Walk Directions Comments Map GPS Weather Photos Videos History Download Walk (pdf)

Oxshott to Ashtead walk

The River Mole and the heaths, commons and woods of metropolitan Surrey. Including Oxshott Heath, Esher Common, Prince’s Coverts, Ashtead and Epsom Commons.

Surrey

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Wed, 16-Aug-23 A heathery walk near London: Oxshott to Ashtead (or Epsom) 21 Sunny
Sat, 25-Mar-23 Saturday Walk - Oxshott to Ashtead (or Epsom) 14 largely sunny
Thu, 26-Aug-21 Thursday Evening: Ashtead to Epsom Walk 14 dry but cloudy
Wed, 19-Aug-20 Evening Walk: An Evening on Epsom Common 9 humid overcast skies
Sat, 01-Feb-20 Saturday Walk Wind Down in the Wild West on the Day After 30 mild and sometimes sunny day
Sat, 23-Mar-19 Oxshott To Ashtead (or Epsom) 13 lid on the Tupperware box sky
Wed, 07-Nov-18 Wednesday Walk - Surrey Heaths, Commons and Woods: Oxshott to Ashtead 7 heavily overcast with periods of drizzle then rain
Sat, 26-Nov-16 Saturday Second Walk - Heaths, commons and woods of metropolitan Surrey 20 unexpected sun for the first two hours after which it was cloudy
Sun, 04-May-14 Oxshott to Ashtead 12
Sat, 19-Oct-13 Oxshott to Ashtead 23
Sandy

Length: 19.6 km (12.2 miles) 3/10

A surprise if you haven't been here before - Oxshott Heath and Esher Common constitute a huge area of open heath land only a few stops from London. The club usually seems to do this walk in the winter when the latter part can be very muddy (and a railway underpass flooded on one occasion) so I thought it would be good to try it when the heather is in bloom. After leaving the heath, the walk is mainly in forest with some more open sections on Epsom Common.

The directions describe the finish at Ashtead but you can finish at Epsom as shown on the map.

Travel: Waterloo 1003, arriving Oxshott 1038, should fit in with the lunch pub. 4-5 return trains an hour from Ashtead and Epsom. Buy a return to Effingham Junction where the Oxshott and Ashtead/Epsom lines meet.

Lunch: The Star, Kingston Road, Leatherhead is large and has a beer garden. It is reached after 13.1 kms. Tel: 01372 842416. Prince's Coverts and Ashtead Common (just before and after the pub) have picnic areas.

Tea: The Woodman, 238 Barnett Wood Lane, Ashtead. Tel: 01372 274524. With an Epsom finish you could try the Cricketers 01372 729384 which is on the walk route to the station.

Shortening the walk: the walk directions make a number of suggestions including a finish at Claygate (making a walk of 11.9 km/7.4 miles) but the simplest short cut is to go straight through Ashtead Common from the Star to Ashtead station, missing out Epsom Common and cutting 4.3 km/2.7 miles.

PS The Oxshott Heath/Esher Common part of this walk was done in the evening fairly recently but there is almost no overlap with the Horton Park/Epsom/Ashtead walk posted for the evening of Thursday 24.

For walk directions, map and GPX click here

T=swc.178

  • 14-Aug-23

    When I last did this walk in March, the Cricketer's Pub on Epsom Common had a range of ciders as well as tea and coffee options...

    If you are planning to end in Epsom, TFL bus services also run from there to some parts of London: https://bustimes.org/search?q=epsom

  • 14-Aug-23

    Ashtead station is on the edge of the common and far superior if you ask me!

  • 17-Aug-23

    # 21 , # Sunny , After a very wet July and early August it was good to see blue sky and feel the warmth of the sunshine. Even with GPS we had some difficulty following the route through the common, taking the wrong side of the Black Pond and not getting quite on to the ridge after the Mole. Its been a very good growing season for the bracken now over 2m tall and obscuring the section of path under the pylons. It's quite a long way to the Star and most stopped for a picnic. Three of us took a four wheeled short cut and had lunch, slightly formal, table service only, but good food and well kept beer. The picnicers joined us for a drink including two who were on a later train. After the pub some did the full walk and others took a shorter route to Ashford Station.

PeteG
Length: 12.1 miles or 19.5 km (with options to shorten in the instructions). 3 out of 10

The walk links together several surviving and diverse heaths and commons in metropolitan Surrey. The most scenic section of the walk follows as the route descends through Winterbottom Wood to take in a section of the River Mole, heading North, then climbs up to the Ledges with views down to the river.

In the afternoon you take a convoluted route around Ashtead Common and Epsom Common, with options for taking a more direct route to Ashtead station.

Late in the walk you have an option to go to Epsom or Ashtead stations.

Trains: Get the 0936 Guildford train from Waterloo (Clapham 0945, Wimbledon 0952,) arriving 1013. Frequent return trains from Ashtead to either Waterloo or Victoria. Buy a day return to Effingham Junction, which is where the two lines meet .
Lunch: The recommended lunch stop is the Star (8 miles/13.1 km into the walk).
Tea: In Ashtead, the Woodman is recommended and in Epsom, the Cricketeers Inn is suggested.
t=swc.178
  • 26-Mar-23

    10 at the station. A largely sunny day. A pleasant walk. Despite the recent rain, spring was in the air and a lot of the walk was dry underfoot. But not all of it. It was still a wet sock day and it was a long way to lunch. By the time the Star was reached the number had mysteriously grown to 14 . The walk split into two here. The first arrivals had managed to get themselves a pod but their sumptious banquet had only started arriving as we were leaving. The afternoon terrain wasn’t as dry as the morning. The socks got even wetter and infused with mud.It’s just a miracle there were no alligators. The intention was to do the full loop round Ashtead Common but something went wrong. An accidental shortcut was taken and there we were, suddenly at walks end. { Not my fault, you understand …I was merely following the others). Mr Tigers surly expression suddenly changed to one of joy and light.The rest decided to go on to Epsom. Mr Tiger skipped eagerly to Ashstead Station for the 15:13

Stargazer
Stargazer

An Evening on Ashtead and Epsom Commons t=swc.178

Distance: Approximately 4 miles or 7 km for those more metrically minded

Difficulty: 3 out of 10

Train: 18:24 Dorking train from London Waterloo, arriving Ashtead 19:02

Last year we experimented with the end of this walk from Oxshott as an evening walk and found it made a pleasant evening route across Ashtead and Epsom Commons with a country feel but only a stone’s throw from London. The route is varied with woods, open space and a couple of nice ponds…..The idea is to reverse walk the Ashtead ending, fork left along a footpath to where this path crosses the main route of the long walk and then turn right to carry on with the Epsom ending of the main walk… This route is shorter than the one we tried last year to ensure that we arrive at the Cricketers Inn on the edge of Epsom Common in time for a meal,,,,

More information about the route can be found here. As there are no detailed instructions for this option, I would suggest printing out the map page from the OS Map tab and/or downloading the gpx file.

Return travel form Epsom about every 10-15 minutes to various London destinations until 23:00.

Enjoy the walk!

  • 27-Aug-21

    Owing to the marking of a certain milestone, a record setting 14 , including some special guests on this short map led excursion through Ashtead and Epsom Commons....We decided to slightly shorten the suggested route to allow time for a "bubbles break" to rehydrate near the pretty ponds with a variety of water fowl..then headed to the pub on the edge of Epsom Common where all had at least one drink, most ate and some had puddings....A fun evening of merriment in dry but cloudy conditions.

Stargazer
Stargazer
SWC 178 (short variant): Ashtead to Epsom t=swc.178

Distance: Approximately 5 miles or 8.5 km for those more metrically minded
Difficulty: 3 out of 10
Meet: 19:17 at Ashtead Station (18:39 Guildford train from London Waterloo)
First note this is a WEDNESDAY evening walk – apologies for the conflict with the day walk…but, Tuesday is too close to the Hope Valley trip and I can’t to Thursday….so Wednesday it is….
When some of us did the full version of this walk in very muddy conditions back in the care-free old days pre-March 2020, it was noted that the last few miles would make a very fine evening walk across Ashtead and Epsom Commons which are both varied with woods, open space and a couple of nice ponds…..The idea is to reverse walk the Ashtead ending, then cross the common on one its marked paths and turn left to pick up the main route where it joins Ashtead Common and follow this along to the Epsom ending….The Cricketers Inn is a pleasant pub awaiting you at the edge of Epsom Common…open until 23:00, food served until 21:00…
More information about the route can be found here. As there are no detailed instructions for this option, I would suggest printing out the map page from the OS Map tab and/or downloading the gpx file.
Return travel form Epsom about every 10 minutes to various London destinations until 23:00.
Enjoy the walk!

  • 20-Aug-20

    We had better luck weather-wise than the day walkers....the forecast held true and despite the torrential rain for most of the day, it managed to ease as we set off from Ashtead station under humid overcast skies . One of our group did don his waterproofs which I think helped keep the precipitation at bay (many thanks)....I think most agreed the route made a pleasant evening outing through commons and woods (which at times felt tropical given the humidity). We arrived at the Cricketers just at 9pm, so missed food -- but most did enjoy a drink (or 2) on the terrace.....Oh, yes, almost forgot, there were 8 off the train who bumped into another on the common, making for 9 .

Stargazer
SWC 178: Oxshott to Ashtead (or Epsom) t=swc.178

Distance: 12.1 miles or 19.5 km for those more metrically minded (with options to shorten suggested in the instructions)

Difficulty: 3 out of 10

Transport: Take the 10:03 AM Guildford train from London Waterloo (Clapham 10:12), arriving in Oxshott at 10:37. Return trains from Ashtead are at 17; 27; 48 and 57 past the hour and from Epsom are almost every 10 minutes. By a day return to Effingham Junction.

This walk has a very wild and remote feel, despite being a short journey from London. It explores various heathlands and woods and passes through the Princes Coverts….From the Oxshott station platform, you are transported almost directly into open heathland with largely sand soil….More information about the walk and the instructions can be found here.

Lunch: The recommended lunch stop is the Star (8 miles/13.1 km into the walk).

Tea: In Ashtead, the Woodman is recommended and in Epsom, the Cricketeers Inn is suggested.

Enjoy the walk!
  • Anonymous
    30-Jan-20

    Hi. Newbie. Is there a watering hole before 8m?Thank you.

  • 31-Jan-20

    According to the walk notes and map, there are no refreshment stops before the Star.

  • 31-Jan-20

    For a shorter distance to lunch, if you look at the map of the walk route, you can see that there is very obvious potential to make a short cut on Esher Common.

  • Anonymous
    31-Jan-20

    Thank you for going the extra mile, Mr Walker.

  • Anonymous
    01-Feb-20

    27 walkers turned out on a mild and sometimes sunny day . The morning section started off dry under foot across areas of lovely sandy heathland, enjoyable despite the road noise. However, the flooded A3 underpass proved to be a sign of things to come. A few braver-than-me walkers removed their boots and socks and waded through the calf-high water but most detoured to cross the road via a bridge. Princes Coverts was atrociously muddy in parts (especially the bit via Jessop's Well) and Ashtead Common was similar. Nonetheless, this is a really nice walk across heathland and through some lovely open woodlands that deserves another outing during in drier times.

  • 01-Feb-20

    We counted at least 30 , I think, and it was the underpass under the railway just after the A3 one that was flooded. Kudos to the lunchtime pub which had a booking for 8 but cheerfully extended it to 13 or so as more turned up - and they let us order at the bar. Nice people! A few ate somewhere in Claygate.

    The mud on Ashtead Common was indeed shocking - or rather the standing water on the paths was. It had the odd result that my boots ended up quite clean. I noticed with interest that some who had been happy to wade through the underpass flood were remarkably reluctant to walk through the mud. “Straight through the middle” is my motto. The tracks on Epsom Common were by contrast quite dry.

    The pub on Epsom Common was a kiddie hell. Packed with ‘em at 5pm or so. Was it Kiddie Pub Tea Saturday or something?

  • Anonymous
    02-Feb-20

    How do you dry your feet after underpass wading? Portable Dyson driers?

Sat, 23-Mar-19 : Oxshott To Ashtead (or Epsom) 13
Dirk
Dirk
t=SWC.178

Length: 20km (12m)
Toughness: 3 / 10
Transport: Take the 9:33 from London Waterloo, arriving at Oxshott at 10:07. Return trains from Ashtead (or Epsom) are frequent. From Epsom (one stop closer to London than Ashtead) you can go to either Waterloo or Victoria. Since Oxshott and Ashtead are on different lines which merge at Effingham Junction a ticket to the latter should definitely cover both legs of the journey.

This is a lovely walk through woodlands and commons not far from London, following in part what feels like remote stretches of the river Mole before climbing up onto the Ledge, a steep escarpment above the river. 2/3 of the walk is before lunch at the Star followed by a walk through pretty Ashtead and Epsom Commons which display a mixture of wood and grasslands with a few ponds thrown in. You can also end the walk in Epsom and have tea in the cosy Cricketeers Inn, a pub next to a duck pond. If you do that, I recommend to follow the "backway" along the railway line to the station and thus avoid the main road.

  • Anonymous
    19-Mar-19

    Epsom now Oysterable.

  • 20-Mar-19

    Yes, Epsom finally got added to the Oyster network three weeks ago. It will be more useful for any walk to or from another Oyster station, but be aware that the station is outside Zone 6 and so a Zone 1-6 Travelcard or Freedom Pass is NOT valid there.

  • Anonymous
    20-Mar-19

    Thank you both for the Oyster info.

  • Anonymous
    22-Mar-19

    Hi Guys hope to some of you on this which I have done before. See you at Waterloo.

    Monica

  • Anonymous
    24-Mar-19

    13 set out from Oxshot under a typically lid on the Tupperware box sky . Service at the lunch pub was average. The majority took the longer afternoon route to Epsom, w

    Just 3 walked to Ashstead. The morning section was around two thirds of the total walking. Weather brightened a little in the afternoon. Beer in the Woodman at Ashstead was of variable quality. Four return trains an hour made for an easy return journey.

Thomas G
Length: 19.5 km/12.1 mi
Ascent/Descent: 194/195m
Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours
Toughness: 4 out of 10
Take the 10.03 Guildford train from Waterloo (stops Vauxhall, CJ, Earlsfield, W’don, Surbiton etc.), arrives Oxshott 10.37.
Return trains: 6 per hour (irregularly, 42 mins journey time).
Buy an Effingham Junction return (but don’t use a Network Railcard, as the price is below the £13 threshold).
This walk links together several diverse heaths, woods and commons in metropolitan Surrey. It begins by heading North through Oxshott Heath and cuts West across Esher Common and round Black Pond to the A 307 (Portsmouth Road). The route descends through Winterbottom Wood to take in a section of the River Mole, heading North, then climbs up to the Ledges with views down to the river. You cross the A 307 again and continue through Esher Common from a high vantage point, now heading first East, then South-East on farm lanes and well-marked bridleways through Arbrook Common to the little-known Crown Property of Prince’s Coverts. You emerge to the South of the Estate by the Star Inn for lunch.
In the afternoon you take a convoluted route around Ashtead Common and Epsom Common, with options for taking a more direct route to Ashtead station.
Lunch: The Star (12.5 km/7.8 mi, food all day).
Tea: a pub, a coffee shop and a bakery in Ashtead.
For walk directions, map, height profile and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.178
  • 07-Nov-18

    Just a hardy bunch of 7 walkers out for this today, as the weather turned out as forecast: heavily overcast with periods of drizzle then rain . It was dry initially and again in the last hour or so, but inbetween all kinds of gear had to be put on. That didn't distract from what is a very good autumn walk, with plenty of varied woods en route (all with good colour displays), amongst the sandy paths, heathland and ponds. The ground was muddy in places but not much. The Star Inn was busy but with some tables available and friendly and efficient, and we got to Ashtead station just before 16.00 hours. 3 went to the platform, the other 4 to The Woodman.

    The directions could do with some more compass bearings at critical junctions (there are always more paths in the woods than a map suggests) and some of the waymarkers etc were not there anymore, adding to doubts about the onwards route in places. All good stuff, apart from the obvious downsides: the closeness to the A3 and the noise it generates, and some stretches along an HV pylon line.

Walker
SWC Walk 178 - Oxshott to Ashtead
Length: 15.3km (9.5 miles) or 19.6km (12.2 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10

10.03 train from Waterloo (10.12 Clapham Junction, 10.19 Wimbledon) to Oxshott, arriving 10.37.

Buy a day return to Effingham Junction, which will also cover your return from Ashtead

For walk directions click here.

This walk just beyond the south west edges of London has not had an SWC outing for more than two years, or a Saturday outing for three years. On the latter occasion the walk creator famously got lost on the morning section. Others of us reached the lunch pub without trouble, however, so the directions do work (or did in 2013) if you pay close attention to them.

This is a very woody walk and so will be a good opportunity to catch the last of the autumn colour (of which there still seems to be quite a bit despite last Sunday's gales). Another plus point is that you are on sandy soils, which should be less muddy than usual (though I wouldn't turn up in open-toed sandals even so).

 The full walk is 12.2 miles but you can cut out a loop on Epsom Common at the end for the 9.5 mile version. There is a further 2 mile shortcut possible at point 11 in the directions, though this misses a nice river section.

Both lunch and tea pubs still seem to be active, if their websites are anything to judge by. Benya's Coffee Shop in Ashtead is now Shakespeare & Co (Isn't that a famous bookshop in Paris? - Ed) and according to my good friend Dr Google is open until 9pm.

Trains back from Ashtead are very frequent 08, 14, 27, 37, 44 and 57 past the hour
  • 26-Nov-16

    20 on this walk, delighted by unexpected sun for the first two hours after which it was cloudy . The mix of woods and heaths and ponds on this walk looked especially pretty at this time of year, with autumn colours still good - gold on birch trees, yellow-green on understorey hazel, and brown on oak.

    The lunch pub, The Star, was very busy. It is 8 miles into the walk and it is probably just as well we arrived there a bit later when they were starting to get a few free tables. Nine of us lunched there that I know about - whether any faster walkers were turned away earlier, I do not know. The pub is deservedly popular as the menu is extensive and the service very cheerful.

    After lunch we walked through Ashtead Forest - magnificent oak colours - and then Epsom Common as stipulated: there was a fine red dusk sky here. We then went off piste in search of a pub on Epsom Common of which we had nice memories. That was either closed or being refurbished, but we found another - also very busy: pubs in these parts are doing good business, evidently - which served us wine, beer, teas or pudding according to choice. We then got the 18.40 something train from Epsom station.