It was overcast today, so I picked out a route(s) from the OS Surrey walks
book, as it would be low level and also could be shortened if the rain came
down. I had joined up a walk around Capel with a walk around Charlwood leaving
out one side of each square, and joining them into an elongated ellipse.
We parked up in the recreation ground car park and set off across the field (so
as to show we were parked there to use it!), before returning to the road and
heading north out of the village. This also gave us the opportunity for Bertie
to make use of the bins.
At the edge of the village we crossed the hedge into a field (circling around
the edge) and across a footbridge, and onto a track between hedges.
The track crossed a bridleway and continued into an overgrown field. This came
out onto Misbrooks Green road
Along the road until we could pick up a path crossing a grassy field, before
disappearing into woods, and an overgrown path.
Coming out of the woods beside Green's copse and following its edge up to the
driveway to Green's farm. Down the driveway for a while, until we could leave
the Capel part of the route and head across towards Charlwood.
Cutting through some harvested/ prairie fields, to the village of Newdigate
The next section was just following roads cutting through farm lands. Leaving
Newdigate by the church adn down the road to the driveway for Cudworth Manor.
The manor was on an island behind a moat accessed by a bridge. Beyond was the
large farm buildings - now residences.
The track ended at Cidermill road, and we continued through a field on the other
side, up to and through a belt of trees. This merged into Beggarshouse lane - in
reality just a footpath rather than a lane. Along here we met up with the
Charlwood route.
the lane continued past Greenings farm in the same way until it mutated into a
driveway (blocked by a large log with a huge mushroom on it)
Coming out at Stan Hill, and turning down the road - there was an elevated
walkway, which then bend away from the road and dropped down to the village of
Charlwood.
Walking around the village to pass the half moon pub and into the church grounds
- the bell ringers playing a peel of some kind.
Leaving the churchyard and across fields with a barely marked path through
fields and fences until we crossed a track and knew we were on the right
route.
Up the hill beyond to Windacre farm. I had hoped to see Lowfield Heath windmill,
but the hedges got in the way. Beyond the farm the path went up the side of the
buildings to the Russ Hill road.
We walked up the road (having missed the entrance to the path over the hedge)
until we could pick up the path as it approached the Russ Hill hotel, and a
landscaped field.
The views down towards Gatwick airport runways below and the planes taking off,
above.
AS we passed the hotel we turned off the road and down beside some stables. A
complex track through the menage and into Glover's wood - a woodland trust
area.
Some interesting routes through the woods across a number of streams, before we
exited into a grass field, looking across to the Weald hills. This is where we
left the Charlwood route and began the cross over back to Capel
Across a back road and through grass fields following a woody spur. Into the
Birches woodlands and some more "interesting" paths and stream crossings.
Leaving the woods across yet another footbridge, and into grass fields
approaching Home Farm.
Through Home farm an past a large number of "private, Keep out" signs, despite
the crossroads of paths, we followed the drive back to Rusper road. Into the
fields beyond beside Tanhouse farm following the hedge.
In these fields we picked up the Capel route once more as it came in from the
north. Crossing several concrete bridges, and a small wooded area where I met a
lost party doing the Capel circuit, who were grateful for some direction.
A complex diversion around the buildings and boundaries of Lodge farm, and we
came out onto the drive down to Temple Lane. Across the road and down a further
driveway, before entering some more woods at the side fo the house.
Leaving Hatchland Copse and crossing a harvested field and into a prairie field
where Belloc's Shiremark mill apparently once stood.
At a crossroads of tracks I chose to leave the Capel route to avoid a section on
the road, and we dropped down to a farm. A small pony was interested in Bertie,
but he ran away.
through a hobby farm - hairy pigs and several black sheep, before crossing
vicarage lane.
The earlier exploration of the recreation ground showed the possibility of
numerous ways in, and so it turned out - we picked up a path through the houses
into the playing fields.
Following the path up through the open area to the cricket pavilion where we
stopped for some refreshment, preparing for the journey home.
