Walk 29th September 2016 Norbury Park - Nower Wood - Mickleham - Crabtree cottages

Start point: TQ163551

Distance:- 17.1 km; 10.63 miles

Time taken:- 3 hours 24 minutes

Route taken:-

Young St (Lower) CP - Mole Gap Trail - Downside Manor - The Garden House - Nower Wood - The Gallops - Mickleham Downs - Mickleham Church - Norbury House - Crabtree CP - Crabtree Cottages - Phoenice Farm - Bookham Wood - Denshire Hill - Fetcham Downs - Updown Wood - CP

Walk 28th September 2016 Norbury Park - Cherkley Court - Mickleham

Start point:- TQ163551

Distance:- 15.7 km; 9.76 miles

Time taken:- 3 hours 15 minutes

Route:-

Young St (Lower) CP - Mole Gap Trail - Downside Manor - The Garden House - Mickleham Downs - Mickleham Church - Druids Grove - Crabtree CP - Crabtree Cottages - Phoenice Farm - Bookham Wood - Denshire Hill - Fetcham Downs - Updown Wood - CP

Walk 26th September 2016 Norbury Park - Mickleham - Crabtree Cottages - Updown Wood

Start point:- TQ163551

Distance:- 15.3 km; 9.51 miles

Time taken:- 3 hours 10 minutes

Route:-

Young St (Lower) CP - Mole Gap Trail - Downside Manor - The Garden House - Mickleham Downs - Mickleham Church -  Viewpoint - Crabtree CP - Crabtree Cottages - Phoenice Farm - Bookham Wood - Denshire Hill - Fetcham Downs - Updown Wood - CP

In Updown Wood you can find the "bund and ditch" (TQ156542) boundary between the old parishes of Fetcham and Mickleham. There are some yew trees growing on the "bund".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundaries_in_landscape_history

Walk 22nd September 2016 Young St (lower) CP - Mole Gap trail - Mickleham - Crabtree Cottages - Fetcham Downs

Start point:- TQ163551

Distance:- 16.1 km; 10.01 miles

Time taken 3 hours 23 minutes

Route:-

Young St (Lower) CP - Mole Gap Trail - Downside Manor - The Garden House - Mickleham Downs - Mickleham Church -  Viewpoint - Crabtree CP - Crabtree Cottages - Chapel Wood - Phoenice Farm - Bookham Wood - Denshire Hill - Fetcham Downs - Updown Wood - CP

Walk 21st September 2016 Headley Heath NT CP - High Ashurst - White Hill CP - Nower Wood

Start Point:- TQ205538

Distance:- 9.44 km; 5.87 miles

Time taken :- 3 hours 3 minutes

Route:-

Headley Heath NT CP - High Ashurst - White Hill CP -  White Hill - The Nower Wood - Langley Lane - Heath House - CP

A walk led by a member of Mole Valley ramblers , 24 walking so the time taken will reflect this number in the group. there are also 3 stiles on the route.

Headley heath - Headley Heath

Walking on Headley Heath we saw a Small Copper butterfly Small Copper Butterfly.

At the top of White Down - the Gallops after climbing more than 163 steps up from the road. Some wild flowers found included :- Common Toadflax Common Toadflax ; Vipers Bugloss Vipers bugloss ; and Cluster Bell flower Cluster Bell flower

Walk 19th September 2016 Young St CP (Lower) - Norbury Park - Crabtree Cottages

Start point:- TQ163551

Distance:- 11.4 km; 7.09 miles

Time taken :- 2 hours 24 minutes

Route:-

Young St (Lower) CP - Icehouse combe - The Priory - Norbury House - Viewpoint - Crabtree CP - Crabtree Cottages - Chapel Wood - Phoenice Farm - Bookham Wood - Denshire Hill - Fetcham Downs - Updown Wood - CP

This walk is slightly different to the previous walk in that the first viewpoint was omitted, taking a smaller less well used path to Norbury House with the phone mast to your right rather than your left.

Fetcham Downs - grazing by wild rabbits keep the vegetation under control, with a mow taking place only after the grasses and flowers have seeded. Norbury Park is managed by keeping rotting tree trunks as habitats for insects and wildlife, especially if by leaving tree trunks to rot etc. no hazards are presented. Good quality chalk grassland has 40 different species of plants per square metre

Norbury Park is a working landscape, with farms and a commercial sawmill (Norbury Park Wood Products). The park lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and consists of 520 hectares (1,300 acres). It is situated west of the River Mole and the A24 between Westhumble and the borders of Fetcham and Great Bookham.
The reserve is made up of a mixture of woodland, grassland and various areas of farmland. Due to the range of habitats it is an important haven for many plants and animals and a large part has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Some trees are coppiced (cut at ground level) to provide poles for fencing and charcoal-making. Hazel and sweet chestnut coppice add diversity to the woodland. Spring flowers grow under young coppice, while older bushes give cover for birds.
The variety of habitats at Norbury encourage a vast amount of wildlife. There are roe deer, badgers and foxes in the woodland, together with all three British woodpeckers (green, great spotted and the much smaller lesser spotted).
Three tenanted farms; Bocketts, Swanworth and Norbury Park occupy part of the area and our farmers (and their grazing animals) look after much of the land.

Walk 15th September 2016 Norbury park from Youngs St CP (lower) with views

Start point:- TQ163551

Distance:- 11.5 km; 7.15 miles

Time taken:- 2 hours 27 minutes

Route:-

Young St (Lower) CP - Icehouse combe - The Priory - Viewpoint - Norbury House - Viewpoint - Crabtree CP - Crabtree Cottages - Chapel Wood - Phoenice Farm - Bookham Wood - Denshire Hill - Fetcham Downs - Updown Wood - CP

I wanted to seek a variation on yesterday's walk to capture more of the views to be seen from Norbury Park. Walking the access road to Norbury House as you climb up towards the mobile phone mast you will glimpse Leatherhead and Mickleham bends. Reaching the boundary fence for Norbury house turn left along a narrow and at the start slightly overgrown path for the first viewpoint overlooking Mickleham, then following a path which follows the boundary fence of the house you will find a steep climb leading to the second viewpoint overlooking Mickleham. After leaving Crabtree lane car park walking towards the cottages you will see on the left Ranmore church.

The path with Phoenice farm and stables on your left will open out for a view across farmland towards Woking. And returning into Norbury park crossing Fetcham Downs you will see a view of Hawks Hill, which will be repeated by following a circular 1 mile path which starts at the sawmill. You will also see 3 churches in Leatherhead. Finally leaving the circular path walking down a sloping field on a diagonal path you will get a another good view of Leatherhead as you walk down towards the railway line and also of Mickleham on your right

Walk 14th September 2016 Norbury Park from Young Street CP (lower)

Start point:- TQ163551

Distance:- 9.99 km; 6.21 miles

Time taken:- 2 hours 49 minutes

Route:-

Young St (Lower) CP - Icehouse Combe - Crabtree CP - Crabtree Cottages - Denshire Hill - Fetcham Downs - Updown Wood - Icehouse Combe - CP

This walk was led by a member of Mole Valley Ramblers with 22 walking in the group so the time taken to walk this route will reflect those numbers plus there were 2 stops to take refreshments

Walk 12th September 2016 St Mary's Church - Sheepleas - Mountain Wood - Lovelace Bridges - NDW - Fullers farm - Cranmore school

Start point:- TQ088526

Distance:- 13.4 km; 8.33 miles

Time taken:- 2 hours 50 minutes

Route:-

St Mary's Church CP - Sheepleas - Green Dene CP - Mountain Wood - Sheepwalk Lane - Oaken Grove - Drove Road - Gravelhill Gate - Netley Heath - Combe Lane - Woodcote Farm - Fullers Farm - Cranmore School - CP

I decided turn towards Cranmore School rather than back to Sheepleas with a view for a slightly shorter route. This was not the case, and the walk had to cross the busy A road to Guildford twice. I concluded that there was no advantage in taking the paths to the school and it was more interesting to turn towards Sheepleas on the way back to the car

This is looking back towards Troy Bridge

This picture looks back to Heritage Bridge. Both bridges are found on Sheepwalk Lane.

Walk 8th September 2016 Sheepleas - Lovelace bridges - NDW - Fullers farm - Sheepleas (viewpoint)

Start point:- TQ088526

Distance:- 13.6 km; 8.45 miles

Time taken:- 2 hours 44 minutes

Route:-

St Mary's Church CP - Sheepleas - Green Dene CP - Mountain Wood - Sheepwalk Lane - Oaken Grove - Drove Road - Gravelhill Gate - Netley Heath - Combe Lane - Woodcote Farm - Fullers Farm - Angel Clump - Viewpoint - CP

Walk 7th September 2016 Sheepleas - Lovelace bridges - NDW - Fullers farm - Sheepleas

Start point:- TQ088526

Time taken:- 2 hours 39 minutes

Distance:- 13.0 km; 8.08 miles

Route:-

St Mary's Church CP - Sheepleas - Green Dene CP - Mountain Wood - Sheepwalk Lane - Oaken Grove - Drove Road - Gravelhill Gate - Netley Heath - Combe Lane - Woodcote Farm - Fullers Farm - Weston Wood - CP

Walk 6th September 2016 Sheepleas - Lovelace bridges - NDW - Fullers farm - Sheepleas

Start point:- TQ088526

Distance:- 13.4km; 8.33 miles

Time taken:- 2 hours 43 minutes

Route:-

St Mary's Church CP - Sheepleas - Green Dene CP - Mountain Wood - Sheepwalk Lane - Oaken Grove - Drove Road - Gravelhill Gate - Netley Heath - Combe Lane - Woodcote Farm - Fullers Farm - Angel Clump - Viewpoint - CP

Walk 1st September 2016 St Mary's Church (Horsley) - Lovelace bridges - NDW - Sheepleas

Start point:- TQ088526

Distance:- 13.7 km; 8.51 miles

Time taken:- 2 hours 48 minutes

Route:-

St Mary's Church CP - Sheepleas - Green Dene CP Mountain Wood - Sheepwalk Lane - Oaken Grove - Drove Road - Gravelhill Gate - Netley Heath - Combe Lane - Woodcote Farm - Fullers Farm - Angel Clump - Viewpoint - CP

I intend to lead this walk for Mole Valley Ramblers in December 2016, and will be refining the distance downwards to nearer 7 miles. I suspect this will mean either cutting out Sheepleas viewpoint or taking a shorter path back to the car park.

St Mary's church - Grade I listed church, originally an 8th century wooden Saxon church. Rebuilt in 1030 with chalk and flint on the same site. Impressive 13th century lancet (def: a slender pointed arched window) windows, and wall paintings of St Christopher, Sir Walter Raleigh’s head is buried with his three grandchildren in the Nicholas vault. Church tower dated 1140 and south aisle is early 16th century. The church was spared when the rest of the village was burned in 1066. Its tower was added in 1120, and the church extended to its current size in 1210

Lovelace bridges - there is a walk that will start from Green dene car park following a route to cover most of the bridges that still survive. http://fancyfreewalks.org/Surrey/HorsleyBridges.pdf
My walk goes past Troy bridge and Hermitage bridge. Sheepwalk lane is a B.O.A.T (Byway open to all traffic) and the route near Hermitage bridge showed signs of deep rutting, this section in winter may well be very muddy. There will be walk arounds to keep boots cleaner (?).

The route turns right into Oaken grove the first section of the walk may be muddy in winter but will be passable via slight detours. Onto the North Downs Way, leading eventually to Fullers farm and a permissive route where on a good clear day you will get a view of London and Woking

Finally into Sheepleas after walking a quiet section of road to the viewpoint from which tree growth is starting to obscure parts of the views of London

Walk 31st August 2016 Friday street - Wolvens Lane - Coldharbour - Leith Hill

Start point:- TQ125457

Distance:- 10.4km; 6.46 miles

Time taken:- 3 hours 13 minutes

Route:-

Friday Street CP - Stable Copse - Wolvens Lane - Crockers Farm - Leith Hill Tower - High Ashes Farm - Abinger Bottom - Friday Street - CP

This walk was lead by a member of Mole Valley Ramblers. 31 walks of varying levels 0f fitness mean that the time taken for the walk reflects the large number of people in the group. A 15 minute break is included in the total walk time.

Leith hill is owned and managed by the national trust. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/leith-hill

Leith hill tower is an 18th century gothic tower. There are views towards London and the English Channel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leith_Hill And standing on the top of the tower you are at the highest place in South East England.

Friday Street you will find a "hammer" pond, and was used from medieval times to the 19th century for metal work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_Street

Wolven's Lane is a Byway open to all traffic (B.O.A.T.) depending on your mode of transport you may have differing views on the levels of rutting and mud you are likely to encounter after a wet winter walking the lane. There are walk arounds so it is possible to get less muddy and wet. In 2016 this byway was closed to vehicular traffic for repairs