Walk 8th February 2017 Chinthurst hill - St Martha's hill - Chantries

Start point:- TQ015463
Distance:- 11.9 km; 7.4 miles
Time taken:- 3 hours 16 minutes
Route:-

Chinthurst Hill CP - Tangley farm - Downs Link - Rosemary Hill - Lockner Lodge - Lockner farm - St Martha's Hill - NDW - Manor farm - Bradstock Brook - Lower Chinthurst farm

I led this walk for Mole Valley Ramblers with 12 people walking and the time taken will reflect this.

The walk starts at Chinthurst hill car park and it is worth walking up this hill at the end of a walk to see the folly built at the top. There are good views in all directions.

http://www.surreywildlifetrust.org/reserves/chinthurst-hill

You will cross the road and pass Great Tangley Manor and the Doomsday Book makes reference to this 11th century moated manor house. http://www.thebigdomain.com/large-houses/great-tangley-manor

Crossing Blackheath past a war memorial erect to remember the sacrifices made in two world wars on to Lockner Farm and then a climb up to St Martha's hill.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Martha%27s_Hill

There is a tradition belief that the church was originally known as Saints and Martyrs Hill, the martyr being Saint Thomas of Canterbury. The graveyard contains several note worthy people including Yvonne Arnaud.

Taking the Pilgrims Way along the edge of the Chantries (with carpets of blue bells in Spring)

http://shalfordvillage.co.uk/shalford-history/the-chantries-the-gem-of-guildford

Walking towards manor Farm looking back from the direction walked you will see the ruins of St Catherine's chapel and Guildford Cathedral.
About a half mile south of Guildford on the road to Godalming is St. Catherines village, between the River Wey and Portsmouth Road. The village sits on a sandstone outcrop near the ancient Pilgrims Way and its crossing point of the river. Nearby are the tunnels and cuttings of the railway line.

The name derives from the Chantry Chapel, an ancient monument on a beautiful site on one of the sandstone outcrops. This was probably always a chapel of ease to St. Nicholas Church in the town and was built in the early 14th century by Richard de Wauncey, rector of that church.

Crossing the railway line and the RGS playing field will bring you back to the car park via Lower Chinthurst farm with a view of St Martha's hill to finish.