Our November Explorer walk will explore the area between Guildford and Dorking. We will follow the river Wey and its historic towpaths, the North Downs Way and Pilgrim’s Way. We will take time to visit a very special chapel on our way, which is one of the best examples of Art Nouveau in the UK.

For hundreds of years, this historic route was used by those making pilgrimages to pray at holy shrines. Originally, pilgrims would have travelled from Canterbury to Winchester to pray for St Swithun, who was buried at the cathedral. Later, the route was used in reverse, as pilgrims journeyed from Winchester to Canterbury Cathedral to pray at the shrine of Thomas Becket.

Half way on our route we will pass the Watts Gallery, first opened to the public in 1904 and is devoted to the art of symbolist painter G F Watts. We will not visit the gallery itself today,. Instead, we will visit the Cemetery and the Cemetery Chapel, an extraordinary Art Nouveau building, which was designed by G F Watts’ wife, Mary Seton Watts.

The interior of the Chapel was moulded and painted in gesso (felt dipped in a mixture of plaster and glue) in Mary’s Studio by a team of craftsmen. The cemetery contains the graves of Mary Seton and G F Watts and writer Aldous Huxley, of “Brave New World” fame. If it is cold out, we might stop at the tea room to warm up with a nice cuppa.

Our lovely Fit and Happy Outdoors member Vicky moved to Guildford last summer. We miss her, and as she is no longer able to come to our walks every week, we decided to go and visit her. And what better day for a walk in Guildford than her birthday!

Will you join us on this walk?

How to get there:

We meet up at 9.15 am at Clapham Junction train station

to get the 9.39 train, which should arrive at

Guildford at 10.24.

A return ticket to Guildford (for the unlucky ones amongst us who don’t have a senior citizen card yet) is £13.60.

If you do have a 60+ Freedom card, you don’t have to pay within the London zones. You can buy a return from Surbiton to Guildford for £10.30.

I can buy your ticket using Groupsave, which can save us 1/3^rd on the ticket price. Your ticket with 60+ Freedom pass will then cost £6.80, or £9.00 without.

This will only work if we have at least 3 buying tickets together, so please let me know in advance if you want this. Make sure you are at the station at 9.15 sharp and bring the exact fare in cash. (no cash – no Groupsave ticket!)

You can either meet us at Clapham Junction, or you could get on the train in Waterloo (where it leaves at 9.30 am) and meet us on the train. Or you could meet us in Guildford. Please take note of my mobile 078 078 3456 4, just in case you can’t find us!

If you do get the train at a different station, please make sure you text me on 078 078 3456 4 to tell me you plan to do that, and then again once you are on it, and in which carriage you are, so we don’t get all worried that you are not there! 🙂

Terrain and length of the route:

The route is about 6 miles/ 10 kilometres. This walk mostly follows the river banks and is fairly flat, but it does have some steep inclines along the way. Please bring good footwear.

Toilets, food/drinks & what to bring:

I suggest we bring a pick-nick and enjoy our lunch outside, but if the weather isn’t very attractive for eating outside, we can stop at the tea room at the Watts gallery. There are toilets at the Artist village by the gallery.

Don’t forget to bring a flask, so you have something warm to drink for on the way.

I have a reputation to uphold, so I am counting on sunny weather, but this walk will happen in any weather, unless it is unsafe. Please check the forecast and bring your waterproofs and with a good grippy profile. It is November, so the path might have puddles. Waterproof trainers with good profile are highly recommended.

(There are lots of good waterproof shoes available and they don’t have to be expensive. Get in touch, I would be happy to share my favourites that fit your budget).

Who can join?

Anyone who can comfortably walk 10 km.

If you have ever walked with us at Silverfit Burgess park, and you are comfortable walking in the medium/social walking group speed you will be fine, and if you walk with me in any of our Fit and Happy Outdoors walks, you will be totally fine too.

Feel free to bring a friend or family member, with or without poles. Nordic Walkers or not, that doesn’t matter, as long as you are Fit (enough) and Happy! 😊

Are you a Nordic walker but don’t have your own poles? Would you like to borrow some from me? Text me THE MORNING OF THE WALK on 078 078 3456 4 and I will bring you some. (please, please do not ask me for poles days before the walk unless you remind me the morning of the walk, or risk walking without poles. I have a good memory for names, not for poles! )

Cost:

£10 or, if you are one of our regular Fit and Happy Outdoors walkers, one stamp on your 10 session card.

If you are genuinely poverty stricken- £5

(Train tickets and food or drinks at café not included)