Despite severe warnings about getting lost in the dark if we didn’t keep up a good pace & a very uncertain weather forecast, 15 of us appeared at Dorman’s station for the walk. 

Luckily this walk got us out and into proper countryside very quickly, with little walking in built up areas and we were soon in the lovely Surrey Weald.  Weald is an old English word for ‘wood’ or ‘forest’, related to the German ‘Wald’.

We skirted Greathed Manor which must have been a very grand house but is now a, probably also very grand, Care Home. The walk was undulating with lovely views over the North Downs when we emerged from woodland and could see to the North. Someone had created a Bug Hotel in the woods which seemed, in appropriate imitation, fairly grand itself. We went through woodland and some open grassland and found our way to the little village of Cowden for a lunch stop. 

The second half of the walk was a bit more open again with lovely views and, towards the end, a lot of paddocks and horses having their evening hay. The rain kept off except for a little towards the end and we made it to the station before dark so – well done and thank you to all the walkers who came for keeping up the pace.

Harriet

Photos by Ida and Chris