Walk 18th February 2016 Chinthurst Hill - St Catherine's chapel

Start point:- TQ015463

Distance 10.9 km; 6.77 miles

Time taken 2 hours 34 mins

Route:- 

Chinthurst Hill - Cycle route 22 - Wey Navigations - A3100 - St Catherine's Chapel, Shalford - Manor Farm - East Shalford Lane - RGS sports ground - Lower Chinthurst Farm

Chinthurst hill has good views of Guildford and the surrounding countryside. It is maintained by the Surrey Wildlife trust. A folly was built on the hill in the 1930's and is now a grade 2 listed building. The hill has oak, rowan, sweet chestnut and hazel trees managed under a system known as coppice with standards. (This is a coppice with large trees scattered throughout the wood. These need to be well spaced out so that they don't shade the underwood.)  

http://www.malverncoppicing.co.uk/coppicing_with_standards.html Woodpeckers, nuthatches and wrens can be found along with bluebells, foxgloves and wood anemone flowers. Wildlife is encouraged when coppicing management is done. At other times I have found pigs grazing in managed conditions on the slopes.

Cranleigh / Guildford railway line - this line was closed in 14th June 1965, with recent calls to reopen this historic line . http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/heated-debate-over-reopening-historic-8816988 . The Bramley Wonersh railway station is still preserved and the line is now a cycle-way with opportunities to walk using the route of the old line as a basis for exploration. A lot more information on this line can be found here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranleigh_Line

GHQ defence line - following the route of the railway towards the Wey Navigations you will find an old WW2 pill box which formed part of the GHQ defence line. And this was part of a series of static defence lines built to slow down a German invasion post Dunkirk. Over 50 defensive lines built this one was designed to defend London. a series of concentric circles around London, this one forming part of the "A" ring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHQ_Line.

Wey Navigations - after the pill box you will follow the Wey Navigations and pass St. Catherine's lock the shallowest lock on the canal. You can see Shalford church which is Victorian in origin.

St Catherine's chapel - from here there are views of Guildford castle, The Chantries and surrounding countryside to the south. “The views from the tops of St. Catharine's and St. Martha's hills, on which are situated chapels of interest, are lovely, and in fact there are endless points in and around Guildford from whence fine views are obtained. The old legend records that two sisters, Catharine and Martha, built with their own hands the two chapels which still bear their names. These ladies were of the giant race, and the only working tool they used was an enormous hammer, which they tossed from one hill to the other as it was wanted.”J.B.Dashwood 1868"

From here you will cross the Wey navigations and enter part of Shalford water meadows. Crossing a footbridge which was built to replace a ferry across at this point. http://www.weyriver.co.uk/theriver/god_nav_d.htm The golden sands from the hill is said to have given Guildford its name. The site also of an ancient ford. In parts there is evidence of medieval ridge and furrow farming.

Walking along part of the Pilgrims way towards Manor farm looking back you can see the Chapel and also a glimpse of Guildford Cathedral.

Chinthurst hill car park is a good base for a number of different walks within the locality