Three "New" Villages -  approx. 8 miles 

There are three pubs on route but not sure which one we would reach for lunch - possibly The Woodcock at Beacon Hill.

Short Walk

Ripley Old Woking & Cartbridge  July 8th

  We were lucky again, sandwiched between two horrible days our walk was dry and occasionally sunny.  This was truly a waterways walk, crisscrossing the Wey as it makes its way from Guildford to Weybridge.   Walsham weir was the first we crossed above the foaming waters.   We left the river and trod the country lanes until we came to a wooded path climbing up a hill to Pyrford church, a pretty church in a tranquil hillside setting.   As there was a service going on we could not go in to see the red ochre fresco painted in 1140, next time perhaps.  A bit more road work before a path between fields on the side of a hill with lovely views. Next a golf course, skirted not crossed so quite safe!  A long poplar lined avenue led us to the edge of a sewage farm – unmistakable!  An extraordinary piece of machinery was being towed through and on enquiry we found it was used for stirring up the sewage residue and adding phospate before delivering it to farms as organic fertiliser.  (Anyone been near Feathercombe Farm recently)?   We passed a boggy patch with a healthy stand of willow trees, some cunning scheme for drainage perhaps.  The sewage farm on maps called euphemistically “Water Treatment Works”.  (These used to be writer Eric Parker’s favourite places for bird watching).  We were soon entering the outskirts of Old Woking where our intrepid leader took us round and about but soon out into the quiet country again heading for the canal and lunch at The New Inn in Cartbridge, a pleasant pub to be recommended.  Thereafter, we more or less followed the river/canal passing between two large fishing lakes.  One angler had caught nothing, the next one along was having a very successful day!  We passed Papercourt lock where we were rewarded by two barges negotiating the lock.  One of these, a long one, we had seen getting stuck across the river a little further back, blown by the wind we reckoned.  Next it was Newark lock with the ruins of Newark Priory some way over the fields.   Before we knew it we were back at Walsham and so to Ripley.  Some of us were then able to wend our way home via Bicknell’s Close where Janet & Peter provided a welcome cup of tea. Thank you to them and to Derek, this was a different walk.  River and fields, pretty canal-side houses, a bit of urban bustle, country, both working and idle, and always the water to meet on the way.