Hurt Wood and Gomshall Circuit, North Downs

Sue and Steph were off to Uckfield, so it was just Bertie and I, so we set off to Ewhurst Windmill and a circuit around Hurt Wood, down to Gomshall and back through Winterfold wood.

We parked in the car park below the windmill just off Ride Way. Heading off into the woods to the south of the quarry, heading up hill on the Greensand waymarked route.

The track continued through the woods until it opened out at the trig point which was also a view point looking down to the South Downs.

looking slightly East and also South, a bit hazy but a far reaching view.

Turning north and going through the woods on sandy tracks - they started off fairly narrow but soon converted into wider vehicle ones.

A long gentle slope down through the woods continued, starting off with general pine trees before switching to scots pines.

As the woods ended we passed a cemetery ...  stuck in the woods at the end of a steep track down into the village/

the track came out in the village next to the church

Leaving the village on one of the minor roads heading back up on a sunken lane, before cutting the corner off across a lush grass field.

Back on the lane, still heading north towards Gomshall, eventually meeting up and crossing a more used road from Peaslake at Hazelhatch.

We picked up the track continuing north to Gomshall - another "lane" - there seem to be lots of these ancient trackways around here running north/ south

The lane eventually came out near a railway bridge on the outskirts of Gomshall.

We took a road heading West towards Shere 

A slightly obscure junction on the road where we took what looked like a private drive, but was actually a cycle track, before cutting off through the woods, then up and over the main rail line between Guildford and Redhill

The other side of the tracks opened up into grass fields and a narrow path around some houses.

We crossed (again) the lane we had crossed from Peaslake (but further along) and skirting more gardens along side pastures.

There had not been many longer views on this walk, and very little looking north except glimpses of the north Downs through the trees and bushes, however here the view south opened up and we could see where we needed to end up - still a long way to go.

Back into the woods, although the track on the map no longer existed, there were numerous alternatives all ending up at the railway bridge - we had been here earlier in the year when we had walked to Shere from near here.

We headed south along another of these ancient trackways - this time Ponds Lane - the track was enclosed so there was not much to see either side, as we undulated our way along it, luckily it was mainly sandy with occasional muddy patches to be negotiated.

At a cross roads of tracks we stopped for a refreshment break at a shady yew tree, before continuing along the now paved track - this was the most tedious part of the walk today with little to see and a bit of a plod.

The scenery changed as we moved into Winterfold wood, where the track sides became less imposing, and we started the steady rise back up to the ridge line we had parked on.

Finally Bertie found a pool he could drop into and he made the most of it

As the woods opened out further there were numerous ponds on either side of the track ...  all needed to be checked out! Here the woods were laid out in an almost forested form with lots of barriered access tracks

Moving from the "mostly private" areas of the woods - which had permissive paths and lots of "private" signs into the National trust opened sections the track became more "rural" and rutted. we cut the corner off to avoid the road crossing on the ridge line, and took the driveway to Ewhurst windmill.

The windmill standing up on the edge of the ridgeline. I was not sure if this scotch pine had been deliberately culled or if it was wind affected - either way it was standing tall in the large house gardens next to the mill.

The last section was back along the Greensands way to the car park ...  dropping down an extremely rutted track around the large house, and into the car park

Lunch back at the van, before heading home.  The outward part of the walk was very pleasant the return section was a little dull in comparison but mainly due to the endless plod along enclosed ancient trackways.