Churt Valley Circuit, Hindhead

The weather had turned milder, however there was a large amount of cloud cover, Just in case it turned wetter before the end of the week, I wanted to get out for a shorter walk than recently , and had identified elements we had cut rom last weeks to make it fit the time available.

So combining a return to Frensham common with a section following the stream that filled the Frensham Great Pond.

Parking in the spaces outside the Churt church which had the benefit of avoiding the charges at the Great pond car park, and walking back to the road past the war memorial.

A short section on the side of the main road, back to the crossways, and then turning down a side road descending to the river.

At the bottom we turned up a lane past some houses that were converted mills.

Yet another Mill ... slightly older, but now private housing.

the track turned into a leafy path up past the mill pond

The path contoured around a bend in the river, and then merged into a track used to access the houses in the valley bottom. This then merged onto a side road

Taking the next path on the left in an open access area before cutting up the hill on an imaginary path marked on the map, but not translated into reality.

After winding through the bracken, heather and gorse we left the area through a kissing gate and up a narrow track back to the main road.

Coming out of the woods at the road and crossing onto the golf course on the other side.

Obviously from the signs the golfers were not very tolerant of walkers, so we stuck to the track.

At a cross roads of paths we continued in the same direction dropping down to the valley bottom and up the other side, leaving the golf course and back into the woods.

A wide path through the trees, eventually coming out onto a green lane, and then turning onto old barn lane.

Where this lane ended at a T junction we continued down a path between large house estates.

After this we turned onto another back road, before finally arriving at the entry path for The Flashes of Frensham Common.

Passing between the Devil's Jumps (the ones we had climbed last week) we continued north on the bridle path, before cutting across to the Axe pond

The pond reflecting nicely in the morning light, as we circumnavigated around on the path, including some shrub tunnels. Then picking up another faint path to the edge of the Flashes.

Along the edge of the common, bounded by an area fenced off and covered in "keep out" signs.

Coming out onto Sandy Lane, a back way onto the common and used as additional parking by the cognoscenti.

We crossed once more with last week's walk as we navigated the ford

Continuing in the same direction and working up to the ridge of Frensham common that separates the two ponds.

There was some shrub clearing work going on with a large bonfire, right on the skyline.

From the ridge looking over to the "Little Pond" where we had started last week, and the path we would descend towards the "Great Pond"

The Great Pond partly hidden in the trees, showing the change from heathland to woodland.

Through the woods to the main car park, and the smell of old, over used cooking fat serving snacks to the sprinkling of visitors.

Leaving quickly along the track beside the pond.

Bertie finally succumbed to the water, having passed a number of opportunities today. then we left the common onto the back road passing the Frensham Pond hotel, and the yacht club wharfs.