Thursday, July 02, 2015

North Downs Way 02 - Guildford to Dorking

Saturday 20-June-2015

We haven't done a "Challenge" this year Mary said so she signed us up for a 23 mile charity walk along Hadrian's Wall for The Alzheimer Society. I like the idea of Hadrian's Wall as the Romano-British period was always my scene but I'm not so sure about the 23 miles "extremely tough one-day event over hilly landscapes".

So, of course, that means we have to get in some training to get a little fitter. So that Saturday morning over breakfast Mary proposed we do the second section of the North Downs Way from Guildford to Dorking.

Heigh-ho! Off to Guildford by train and a one mile walk to pick up where we left off from the first leg.


This is pretty walking country with what I call "proper woods" deciduous of tree with ferns and leaves underfoot. None of this coniferous Forestry Commission rubbish. Now this is what I call gnarly.


At several points there were pillboxes from a time in the second world war when an imminent invasion was feared and lookout posts were required.


The last stretch heading down to the A24 at Dorking gave us a good view over the vineyards of Denbies wine estate.


The end of this stage is where we hit the A24 and then had another mile to the train station and home. So, although this stage was only 13 miles, we actually walked 15 miles what with the train connections at each end. Only nine more stages to go!

This leg: 15 miles
Total so far: 26 miles

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