ramblers routes ramblers routes Britain’s best walks from the experts Britain’s best walks from the experts

Southern England Southern England 07/02/2013 11:19 09 Exton, Hampshire 10 Reigate Heath, Surrey l Distance 15km/9 miles l Time 5hrs l Type Downland l Distance 19km/11½ miles l Time 5½hrs l Type Hill and valley NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL NAVIGATION LEVEL FITNESS LEVEL walk magazine spring 2013 walk magazine spring 2013 plan your walk plan your walk l

l Croydon Petersfield SURREY

ExTON REIGATE HAMPSHIRE l Crawley

Fareham

l WEST SUSSEx Portsmouth l

l Hayling Island Worthing Brighton l l

Where: Circular walk Where: Circular walk from from Exton via Old Reigate Heath along the P fiona barltro PhotograPhy: Winchester Hill, Warnford North Downs Way to Box P fiona barltro PhotograPhy: and Beacon Hill. Hill, returning along the The pretty village of Exton lies in the top of Old Winchester Hill. This attractive route makes use About 1km/½ mile on, turn L at Start/end: Exton – parking Greensand Way. the Meon Valley, on the route of However, during or after wet of two well-waymarked trails: the footpath sign, passing some area at north end of Church Start/end: Reigate Heath the South Downs Way. To be more weather the footpath at the start, the North Downs Way (a National houses, and bear R at the end to Lane, near junction with – there are car parks either precise, it is currently a so-called near the River Meon footbridge, Trail) for its outward leg and the follow the path gently uphill A32 (SU617212). side of road (TQ239503). (and signed) temporary route, is liable to flood. If this is the case, Greensand Way for the return. towards the North Downs. MapS: OS Explorer 119; terrain: Chalk downland, since a permanent one across the walk along the lane into Exton, The former also coincides with Landranger 185. heath, wood, river valley Meon Valley has yet to be finalised. bear L along Shoe Lane to pass a section of the Pilgrims’ Way. 2. On reaching the foot of the GettinG there: Bus 17 and minor roads. Two There have been one or two the Shoe Inn (the River Meon runs Both trails go through Surrey scarp slope, you enter the between Petersfield and crossings of the busy A25. changes over the years, notably past the bottom of the garden, and Kent. The Surrey stretch woodland and turn L along the Bishop’s Waltham goes MapS: OS Explorer 146; the re-routing of the former from where there are views of Old of the Greensand Way has recently footpath, which soon becomes via Exton on Wednesdays and Landranger 187. bridleway path via Warnford, so Winchester Hill), and turn L again been checked and re-waymarked the route of the North Downs Saturdays (✆ 01489 788338, GettinG there: Mainline you may still see old waymarks as to the A32. Continue along Stocks with the help of volunteers from Way (NDW). Stay on the path www.brijantours.com). trains to Reigate, 2km/1½ you pass through the village on Lane on the other side to the the Surrey section of the Ramblers. at the foot of the slope on the Mainline railway station at miles from the start; the this walk. Beacon Hill rises above disused railway track. This is the The new waymark has an image edge of woodland and keep Petersfield (✆ 0871 200 2233, 32 bus between Redhill and Exton to the northwest, with ‘temporary’ bridleway route of the of the tower on Leith Hill. The following the NDW signs. Note: www.traveline.info). Guildford, with stops at Old Winchester Hill, crowned by a SDW, which turns L along the track high point of this walk is the although the route is well signed, eatinG & drinkinG: The Reigate Heath, Betchworth large Iron Age hillfort, to the east. to become the Meon Valley Trail. National Trust-owned Box Hill, occasionally a waymark/signpost Shoe Inn, Exton (✆ 01489 and Brockham (✆ 0871 200 Both are National Nature Reserves You could follow this route if the from where there are extensive can be missing, so it’s worth 877526, www.theshoeinn. 2233, www.traveline.info). and excellent viewpoints. footpath is flooded, but once you views across the Weald to the paying attention to the map so eatinG & drinkinG: Black moonfruit.com); The George turn off the railway track the (SDW) South Downs. you always know where you are. & Falcon, Warnford (✆ 01730 Horse, Reigate (✆ 01737 1. START In dry conditions, cross bridleway just beyond can also be 829623, www.georgeand 245694, www.blackhorse the A32 just beyond the parking waterlogged in wet weather. 1. START From the car park, head 3. At the B2032, turn L and cross falcon.com); The Bucks Head, reigate.com); Box Tree area and follow the South Downs along the grass on the west side of the road. Just before the bend, Meonstoke (✆ 01489 877313, Café at NT Box Hill Visitor Way (SDW) footpath route, which 2. If so, turn R along the track to the road towards the A25, keeping follow a raised path behind the www.thebuckshead.co.uk). Centre (✆ 01306 885502, is joined by the bridleway route the first road bridge, climb the ahead along the dead-end road trees, which shortly returns to

SleepinG: The George www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ when you reach the old railway steps to the road and turn L to the when the main road curves L. the roadside. Fairly soon, go

▲ box-hill); The Grumpy Mole,

& Falcon and The Bucks ▲

line, and continue along the crossroads. Follow the footpath Cross with care and go up Colley R along the NDW (lane called well-signed National Trail up to heading east across fields, Lane, a public bridleway, opposite. The Coombe). The track passes ▼ ▼ 61-62 walk38 ramblers route SOUTHERN.indd 1 61-62 walk38 ramblersrouteSOUTHERN_rev1.indd 2 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08 Ordnance Surveymapping©Crowncopyright.AM34/08

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Map not to scale. Representation of 5 OS Landranger MAP 187 1:50,000 3 www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk 2

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START FINISH ALTERNATIVE ROUTE FOR 1 USE IN DRY CONDITIONS 1 5 START FINISH 3 2 Map not to scale. Representation of OS Landranger MAP 185 1:50,000 Continued... To download this route and hundreds of others, www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes Brockham (✆ 01737 845101, www.thegrumpymole. – and through the Brockham railway line and keep ahead. Continued... To download this route and hundreds of others, plus.com). Limeworks site (another info Cross a footbridge over the River visit www.ramblers.org.uk/routes SLEEPING: The Cranleigh panel). Quarried chalk was Mole to a garden centre car Head (see previous page); Hotel, Reigate (✆ 01737 burned in kilns to produce quick park and the A25. Corhampton Lane Farm crossing a lane and fi eld diagonally past Peake Farm and along an 223417, www.cranleighhotel. lime used to make mortar and B&B (✆ 01489 878755, L (not as marked on the OS map) access drive to the road, where you com); Maybury Lodge B&B, fertilisers. This area is also 5. Cross with care and go along www.corhamptonlane towards a large brick building. turn L to the A32 and Warnford. Reigate (✆ 01737 771007, notable for its yew trees, which the drive for the Betchworth farm.co.uk). Turn R along the road, then take www.mayburylodge.co.uk). thrive on chalky soil. After the Park Golf Club. Follow the VISITOR INFORMATION: the next track on the L and follow 4. Continue along the lane VISITOR INFORMATION: information board, keep ahead bridleway across the golf course Petersfi eld TIC, 27 The this, turning L to join the SDW at a opposite and turn L back to the Guildford TIC, 155 High uphill. Having passed another to the attractive village of Square (✆ 01730 268829, junction. Turn R along it until you main road, passing some watercress Street (✆ 01483 444333, Brockham Limeworks info panel, Brockham, with its village green. www.visit-hampshire.co.uk). reach a gate on your L, which gives beds as you turn off immediately www.visitsurrey.com). you descend for a short distance, Pass the pump house, cross GUIDEBOOKS: South Downs access to the Old Winchester Hill R. Follow the road up to Wheely GUIDEBOOKS: North Downs then turn sharp R to head uphill the road and keep ahead to Way by Fiona Barltrop National Nature Reserve. The Down Farm and turn L, then R up Way by Colin Saunders (£14.99, again. Eventually you’ll reach the Grumpy Mole. Soon, turn (£10.99, Rucksack Readers, footpath leads you up to the a track. Soon, go through a gate Aurum, ISBN 978 1845136772); Box Hill, with its viewpoint L and follow the Greensand ISBN 978 1898481447); ramparts; at the top, turn sharp on the R and turn L to carry on up 50 Walks in Surrey by David memorial and trig point. Way signs. These will lead you Walks in the South Downs L to the trig point and direction/ the bridleway (fence on L), which Foster (£9, AA Publishing, back via Betchworth (whose National Park by Kev distance indicator. On a clear day leads via woodland to a car park. ISBN 978 0749528751). 4. For the nearby visitor centre church features in the fi lm Reynolds (£12.95, Cicerone, the views – which stretch to the LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUPS: and café, stay on the paved Four Weddings and a Funeral) ISBN 978 1852846183). Isle of Wight – are excellent. 5. Turn L and follow the SDW Reigate Ramblers (✆ 01293 upper path, then retrace your to Reigate Heath, where you LOCAL RAMBLERS GROUPS: over Beacon Hill back down 773198, www.reigateramblers. steps to the viewpoint. Follow leave the golf clubhouse Waltham Chase Ramblers 3. Continue westwards across Old to Exton, using the footpath/ org.uk); Surrey Under 40s the NDW downhill until you and windmill to your L. A path (✆ 01489 892043, www. Winchester Hill and carry on down walkers’ route. Note the new Ramblers (www.surreyyoung reach a footpath sign pointing runs parallel to the road back ramblers.co.uk/groups); the SDW to the junction with the Exton Beacon, erected in 2012 walkers.org.uk). sharp L. The path leads to a lane to the car park. Meon Ramblers (✆ 01329 signed Monarch’s Way. Turn R and for the Diamond Jubilee. where you go R. Go under the Route devised by Fiona Barltrop 231926, www.meonramblers. follow the latter, which takes you Route devised by Fiona Barltrop some cottages and becomes a hampshire.org.uk); Eastleigh path that takes you past the Ramblers (✆ 02380 641635, former Betchworth chalk quarry IN ASSOCIATION www.eastleighramblers. IN ASSOCIATION and lime kilns – now a nature WITH hampshire.org.uk). WITH 11/02/2013 12:43 reserve (see information panel) HILLWALKER II GTX FELLMASTER GTX