Blue sky again, and we were due to join up with teh AAC walk, this was due to
begin in Guildford and head over Chantries, St Martha's Hill, and along the
rolling hills to Shere. Pause in a café then back over the north downs. To
escape the Guildford one way system and also for free parking, I had arranged
to start at Chantries car park (as their route would go through there) however
it would have implications later as there was now a 5 hour time limit on the
parking.
We met the others as they walked through and joined the group on the steady
climb up the slope into Chantries
After the climb we followed the ridge in the trees before turning slightly to
leave teh trees to teh south.
We stepped out onto a grassy viewing pasture, this gave views over the hills to
the south. As well as along the downs to St. Martha's church standing out on the
top of the hill of the same name.
Back into the woods of Chantries and its display of Bluebell swathes, dropping
down to Halfpenny Lane.
Climbing up to St. Martha's church on its hill, followed a sandy path. Up at
the church we had even better views south, although the south downs were lost
in the mist.
Beyond the church we continued on the sandy path down to the car park at
Guildford Lane. Continuing now on the Pilgrims' Way on a slight ridge below the
car park at Newlands corner.
We continued along the Pilgrims' Way as it stayed on the ridge moving between
fields and wood copses. Around the sand pit at Weston Wood, coming out at Albury
Street, crossing by the church. Through teh field and into Silver Wood.
Some purple flowers out in the fields, then through Silver woods and into the fields beside the drive to Albury Park. From here it was a winding route through the back lanes into Shere.
We stopped off at the Dabbling Duck, this was very busy and I was nervous about the time, so together with Bernadette we left to charge back to the van before our 5 hours were up. Sue stayed behind and would wait in Shere for me to return later.
The route back was very similar to the outward journey, however once we reached Guildford Lane we took a route around the north side of St. Martha's Hill. This was a very sandy horse track through grass fields. Once past St. Martha's Hill we re-joined the Pilgrims Way as it bypassed Chantries to the north (effectively continuing the line we had been following) until it met up again at the Car park we had started from.
back at the van with 15 mins to spare from our 5 hours (we had seen a traffic warden taking numbers as we had waited for the start, so this was the reason for me being nervous).
Next Bertie and I jumped into the van and drove around to Shere where we parked in the main car park beside the playing fields (this was equally full and we got lucky to find a space as it just become free). Sue was waiting beside the stream, and we retreated back to the van for a coffee and then home over the greensand ridge.
