10 eventually on this largely mud free walk. Travel delays and the destination board at Waterloo resulted in 3 missing the train. We three took the morning shortcut, and we all joined up at the church, helped by cake and tea being sold to raise funds. Very enjoyable sitting on the bench in the weak sunshine. We eventually stirred ourselves and set off for the Drummond Arms. We lost two heading for a different picnic spot and five ate in the pub.

Eight of us stuck together for the afternoon, disappointed to get a short stretch of mud before the tedious stretch along the railway, before getting the 1718 train home.

7 set off from Guildford on a day of mist turning to light drizzle lifting to cloud towards the end of the walk. Conditions underfoot were very good throughout. Two headed for the pub in Albury for lunch and five carried on to Newland's Corner and had a picnic lunch enjoying the view from benches on the hillside. There were lots of dog walkers and the usual gaggle of motorcyclists around the cafe. The pub lunchers were not seen again. The picnickers split into two faster and three slower walkers, the latter group catching the 16.03 train from Horsley. The wooded sections in the afternoon were enlivened by the the sound of birds getting getting ready for spring.

I was not counting, but approximately 20 on this walk on an warm but overcast day. Lots of people seemed to be doing lots of different variants on the route (or possibly just not paying particular attention to the walk directions or GPX), but some of us at least did the specified option C shortcut through the woods, and three of us had lunch in the Drummond at Albury pub. The mild consternation show by the staff at our unbooked arrival in this establishment melted away when we said we would sit in the garden, where we had a very nice table right by the river. Two others joined us for drinks a bit later.

After lunch, two of us found the temptations of the tea kiosk at Newlands Corner too tempting, but the other three did not and went on. I later wished I had waited till the car park in the woods which often has a tea van: it did today, and I felt a bit guilty not stopping to do business there.

There has been some work on section through the woods after Newlands Corner and it is now rather more open than it was before, which is rather pleasing: there was an abundant of flowers on this section, especially hedge woundwort. My ability to enjoy this was somewhat limited by my efforts to keep up with my fast walking companion: I eventually failed in this endeavour and for the rest of the day walked alone (bar one occasion when he came up behind me, having missed the way, but soon outstripped me again).

The lovely downland reserve of Sheepleas had nice flowers, but sadly no butterflies due to the weather. The distant views of the City of London were just about visible despite the murk. Once down on the flat I wandered the luxuriant grassland. I looked in at the Barley Mow pub but could see no walkers there, so carried on to Horsley, where the (now unnamed) Quaich cafe still seems to be in business, though had closed by the time I got there. So my end of walk refreshments were a coffee from the Costa machine in Budgens and a chocolate flapjack, which I consumed on the 17.48 train. The rest of the group were probably home and in their baths by then.

10 walkers gathered at Guildford station having taken various trains, and two car travellers joined them making 12 on a pleasant day of mixed cloudy ,-cool,-sunny-and-warm-periods. 3 did the Pewley Down start and were not seen again; 3 more went to the pub in Albury (sorry I failed to get a report on their visit) and the remaining 6 took the direct route from St Martha's Hill to Newlands Corner. Most of us picnicked in a meadow just before Newlands Corner, and eventually just missed the 1603 train. We had failed to read up on the lack of tea options near the station, but adequate coffee and cake from Budgens sustained us until the next train, when we were joined by one of the pub- goers, the others having returned to Guildford. Some reported that they enjoyed the woods and southerly views of the morning better, while others appreciated the afternoon's meadows, but all in all a fine walk, many thanks Wanderer.

PS Obviously I've forgotten how to do the weather report (no commas) - that should be mixed cloudy cool sunny and warm periods .

In addition to the 12, there were 2 others who were walking independently using the written instructions. They have recently discovered the SWC website and were very impressed with the information on it.

🐝

8 off the train, 1 other 15 mins behind, 2 (over from T. Wells) delayed, so taking the shortcut route over Pewley Down to catch up. All 11 united at the lunch pub. cloudy and muggy to lunch then sunny . Some familiar bits around Guildford and Albury in a different combination from other walks, then newish bits (to me) in the afternoon. It all worked well in its design and also with the weather, as we had plenty of tree cover when the sun was out in the afternoon. The walk poster's stipulated variation just before lunch, through the wood and past Waterloo Pond, was really good we thought. The three hostelries frequented all were good value for their purpose, especially the lunch pub with its fantastic garden and efficient staff (2 lunchers at The Drummond, the rest of the group joining for a drink; 3 going to The Barley Mow near the end for liquids, then also popping in to The Quaich for tea aor coffee, where 3 others were already ensconsed).

It was a bit murky to get good far views today and some paths were being encroached on by nettles and brambles, but - even in shorts - it didn't feel too bad for the season.

There were some comments though from the gadget users that the gpx route was all over the place, especially in the woods...

17.20 train for the tea rooms group.

Anyone doing the short walk on this please?

12 on this walk on a grey but reasonably mild day. Spots of rain in the morning but they never amounted to much, but the same was true of the brightness in the afternoon which never quite developed into sunshine.

A nice walk. Muddy in places but not terribly so. Misty views. Some tentative signs of spring. Several walkers expresssed delight at the scenery.

A table having been helpfully booked for eight at the Drummond pub by one of the party, exactly that number wanted a pub lunch. Attempts to order at the bar were thwarted by the manager who insisted that the kitchen would be “overwhelmed” by eight individual orders but would produce food at lightening speed if eight orders went in together. Similar logic prevented us from ordering drinks at the bar too. Heigh-ho. But to his credit he waived the customary twenty minute delay before taking our order at the table and the food when it came was very nice. The ploughman’s was an extraordinary feast of cheeses and pates and charcuterie.

In the afternoon we whizzed past the Newlands Corner tea kiosk and the tea van in the woods whizzed off when it saw us coming: did we look that scary? So thirst had to be kept in check until the Barley Mow, busy with people watching England lose to France in some sporting contest or other. Five of us lingered here for a second drink and walked the last bit along the railway line in the dark, getting the 7.20 train back to our respective ready meals.

please give ticket info,ie separate lines or a return to where? also return times & stations are useful.

A day return to Guildford ("via Woking/Clandon", but this is the standard routing anyway) is valid for return from Horsley. Horsley is on the "slow line" to Guildford.

If your doing a Walk Tomorrow. Well if you are going from a London Station. You just got to be Cautious at all times due to the incident at Westminster since last Wednesday.

20 on this walk, on a day of grey skies with occasional drizzle . The autumn colour is slowly increasing, with beeches and wild cherries looking particularly good at present, and bright yellows on foliage in the hedgerows.

At least one and probably more did the short cut to Newland's Corner. The rest of us were led on a short cut through the woods to the ever-accommodating Drummond in Albury pub, which surely deserves an award for never complaining when a bunch of walkers turns up.

In the afternoon the pack sped past the Newland's Corner tea options but found a pop-up cafe in the woods a couple of miles later where we sat on metal chairs under the trees and had tea and cakes - a nice surprise.

Towards the end of the walk a new permissive path cuts out the need to go on the road. Six or seven of us stopped at the Barley Mow pub, a rather bleak establishment it seemed to me, but perhaps that was the winter gloom closing around us and thoughts of the Great Darkness to come...

I plan to go.

15 turned up including one late starter. some cloud some sun Only 2 ventured down to the lunch pub (which they declared to be good). The rest made do with Newlands Corner which was busy and noisy. There was also a later tea van – a welcome discovery after traversing paragraph 67 for what felt like forever. Most got the 16:03. One or two laggards got the 17:03 and I heard of one got the 18:33. Good views,big trees, and for one at least, woolly pigs.

The two of us who made it to the lunch pub took an alternative route along a narrow and excellent woodland path through Colyers Hanger (see OS map). Its a narrow trail and quite steep in places which could prove tricky in wet weather. When we reached Waterloo Pond we took the left hand path rather than the tarmac alternative and towards the end you think you are walking through peoples back garden but we got a cheery welcome from a family enjoying the weather. The only downside to this route is that you have to do more on the main road to the pub.

The inosculated beech trees have now been fenced off with a much more severe wire fence than I originally remember so no more photos

posing against it. Probably a good idea really.