If doing the short detour to Gibbet Hill, I recommend retracing your steps onto the very scenic Polecat Valley route as opposed to taking the long bridleway into Haslemere (ie the green line on this walk's OS map rather than the red line https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/milford to haslemere/map.html). There could well be heather there also.

Another platform blocker of a group (pity any non SWC passengers getting off at Milford) 37 in all, plus one walker who got the train to Haslemere by mistake and met up with us late morning, having done the afternoon in reverse. So 38 in all. The weather was a bit of everything: quite grey at times, spots of rain, the unexpected sun. Variable sun and cloud is my term for this.

Inevitably with such a group we soon got split up, especially since this walk has remarkable amounts of wilderness an immense bracken filled wood in the morning, then Thursley Heath. We took varying routes across the latter, some bearing little relationship to the walk directions or GPX. The little group I was in went right, which was wrong, so had to bear left to find the right route which was to the right once we got on the plateau. It was that kind of day.

Was there heather? Reader, there was. Not 100% out, but certainly 80%. A very grand display. See our Facebook page for a couple of photos. The pub did not seem too busy and eight of us got our order in before the management abruptly stopped taking food orders because a wedding party of about 30, occupying about a quarter of the available seating, had to have priority. We were told they had “pre ordered” but actually half an hour later were still studying their menus. The net result was that eight of us (me being the last to squeeze my order in) got delicious, if pricey, food and everyone else gave up. I would be fascinated to know how the pub takings compared to a normal Saturday lunchtime, but with half their tables unoccupied I am guessing they were sharply down.

On through wooded holloways at one point it was like going into Hobbitland and up onto the rim of the Punchbowl. A big bunch of us managed to get tea (for some this was lunch) at the National Trust tea room before it too went into meltdown, closing early because of a water supply problem. Many then took the main route but a few of us detoured to Gibbet Hill where the view included a Red Arrows display over a distant air show and amazingly a pin sharp view of the towers of the City of London 38 miles away.

Down in Haslemere we took pity on the non lunchers and went to the White Horse, which had delicious nosh including vegan lasagne.

To add to Walker's post, the best description I head of this walk was "enchanting". And it was. For some, the Devil's Punchbowl Hotel was available for lunch and the Polecat Valley route was the cherry on the cake with it's fine display of heather and view across the sweeping valley.

I've done this one in winter before. I think it's a good choice. The stretch across Bagmoor Common in the morning may well be boggy but after that there's plenty of sandy paths.

25 at the station. A dry morning and wet windy afternoon
Despite the presence of sandy soils, there is mud a plenty on this walk in winter. Quite a tough walk with its ups and downs and long muddy bridleways. Not that I’m complaining mind, I can’t get enough of the stuff myself :( .
Anonymous was right about Bagmoor Common being boggy. I managed to step off the path into a ditch :( The welcome signs have gone, btw.
The 3 Horseshoes was OK I guess. I don’t know about the food, I wasn’t on the same table.
After lunch about half wimped out and headed for Witley. Diehards such as myself went the whole way.
I think I still prefer the descent into the Devil’s Punchbowl over the detour round the right hand side. The views would be good if it wasn’t for the trees. I wonder if a detour round to the left would work.

Sorry to hear about the mud. This is a challenging time of year to pick walks......

After a splendid lunch at The 3 Horseshoes in Thursley, 10 of us, lightweights / people who have a life outside of just walking ( delete as appropriate ) took an off piste route to Witley which reduced our total walk for the day to 15.6 km ( it didn't seem that far but so the sat nav told us and apparently The Sat Nav is the truth much as in Google is the truth. In the old days you would argue a point in the pub and it would likely never be resolved but now you check Google and that is the truth and no argument but maybe that is a discussion for another time, I will check with Google )

The morning was a bit of a route march resulting in us doing something like 6 k an hour and one of the fellow walkers quoted
We have no time to stand and stare.
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

I should have slowed and we, who wanted to, could have slowed down but the lazy gene was whispering in our ear something along the lines of 'if we keep those walkers in front in sight we won't have to find the route for ourselves' and thus we followed.
Note to self for the future let those at the front go and then relax into the walk and the lazy gene has just piped up with ‘ yes and then we can follow a slower walker ‘

But i digress in the afternoon we duly followed the person in front who did a sterling job of leading us and arrived at Witley around 5 to 3 time for refreshment but sadly there was none to be had. We could wait 15 minutes or so and catch a train to Haslemere and then catch a fast one of we could wait 40 minutes or so and catch the next stopper to Waterloo. 9 of us chose the train to Haslemere where the man at the station Pucino had his busiest session of the day whilst he served us drinks and snacks.
We then caught a fast train back to Waterloo and waved to the one who had stayed on the platform at Witley but

Woe are we Alas Alack Alarm There is no turning or going back For in the Present In the Here and Now we are and always shall be.

and she waiting on the platform did not see us

Good day out but wayyyyy tooooooooooo fst
Monsieur Whin Gin

Thanks very much to Arthur Dent and Bridie for leading us in the afternoon to Witley. Great day out plus time and energy left to enjoy London's night life!

Just to clarify it's a Book 1 walk.

Thank you, MG: corrected!

Your lunchtime stop on this walk is the Three Horse­shoes pub in Thursley (tel. 01252 703268)

25 or more showed up. (Hard to count that high, not enough fingers). cloudy start hot and sunny later. Dry underfoot. So dry on the heath that the sand was difficult to walk through. But not impossible. The heather put on a good show. 3 Horseshoes fine. Did a nice cider called Hazy Hog.

Two more latecomers arrived on this walk on the 12.15 train from Waterloo. Lovely walk with heather at its best. No walkers or people around until the pub and Devil's punchbowl. Orientation problem at Bagmoor common, found it easier to use new footpath with yellow arrow (perhaps directions need updating here). Finished with tasty dinner and good service at the Swan Inn in Haslemere.

9
cold wet dry sunny
l=lunch for 4 in the excellent Three Horseshoes pub in Thursley. Superb beer, cider, and food. Table was booked the preceding Monday. Don't try and eat your own rations at this pub, either in the back garden or in the smokers shelter at the front, otherwise you will be chased off the premises.
m=mud one man down, seriously someone turned back before lunch. In the afternoon we seemed to fragment Into 3 groups with four making it back to Haslemere station, without a stop for tea.

Two enjoyed tea and scones at the National Trust cafe.

One on a later train. A lovely walk with nice views and I will definitely do it again.