Wey-South Path - Guildford to High Bridge 14.8 Miles

Left home early this morning as Martin was going to Bisley and could drop me off a Millmead Lock as he went through Guildford.  The Sign above is the logo to follow for this walk & not always obvious & also missing at some footpath junctions.

Millmead lock is the start of the walk and you head away from Guildford on the west bank of the river.

This lock was first opened in 1763 as part of the Godalming Navigation.

I left here at about 07.45 it was misty and also very muggy, but the forecast was for it to get hot this afternoon.

I continued along the river, under the footbridge that carries the North Downs Way, and on to St Catherine's Lock - the shallowest lock on the navigation.

Stayed on this path till till I reached the A248 at Broadford Bridge, where you go over the bridge and continue on the eastern bank. it was now 08.35 and even more muggy.

This is one of the many Pill Boxes along the Godalming Navigation on a mound above the river. It was only a short distance to Stonebridge and crossing the A281.  You are now on an old disused Railway, that links up with the Downs Link.  In about 1/2 mile you meet up with the Downs Link at Tannery Bridge, and the path of the Canal can be seen clearly, but it is overgrown with bull rushes and other marsh plants.

The next 3 miles was a bit boring as it was along the Downs Link, and not much to see, and also I only did that walk last month. Stopped along this section for a snack & water.  By 8.55 I was at Bramley & Wonsersh Station, and from here is was another 3 bridges before leaving the Downs Link.  After passing under the 3rd bridge the Wey-South Path goes off to the left, it was now 09.40.  The scenery now changes and I was walking along side a lovely open field, with woods along one side and lots of foxgloves. Joined up with the canal at the road at Run Common, and the canal can be seen both sides of the road.

The canal is followed for a short while through some lovely woods, and then the path veers away across fields and past East Whipley Farm, and then on a bridle path across open grassland.

And why is there a stile in the middle of a field with no fence or hedge to be seen?

Crossed back across the Downs link at 10.25 and had logged 7.4 miles.  you can now see parts of the canal that have been infilled.  Below was the sign telling you which path to follow at a "Y" junction!!!!!

You then walk past a large beautiful old farm house, and continue the tarmac drive with the canal on your right, coming out on the B2130 at Elmbridge. After crossing the road, you follow the canal through a field, this section of the canal is dry, then at the end of the field veer away from the canal as there is no right of way along this section, and you end up walking 3 sides of a square.  The path takes you through a bit of an industrial area with some very large glasshouses full of lettuces.

After a short walk along the road and down the drive to Utworth Manor, turn left across the field and meet up with the canal again.  Stopped here for some lunch.  The sun had now burnt though the mist and cloud and blue sky was appearing rather rapidly and temperatures were getting quite warm.  Martin called to see how I was getting on - it was 11.30 and 9.56 miles walked.

It might not look it, but it was quite a comfortable seat, by the side of the canal.  

After a short break, started walking again along the old tow path, this section was quite pretty.  The path then turns away from the canal again, and comes out on a road.  It was rather a long and hot walk along the road to Fastbridge at the junction with the A281.

Fastbridge is a very pretty bridge that can hardly be noticed from the A281, and I drive that road every day to work!!  The bridge was restored in 1993.  Stayed here for a while, just looking at the bridge and sitting in the shade.  11 miles now walked.

The Canal is piped under the road, and on crossing the road you are now at a point of the canal called Summit Level

This part of the canal has be restored as it runs through Dunsfold Park, formerly owned by British Aerospace, and Farnhurst Bridge is fully restored and inside the boundary of the Park, so fenced off.

Yet again the path turns away from the canal across a field and past a mobile home park, coming out on to the road at the "Three Compasses".  This was the scene of the official opening of the Wey & Arun Junction Canal on 29th September 1816.
There is now another long walk along the road, and now hot & sunny, pass the Springbok Estate, at the bend in the road take the path on the left side of the road that leads to a Nature Reserve car park. Following the path to the right of the car park along the bridle way.  Pass Fir Tree Copse on the right which is owned by Surrey Wildlife Trust.  The copse is in Sidney Woods which is also part of Chiddingfold Forest.
Which is the Wey-South Path?, so out with the guide book!!!!!

Turned left onto the path which was now the tow path, the line of the canal is very clear, but unfortunately no water.  This was a very pretty part of the walk and very relaxing going through the woods. Lots of  Silver Washed Fritillary butterflies as well as White Admirals and lots of other butterflies, a real pleasure to see.

You follow the canal, which has been cleared, although empty,  all through the woods.

 At the end of this section there is a large open area which looks as if it was a turning or waiting area for the barges before entering the Lock XV.  The path turns left along a wide track away from the canal, and on the right can be seen the Old Lock House.

Continue along this wide track until it meets a lane (Rosemary Lane) beside a cottage on the right, and meets up with the canal again over a bridge - this is High Bridge, a short distance down the lane from Alfold.

Martin picked me up from here on his way back from Bisley it was 1.30 pm and now 26 Deg, clear blue skies & hot.  14.8 miles walked since the start this morning through some very interesting and scenic places.

Some of the paths ore not that well signposted, and you could not do this walk without the guide book which is clear & detailed.

A map of the route can be seen here:-
http://surrey.walkandcycle.co.uk/mobile.php?trail=SURRTR0032

High Bridge is is where I will start next time to continue the journey toward the final destination of Amberly.

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.