Sweden 27th to 29th May 2011

After an early flight from Gatwick to Copenhagen, where we met Toën Feyen from NVN and Stefan from Koigalen also our host for the weekend, it was about an hour’s drive to Stefan’s house, where coffee and lunch was very welcome.

We were staying in a little cottage just 5 minutes’ walk from Stefan's house, which was very convenient.

Stephan is a BKKS trainee Judge in his 2^nd year and also runs Koigalen, and Online Koi Club in Sweden, and also organises the Nordic Online Koi Show.

Our reason from going to Sweden this weekend was to present some Information / training seminars and to present the prizes of the Online Koi Show that we had been judging over the last couple of weeks.

It was nice to have a couple of hours to unpack and chill out at the cottage before walking back to Stefan’s house for a BBQ with his family and a couple of members of the Koi  Club.

Mona (Stefan’s Wife) bravely & quickly cooked the chicken on the BBQ as it was raining, while we all sat in the conservatory chatting “Koi” with a beer.  Great evening.

In the morning it was off to the hall, only about 5 minutes in the car, for a leisurely breakfast with all the attendees, to set up & get ready for the mornings seminars.

The seminar started at about 10.30 and there were about 36 people there, it had been stated that all the seminars would be in English.  Bernie started with his presentation “Demystifying Judging” which covered in detail amongst other thing the importance of “Body” on Koi.  After a coffee break it was then my turn – “Koi Appreciation” not Assignation which also covered in more depth Skin & Pattern.  Toën then gave a short presentation about the history and facts & figures of the NVN Show in Arcen Holland as several people from Sweden have already shown their Koi there – yes a 17 hour drive – and more are interested in visiting this year.

It was now time to go back to Stefan’s house for a traditional Swedish Lunch of Pea soup with punch followed by pancakes with strawberry jam and cream.  This had all been prepared by the children whilst we were at the hall presenting the seminars. 

While we had lunch Stefan and some helpers netted his Koi and transferred them to a vat.  We then gave out ballot slips and all the attendees had to choose a Grand champion.  Majority got it right.  Toën then led a ZNA style practical seminar talking about good points of all the Koi and why The G.C. was the best fish. Bernie & I chipped in with the occasional comment.

It was then time to go back to the hall for dinner & prize giving and lots more chat and questions, all on a very informal basis.  Mona had prepared all the food – I don’t know when as she seemed to be around most of the time, and we had a superb diner in the hall for about 35 / 40 people.

Once all had been cleared up we were again back at the house and Toën was showing a training presentation that he gives to the NVN, there were only 7 of us, as everyone else had gone home, as some had travelled a considerable distance.  Lots of Koi Chat followed for the rest on the evening.

Final day we were taken to the home of the winners of the Grand Champion to see the Koi for real.  Nice set up in an indoor pond, they were also building a new outdoor pond, but what an enormous rockery they had in the garden, how they put some of the stone in place I do not know.

It was then on to the home of another prize winner, all we were told was that he had a 500,000 gallon pond !!!!!!  Nothing could have prepared us for this………  It was called the Zen Garden.  This covered over 4000 sq. metres and was a maze of paths and ponds through a stone garden with caves and allsorts, words cannot describe it, only photos can.  It had all been built by the owner and his wife over 27 years, and he maintains it himself as well.  We were made so welcome and the lunch was as amazing as the garden.

Time to go back to the airport for the flight home so said our goodbyes – flight delayed 2 hours so did not get home till nearly 1 a.m. very tired.

A great weekend with great people who just what to learn all they can about Koi – good luck to the future of Koi Keeping in Sweden & Denmark, and thanks for making us so welcome.

Downs Link - Part 2 - St Martha's Hill to Horsham

I left home just after 7 a.m. this morning as Martin dropped me off at St. Martha's Hill on his way to Bisley.  It was a bright sunny morning with a bit of a chill in the air.  I quickly found the start of the Downs Link on the North Downs Way, and started walking just after 8 a.m.

The start was at 51 13 30 N -  00 31 23 W and  175m (574ft ) above sea level.

The ground was quite deep sand and like walking on the beach, and the path quickly descended through a wooded area and then opened up with some lovely views.

After crossing the road at Chilworth there was an incline up to Blackheath. The heath was very sandy, and the ground did not change until after Chinthurst Hill.

Along the route so far, there have been several interesting buildings.

By 9.30 reached the junction with the Wey Arun Canal with a very unusual bridge.
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Here the Downs Link and The Wey-South Path are the same.  In another 20 minutes reached Bramley & Wonersh Station (4.34 Miles).  There was quite a bit to read on various boards around this station and the old level crossing gates are still in place.

The next section from Bramely to Run Common was quite uninteresting, but after being so quiet there was a sudden rush of cyclists to jump out of the way from, so decided to stop for a snack and let them all go past.

There are quite a few interesting bridges on the route, and this is just one of them.

Onward to Cranleigh were the shopping centre is built on the site of the old Station and sidings, continued to Baynards were I stopped for lunch, as there is a picnic site here with benches.  It is marked on the map as the "Thurlow Arms P.H." but this has been shut for a long time. Its now 12.40p.m. and 12.2miles

Baynards Station has been privately owned since 1975 and totally renovated with the Station Office now a house.  Sorry no photos as there is a notice requesting you don't post photos of the Station on the Internet as it is a private residence.

It was a very short distance to the County Border - yeh !!! finally in Sussex.

A short distance from the Station is the entrance to Baynards Tunnel, which has now been blocked off, but according to the information boards is home to several species of bats.

I must say that the signage of the route is Surrey is not as good as it was in Sussex when I did the section to Shoreham 2 weeks ago, a map was needed on several occasions where the path intersected with other foot paths.

This is in Sussex where several major paths crossed.

Now in Sussex and the next "Station" is Rudgwick, and across the A281 at 1.45p.m. (14.1 miles).

Stopped off to go down to the view point of the Double Bridge (which is the logo for the Downs Link).
After the brick bridge was built the Board of Trade decided that the gradient to Rudgwick Station was too steep so ordered the bridge to be raised as well as the embankments, before they would allow the railway to be opened.  So a steel bridge was built on top of the first bridge.  Apparently this is the only one of its kind.

Now on the home stretch and getting rather cloudy and a bit chilly with the odd spot of rain.

Left the Downs Link near Itchingfield where it follows the road to Christs Hospital - 3.05 p.m. & 18 miles.

Took the Bridleway that comes out on the A281 near Tesco, then walked along the road to home, this as an additional 2.2 miles.

This was a lovely walk and the scenery at the start was very different and more interesting, a total of 20.2 miles since starting out this morning.

This section of the trail did not have any road sections which was nice, as the section walked 2 weeks ago has 2 long road walks and a couple of shorter ones.

I have now walked the entire length of the Downs Link - in 2 sections -  and learnt quite a bit about the history of this old railway line and places along it.

For my next trail walk I am looking at the Wey-South Path.

General Information


The Downs Link was opened in 1984 and is 37 miles long. The start is at St.Martha's Hill on the North Downs Way near Guildford and finished at the South Downs Way, but now continues to Shoreham.  For most part it follows the old railway line.

The railway line was built in two sections, Christ's Hospital to Guildford was opened in 1865, and Itchingfield (near Christ's Hospital ) to Shoreham opened in 1861.

In 1966 the lines were shut when 4000 miles of railway lines were lost in the closures recommend by Lord Beeching.

Sunday 1st May 2011 - Downs Link - Horsham to Shoreham

On New Years Day, I made the resolution to get fit enough to walk the Downs Link from Horsham to Shoreham - 22 miles by Easter.

Well all was going to plan with various walk over the months up to 11 miles, but decided that Easter weekend would not be good  as a) it was so hot 29.5 Deg and there is very little shade on some parts of the route, and b) going on holiday on Monday did not want the risk of any injuries.

So after returning from holiday on Friday decided that I was going to do the walk on Sunday 1st May, just 1 week late.

Rucksack packed with sandwiches, plenty of water, Jelly Babies, and route guide.  Phone is set to e-mail location every 30 minutes to Martin. I set off from home at 9.15 am"

The first 3 miles was boring as the Downs Link has to deviate from the old railway line and uses road to Christ's Hospital.

It was a lovely sunny day, hazy, but with a NE breeze which kept the temperature very pleasant.

Next Station is Southwater, but on the way it was nice to see some Early Purple Wild Orchids.

Southwater was busy with lots of cyclists and dog walkers between the Station and Country Park.

Then onwards towards Copsale and it quietened down and sometimes did not see anyone - peace and solitude, just the birds singing.

Next Station on route is West Grinstead, now 8.5 miles walked and time for first food break.  Quite eerie sitting on the old station platform with one of the old carriages, which is now a visitor information centre.

Now on new ground has have never walked beyond West Grinstead.  Between West Grinstead & Partridge Green was the 10 mile point.

At Partridge Green it was road walking again for a short way as houses have now been built where the Station used to be.  Next Station is Henfield, this part of the walk was very quiet and went an hour with out seeing anyone, but again at Henfield it was quite busy with cyclists.

Just after leaving Henfield Station a short walk on the road again round houses that had been built on the old
line and an appropriate reminder of why there are so many walks & cycle paths on old railway lines !!

Now onward to Bramber and during this section another short food stop - this was the quietest part of the route and seemed to go on for ever,  and then an uninteresting not well signposted section through houses coming out on a narrow lane at the entrance to Bramber Castle.  At the entrance to Bramber Castle I had logged exactly 17.5 miles since my start this morning.

On crossing the Steyning Bypass road,  I was now on the flood plain of the River Adur as it cuts through the South Downs, and have now logged 18 miles in exactly 6 hours including food stops.

This sign was a very welcome sight.

Could now feel the chill of the wind across the valley and it was very hazy, sent a text to Dorian as he & Holly were sailing at Shoreham,  to say I was on the walk and could I have a lift home.

In the area of the old cement works there was still evidence of the railway.

There was now a junction in the path - the official Downs Link followed closer to the road,  or there was a footpath that followed the river bank and both met again at the Old Toll Bridge.  Decided to follow the river path more interesting scenery, softer ground, and quite a few swans on the river.

The end is in sight..............................

Dorian and Holly had parked the car at the Old Toll Bridge and walked along the river to meet me.

It had been a lovely days walking and 21.8 miles in 7 hours 10 minutes.  I am quite pleased with the achievement.

All I have to do now is walk the section from St Martha's Hill just outside Guildford back to Horsham (about 18 miles) and then I will have walked the complete Downs Link Trail.  I plan to do this in the next couple of weeks - weather permitting.

I now have the "bug" for trail walking and have found several more in Sussex that can be completed in 2 days - watch this space for my future walks & travels.