AAC Walk, East Horsley

I led an AAC walk along the Horsley Jubilee trail, with some diversions to take in several additional Lovelace bridges. I met 9 others at Effingham Junction station car park. This was the actual walk that I had prepared for a while ago and then previewed earlier this week. There was very little difference to the trial run except one change to avoid a muddy section.

The weather was clear and sunny - a major change to the recent week and boded for a good day. I had 11 signed up in total - it had gone up to 13 but then down again. On the way to the car park one person had broken down so would not come, but we also had a surprise person turn up to the station so that made up the numbers.

We all met up at the Effingham Junction station car park - the majority coming by train, a few in the car park and a couple who walked in from nearby.

So along the trail from last time... out of the car park and into Effingham Common, across to the pointed end of the grassland. Into the forest beyond, following the yellow arrows through the Ridings plantation (aware that there are older routes through here as well).

Over the A246 and into the Lovelace woods, following the logging paths past the bridges (it is a shame that the first one is just a ruin - if you can call two piles of dirt a ruin). Up tot eh edge of this plantation and across to one over the back road

Around in Coles copse to see the three there before dropping down to Honeysuckle Bottom.

From here a short climb into Mountain wood, before dropping down to the car park then up again into Sheepleas to see the two view points, first looking towards Heathrow and the second looking into the city. Down to St Mary's car park and church before crossing A246 again into the fields around West Horsley Place

The lunch stop was at the Barley Mow pub in West Horsley - a nice Thai orientated menu (with some standard pub fare as well). Suitably refreshed and fed we then walked along the road to Long reach, before dropping down Lollesworth lane back to the railway, passing the farm of the same name. 

Now we followed the railway into East Horsley, before crossing it yet again and down the private road into an exclusive housing estate. This ended at the edge of "The forest" - a woodland area going to the edge of Effingham Junction village. Here we crossed over the railway for the last time then another exclusive road before merging into the path back to the car park. Time for all to separate on our individual ways.