are many return trains from Guildford to London, some fast, some slow.
The walk author recommends to buy a day-return to Gomshall (see notes)
If you feel energetic you can also walk to Guildford using a map: Basically make your way westwards until just after Cranleigh Waters, then turn north until you hit the path along the River Wey Navigation which you follow into Guildford. This adds an estimated 8km to the walk.

Note: This walk is defined only by a gpx file. There are no walk instructions !
This is a pleasant woodland walk following mainly the Greensand Way passing several wonderful viewpoints.

There is no walk name or number: this is an experimental map-led walk: see below t=swc.287
Length: 18.2km (11.3 miles)
Toughness: expect several big ascents and descents

Interminable engineering works on the Guildford line have finally been completed, allowing me to try this idea, which has been festering in the dark recesses of my brain for some time.

The idea is to use the book 1 Holmwood to Gomshall directions to the top of Leith Hill (though with a slightly shorter start which I will explain on the day) and then follow the Greensand Way west - NEW territory for the SWC. There are no walk directions for this last two thirds of the walk: it is hopefully waymarked, but bring maps or map apps if you have them.

Basic GPX or KML

Note that this is a map-led walk NOT a led walk: ie like all our walks it has no leader. You are ultimately responsible for finding your own way, though past experience suggests that there will be some "cooperative navigation" .

There may be bluebells en route - it is likely territory for them - but I have never done the walk so don't know. There looks to be quite lot of woodland which will be full of fresh green foliage (another reason to do this walk now). Some good escarpment views - eg from Leith Hill and from Holmbury Hill (the latter just after lunch).

9.24 train from Waterloo (9.33 Clapham Junction) to Epsom, arriving 9.57, changing there for the 10.09 train to Holmwood, arriving 10.32. This two stage journey from Waterloo is necessary due to last minute engineering works in the Sutton area but does not add significantly to journey times.

Note: There will be a 30-strong Meet-Up Group - sigh! - making the same journey. They will also get off at Holmwood. Make sure you don't join with the wrong group. They are also going up Leith Hill but after that are going a different way. If it turns out they are going the same way up Leith Hill as us, we will go up another way - there are various options.

Buy an ANY PERMITTED day return to Gomshall ** - important! NOT via Redhill only (though at Waterloo "any permitted" is what the ticket machines will likely offer you). In theory you also will need a single from Dorking to Holmwood... ** OR an any permitted day return to Shalford. Our resident train guru says this is cheaper than a return to Gomshall and still valid via Dorking and Guildford: your choice

MEALS

Lunch: will be in Holmbury St Mary, 2 miles after Leigh Hill = 5 miles into the walk. The most convenient pub seems to be the King's Head (01306 730282), which looks to be almost on the GSW route and has a large garden: I have rung them and made a booking for 10 people for 1pm, though they say Saturday lunchtimes are "usually not a problem": we can still sit in the garden if it is sunny. An alternative up the road 450 metres to the north is the Royal Oak (01306 898010).

Mid afternoon drinks (3 miles after lunch) may be possible at the Ewhurst Windmill, described as "more of a restaurant than a pub", but apparently willing to serve drinks in the afternoon and having a deck with a fine view.

The walk ends in the pretty village of Shamley Green where there is a lovely pub on the village green - the Red Lion. It is open all afternoon for drinks: if you want to have dinner there, it serves food from 6.30pm.

GETTING BACK

53/63 buses to Guildford go from the other side of the road to the Red Lion at 12, 32 and 52 past the hour until 18.52, then 19.22, 20.22, 21.22, 22.22, 23.30, taking 20 minutes.

Trains back from Guildford to Waterloo go every 15 minutes or so (eg 02, 17, 34. 47 and 54) and are covered by the Gomshall/Shalford return. These are the fast trains: don't get the slow train via Clandon by mistake