Several Days of drizzle and damp chills, we had a bright morning with
clear skies. Bertie and I headed off through Haslemere to the old MoD training
areas once more, mainly because they are on a sand ridge and therefore
somewhat immune to the cloying mud that has infested all our local footpaths.
We stopped at the Waggoners Wells carpark, down a single track road - the main
Ludshott common car park is closed for tree maintenance work. We did find a
number of additional car parks on our walk some of which could have been
easier to access, however we were very surprised to see how empty it was when
we first arrived (although when we left it was filling with the lunchtime
walkers!)
Leaving the car park by the main entrance and back across the ford, before
taking the the path on the left
There was a memorial stone here to Sir Robert Hunter - an early proponent of the
nation trust philosophy, then heading uphill away from the valley.
As the slope eased up we caught the first rays of the sun as it rose above the
ridge on the other side of the valley. This was the start of great images made
by the sun this morning
Back into the shade as we continued through the woods, before coming out on the
road junction where we had turned down to find the carpark earlier. taking a
road inside the trust area, we found the first of our "unmarked" car parks.
A zigzag to get onto the bridleway at the north of the common, reaching it
besides some old antitank bollards presumable used to prevent motorised vehicles
using the bridleway,
Exiting from the woods onto the heathland of the common, the sun was melting the
ice from the trees - looking like Christmas tree lights.
The heathland area opened out as we traversed the northern side of the common
Some more artistic photos as the sun shone behind us
Turning left down a ravine we continued to track teh common boundary
Even more "sun impacted" photos
Approaching the southern side of the common the trees had been harvested, and
the landscape opened out
We turned again before the boundary cutting back East on wide bridleways and
then circling around a private woodland.
Dropping down into the valley that we had started in, to find the lakes
However before the lakes we came across this spring and well
Then walking along the northern side of the three lakes
Back at the Water splash ford where we had started. We followed a footpath
bypassing the car park that just ended at a private gate, so we took to the
woods, making our own path southwards towards a marked bridleway
Coming out onto the bridleway and zigzagging around Chase farm extended
buildings (private homes)
Into Bramshott Chase heading towards the A3.
Another undocumented carpark .. as we came out of the woods to drop under the A3
using the road cutting. A lot busier than I had anticipated, I think this is a
cut through used by people from Haslemere getting around the Hindhead
junction.
Back into the managed access area of MoD training area
A third "undocumented" car park, and we crossed into the part of the training
area with very wide tracks, that were once tarmacked.
Cutting across to a second straight "road". They were actually more pleasant
than it first appeared, being quiet and easy walking.
Looking across to the Serpents trail and Linchmere Common. Heading back to the
A3 on a continuation of the roadbed we had been following.
A pause at the Canadian troop memorial for both wars. Then under the A3 once
more and into the continuation of the MoD area.
Into an area described as the old army camp site, but now managed heathland
around blocks of silver birch.
Leaving the old camp, into the (marked) carpark (end of a lane) before
continuing north and surprisingly up a steep bank
The sun still had not made it this far .... then along the ridge for a
while until it turned away from the lakes below
Cutting down through the woods once more to pick up the bridle path leading down to the second of the lakes at a meeting of paths.
the lake now had the sun reflecting the opposite bank, and then along the very wide track on the south banks of the lakes.
The third lake and then up to the car park, where there were more cars, with even more arriving all the time. We sat in the van and had lunch watching the new arrivals prepare to go out.
Not a marathon walk, but really two short ones combined in a figure of eight.
