Redhill Circular Walk

Nature Reserves, the Greensand Ridge and wooded commons around a Surrey market town.

Circular Surrey

History

Club walks since April 2015, and a summary which goes back to Jan 2010.

Club Walks Summary

Date	Option	Post	#	Weather
Sat, 07-Feb-26		Redhill Circular	4
Sun, 18-May-25		Redhill Circular, via Bletchingley	10	sunny day
Sun, 20-Oct-24	a	Redhill Circular, via Nutfield [New]	4	steady light rain in the morning

Sat, 07-Feb-26

Redhill Circular 4

PeteG

Length: 20 km (12.4 miles) 4 out of 10. 4 hours 45 minutes walking time.

This new walk for a Saturday is a short train journey but comes with the author’s signature motorway warnings! The worked-out sand pits around Nutfield Marsh are gradually being transformed into wetland nature reserves or country parks and the first part of the walk takes in a succession of these lakes. The walk passes under the M23 motorway before climbing to the “vile rotten borough of Bletchingley ” The village has a wide high street, a fine parish church with some impressive monuments and a choice of two more lunch pubs. There is virtually no trace of its 12 th C castle but there are fine views from Castle Hill as the walk makes its way back under the M23 to South Nutfield. Between South Nutfield and Earlswood the walk mostly follows the Greensand Way , It continues to Earlswood Common . After passing between the common's two lakes the remainder of the walk is a steady climb up and over the wooded Redhill Common and down through suburban streets to the pedestrianised town centre.

There is one shortcut before lunch and a second near the end.

Trains: Get the 0951 Thameslink train to Three Bridges from London Bridge (Norwood Junction 1002, East Croydon 1006) arriving at 1022. Frequent train service back. The two shortcut stations are the same fare as Redhill.

Lunch: in Bletchingley , after approx 10k, 6 Miles, The Whyte Harte Hotel ( 01883-744356 ) is opposite the parish church, with a patio and walled garden at the back; Lamingtons Tea Room is a few doors away. At the top of the village on Castle Street the Red Lion ( 01883-743342 ) has an outdoor terrace and a ‘secret garden’ behind its car park.

Tea: there are several cafes in Redhill 's pedestrianised central area. A Youngs pub, The Home Cottage, just past the station and a Weatherspoons in London Road.

PeteG
Feb-26
Just 3 off the train, setting off in a steady drizzle. Later one took the short cut, but rounding the corner, we were joined by a regular catcher of early trains, so 4
The wet lands would have been quite enjoyable except for a lot of deep puddles to negotiate. Lunch was a sandwich in the church porch, and we opted for carrying on rather than the pub. Some good views in the afternoon and mostly dry with the odd shower. Once we were on lower ground though, things got really soggy.
Uh-uh! Mud!
Thick oozy mud.
We can't go over it.
We can't go under it.
Oh no!
We’ve got to go through it!
Squelch squelch!
Squelch squelch!
Squelch squelch!
(Going on a bear hunt Michael Rosen)
I was very glad to have gaiters. Towards the end we split up, one taking a break, 2 going on to Redhill, 1 for the station and 1 for Weatherspoons.
This is not a walk for wet weather, but was very enjoyable despite the conditions and is definitely worth repeating in better weather.

Sun, 18-May-25

Redhill Circular, via Bletchingley 10

Sean

Extra Walk 425 – Redhill Circular, via Bletchingley

Length: 20 km (12.4 miles), with shorter endings available (see below). Toughness: 4/10

10:06 Reigate train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 10:13, East Croydon 10:22), arriving Redhill at 10:40. Alternatively the 09:48 Horsham train from Blackfriars (not via London Bridge) arrives a few minutes earlier at 10:31. [If you take this Thameslink service, wait for the Southern train near the front of Platform 3 because the walk notes suggest exiting there, not via the main exit in the ticket hall.]

If you miss both of these you could get off the next train at the stop before Redhill and do the walk's alternative start from Merstham. You should connect with the main group where the two routes join at Spynes Mere.

Trains return from Redhill at xx:16 & xx:54 to Victoria and around xx:13 & xx:41 to Blackfriars. You can use Oyster or contactless at Redhill but you might find that buying a day return paper ticket is cheaper, especially with a railcard discount.

This walk's début in October was cursed with poor weather. One of the few hardy souls who turned up later confessed to being unable to recall anything about it, so this might as well be labelled a New Walk. Much of it is relatively flat as it takes in a series of lakes and nature reserves created from worked-out sand quarries, but it does include a couple of steady climbs up and over the Greensand Ridge.

For this Sunday I'm proposing the walk's longer version, via Bletchingley. I suggest skipping the Inn on the Pond (which you'll pass at around noon) and breaking for lunch an hour later in one of Bletchingley's hostelries, the Whyte Harte Hotel or the Red Lion. The village also has a tea room and there's a churchyard for picnickers. If you complete the full walk to Redhill there are several refreshment places in its pedestrianised town centre.

Shorter Endings: If you want to cut the walk short after the 10 km morning leg, two buses an hour go through Bletchingley to Redhill. On the afternoon leg you could divert to Nutfield station (after 13¼ km) for an hourly train to Redhill at xx:53, or to Earlswood (16¼ km) for an hourly train at xx:08. If you might want to do any of these options, check the walk document for the relevant train ticket and bus details.

Please bring the directions from the L=swc.425 page.

David Colver
May-25
10 on this walk, made up of 9 at the start and one catching up later, on a sunny day .
Two went to the Red Lion, while six went to the newly renovated Whyte Harte Hotel, which was surprisingly unbusy at 1pm on a Sunday, leading us to wonder whether the locals knew something we didn't. We need not have worried. The food was more than adequate and came fairly quickly. Some customers drifted in later.
The latecomer turned out to be doing his second or so walk after a hiatus with SWC of around 20 years. One of our number astonished the group by recalling his name, home location and occupation perfectly after that span of time.
Immediately after lunch the route takes a narrow curved path down a valley that offers memorable views. Not long after three lambs approached, curious and sniffing much like dogs, nibbling at my trousers and wanting to come with us into the next field. So different from my mental image of sheep, that they run away.
Some of the landscape is artificial, in that quarry pits have been turned into lakes for wildlife. It also has a motorway quotient that some associate with its author. None of that stops it being a pleasing and varied walk that I was happy to discover and would certainly do again.

Sun, 20-Oct-24

Redhill Circular, via Nutfield New 4

Sean

Extra Walk 425a – Redhill Circular (Shorter Walk, via Nutfield)

Length: 16 km (9.9 miles). Toughness: 3/10

10:35 Bognor Regis train from Victoria (Clapham Jct 10:42, East Croydon 10:54), arriving Redhill at 11:07. Alternatively the 10:24 Three Bridges train from London Bridge arrives a few minutes earlier at 11:00. [If you take this, wait for the Victoria train near the front of Platform 3 because the walk notes suggest exiting there, not via the main exit in the ticket hall.]

Trains return from Redhill at xx:22 & xx:53 to London Bridge and xx:58 to Victoria. You can use Oyster or contactless at Redhill but you might find that buying a day return paper ticket is cheaper, especially with a railcard discount.

If you want to cut the walk short two buses an hour go through Nutfield to Redhill. Alternatively you could divert to its station for the hourly train to Redhill at xx:49, which connects with the Victoria train. However, rail replacement buses are running from Earlswood, the other possible short ending mentioned in the directions.

This new outing should boost its author's well-deserved reputation for motorway walks. It heads unerringly towards the M23/M25 junction and although it's well screened by trees you won't be able to avoid some traffic noise. The feeble justification for this close encounter was to take in a series of lakes created from the worked-out sand quarries in the area, now transformed into nature reserves or (in one case) used for water sports. There's another lakeside stretch in the second half of the walk but it's not a complete doddle as you have to climb over the Greensand Ridge twice.

For this Sunday I'm proposing the walk's shorter version, via Nutfield. If you want a pub lunch you'll reach the Inn on the Pond in the rural location of Nutfield Marsh at around 12:20~30pm, and the Queens Head on Nutfield's High Street half an hour later. As usual, call one of them if you want to be sure of a table. There are several refreshment places in Redhill's pedestrianised town centre at the end of the walk.

You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.425.a page.

Thomas G
Oct-24
As reported to me:
3 off the train at Redhill with one on the platform having travelled from Sussex. Weather - steady light rain in the morning. Mixed going with some firm paths and some patches of deep mud & standing water. Lunch at The Inn on the Pond, a Shepherd Neame establishment, served two an excellent roast lunch. Walk back was better underfoot arriving at Redhill station at 16.30.
4 steady light rain in the morning