The van had to go to the garage for its annual MOT. This should take approx 2 hours (as they do inspections and video checks above the standard MOT checks), but history led me to believe that they would stretch this by 50%, and I did not want to spend so long sitting in the sterile waiting area.
This got me away from the roads, and onto a reasonable track with only a small amount of mud.
Where the old railway curved away to join Shalford station, I cut left and over the modern main line to Portsmouth and the south.
The foot bridge led to a small path along the back of car parks for the more recent office buildings, heading towards the Park and Ride car park.
After the end of the Park and ride carpark, I crossed the amin line again, this time underneath and headed across the flood plain to the Wey canal on the other side.
Next along the canal was to go under the rail line heading for Shalford and Redhill. This was also where the downs link railway peters to a stop.
Still on the canal towpath, and down to cross the A248 once more ... this time you have to also cross over to the opposite bank of the canal, as I wanted to cut to the start of the Wey South canal as it peeled away towards Cranleigh.
Gunwharf key ... the old building is the only memory of the gunpowder stores that used to be here in the days of the canal heyday.
The beginning of the Wey South canal .. this is where it goes under the A281, and heads off behind Bramley towards Cranleigh.
A short pause for a bacon buttie at the trailer cafe in the carpark, before walking down the road that cuts through to the Godalming road.
WHere the road crossed the river here, I picked up the track that continued on the east side of the valley. This was the track we had used when we did the circuit of Bramley earlier in the year.
On the other side of the valley you could just about pick out the Wey canal and towpath.
This was also the start of the "muddy" sections .. between the fields had seen a lot of traffic.
Cutting away from our Bramley track I followed the farm track back towards the Godalming road.
At the canal it was time to take the canal towpath back north and head for the garage as time was coming around for the estimated due time.
The towpath was fairly solid underneath, however there were sections where it was completely muddy .
Strange construction at the bottom of a garden ... I guess they use it in the summer to gaze down on the walkers whilst sipping on their Pims.
The canal wandered around a bit here, and there was an opportunity to avoid the worst mud by cutting through the brush and gorse on the side.
Getting close to the end as the path went up and over the back road.
Unstead lock was the final marker that it was time to find a cut through back to the garage.
A couple of paddle boarders were lifting out and around the lock when I got there.
From here I found a path in the back that led to the lane behind the nursing home and thence back around to the garage.
I still had to wait 30 mins for the van to be finished off - it passed but another note on the list, and a warning about the exhaust and auxiliary fan belt.
