PROSPECTS OF POLESDEN - Amazon Web Services...Mole Valley, until you reach Yew Tree Farm on left. A...
2
circular ON THE NORTH DOWNS WAY This walk follows public footpaths and bridleways which cross private and public land. Please respect people’s privacy, keep dogs under control and remember the Countryside Code. OS Map Explorer 146: Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate A 5 mile (8 km) undulating circular walk from Ranmore Common, through part of the NT estate of Polesden Lacey. Great views to London and South Downs on a good day. Many famous people have been associated with Polesden Lacey and its Estate. The playwright and politician Richard Brinsley Sheridan bought the Estate in 1797. The current Polesden Lacey house was designed by Thomas Cubitt as a Grecian villa built in 1824. A well-known member of Edwardian Society, Mrs Ronald Greville lived there in the early 1900s and when she died in 1942 she bequeathed the estate to the National Trust. alongside cottage on right. In 40m, at fork, take left branch signed again for Youth Hostel. Follow woodland path going steadily downhill for 1.1km. Woodland here is a mixture of oak, beech and yew. Young beech trees have been planted where land slopes downhill and enters Polesden Estate. Eventually track swings right to pass Tanners Hatch Youth Hostel on left. 1 TANNERS HATCH TO VALLEY BOTTOM Tanners Hatch is an old estate cottage that was restored and renovated by members of the Youth Hostels Association during Second World War. Across the valley the long wall of Sheridan’s Walk in the Estate can be glimpsed through the trees. Continue to follow track down to bottom of valley (ignoring a signed path through gate to left). 2 VALLEY BOTTOM TO STONE BRIDGE Stay on main track as it swings left heading uphill between lines of coppiced hedgerows. (TURN RIGHT HERE ON BRIDLEWAY TO BAGDEN FARM IF YOU WANT TO CONNECT WITH RANMORE CIRCULAR WALK). After 100m fork left (signed to Connicut Lane) and path leads you under an ornamental stone bridge. This bridge is known as the Italian bridge and bears the inscription CED 1903. 3 STONE BRIDGE TO POLESDEN ROAD Beyond bridge, continue on main track still climbing (can be very muddy). Some way along, view opens up back across fields on right to Mole Gap. The Mole Gap was created by the River Mole cutting into the North Downs escarpment. After about 1.2km you will reach a T-junction with road, Polesden Road. 4 POLESDEN ROAD TO ENTRANCE DRIVE Cross over road with care, go through hedge gap opposite and then turn immediately left to follow footpath running parallel with road on left. At end of right-hand grass verge, you will reach entrance drive for Polesden Lacey on left. At this point you can take a detour to visit house and gardens. To do so, turn left down drive. 5 ENTRANCE DRIVE TO THATCHED BRIDGE To continue walk, ignore fork for entrance drive, simply keep ahead on track signed to several cottages and farms. After 140m, at a signed junction of paths, stay on main track which swings left heading steadily uphill. Stay on track to pass Home Farm House and then continue downhill to join a cutting which leads you under thatched bridge. The cutting was constructed in 1861 to allow vehicles to use this estate road without being seen from the gardens. 6 THATCHED BRIDGE TO CROSSROADS Pass under second bridge and, where tarmac track turns left, keep ahead along track lined with yew trees (signed public bridleway). After 300m you will come to staggered T-junction. Turn right heading uphill on tarmac track, noting views of the Mole Valley, until you reach Yew Tree Farm on left. A few paces after, keep left at fork. Keep left again at second fork, staying on main track. Further along on left, you will find a small rest area with a bench, with lovely views back towards Polesden Lacey House. Some way further up the hill you will come to a short waymarker post with blue and yellow arrows, marking a crossroads of paths. 7 CROSSROADS TO NORTH DOWNS WAY Keep straight ahead on main track and then ignore next path signed left. About 50m later, fork right to join bridleway marked with a blue arrow (not NT arrow). Keep straight ahead across a stone vehicle track and continue along bridleway through woods for 450m to reach junction with road. Cross road with care and go along track opposite (signed Ranmore Campsite). Pass scout campsite on left and continue downhill for 100m to reach signed junction. Turn left here to join North Downs Way 8 NORTH DOWNS WAY TO END Keep ahead on this path, passing through wooden staggered barrier, along edge of Ranmore Common woodland. After 700m, at staggered crossroads, go ahead through kissing gate into Steer’s Field. Take left-hand of two paths ahead, heading for Ranmore Common’s St Barnabas Church spire, note view of Westcott to right and Dorking ahead. Follow path as it swings left and pass through gate to reach car park where walk began. You could extend this North Downs Way walk further to link up with the Ranmore circular walk. You’ll then be walking about 11 miles! Join at point 2 of this walk, detailed above. Allow 2.5 hours PROSPECTS OF POLESDEN Fully illustrated walk directions to download at www.surreycc.gov.uk/ selfguidedwalks or download the app at ifootpath.com ROUTE DESCRIPTION START TO TANNERS HATCH YOUTH HOSTEL From Denbies Hillside car park, cross over Ranmore Common Road and turn left along wide grass verge. You will pass red Charlotte Cottage to left and Fox Cottages on right. Immediately after Fox Cottages, turn right alongside a vehicle barrier onto track into woodland (signed Youth Hostel). Ignore first path forking immediately left, simply stay on track
Transcript of PROSPECTS OF POLESDEN - Amazon Web Services...Mole Valley, until you reach Yew Tree Farm on left. A...
circular ON THE NORTH DOWNS WAY
This walk follows public footpaths and bridleways which cross private and public land. Please respect people’s privacy, keep dogs under control and remember the Countryside Code.OS Map Explorer 146: Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate
A 5 mile (8 km) undulating circular walk from Ranmore Common, through part of the NT estate of Polesden
Lacey. Great views to London and South Downs
on a good day.
Many famous people have been associated with
Polesden Lacey and its Estate. The playwright and politician Richard Brinsley
Sheridan bought the Estate in 1797. The current Polesden Lacey house was designed by Thomas Cubitt
as a Grecian villa built in 1824. A well-known member
of Edwardian Society, Mrs Ronald Greville lived there
in the early 1900s and when she died in 1942 she
bequeathed the estate to the National Trust.
alongside cottage on right. In 40m, at fork, take left branch signed again for Youth Hostel. Follow woodland path going steadily downhill for 1.1km. Woodland here is a mixture of oak, beech and yew. Young beech trees have been planted where land slopes downhill and enters Polesden Estate. Eventually track swings right to pass Tanners Hatch Youth Hostel on left.
1 TANNERS HATCH TO VALLEY BOTTOM
Tanners Hatch is an old estate cottage that was restored and renovated by members of the Youth Hostels Association during Second World War. Across the valley the long wall of Sheridan’s Walk in the Estate can be glimpsed through the trees. Continue to follow track down to bottom of valley (ignoring a signed path through gate to left).
2 VALLEY BOTTOM TO STONE BRIDGE
Stay on main track as it swings left heading uphill between lines of coppiced hedgerows. (TURN RIGHT HERE ON BRIDLEWAY TO BAGDEN FARM IF YOU WANT TO CONNECT WITH RANMORE CIRCULAR WALK). After 100m fork left (signed to Connicut Lane) and path leads you under an ornamental stone bridge. This bridge is known as the Italian bridge and bears the inscription CED 1903.
3 STONE BRIDGE TO POLESDEN ROAD
Beyond bridge, continue on main track still climbing (can be very muddy). Some way along, view opens up back across fields on right to Mole Gap. The Mole Gap was created by the River Mole cutting into the North Downs escarpment. After about 1.2km you will reach a T-junction with road, Polesden Road.
4 POLESDEN ROAD TO ENTRANCE DRIVE
Cross over road with care, go through hedge gap opposite and then turn immediately left to follow footpath running parallel with road on left. At end of right-hand grass verge, you will reach entrance drive for Polesden Lacey on left. At this point you can take a detour to visit house and gardens. To do so, turn left down drive.
5 ENTRANCE DRIVE TO THATCHED BRIDGE
To continue walk, ignore fork for entrance drive, simply keep ahead on track signed to several cottages and farms. After 140m, at a signed junction of paths, stay on main track which swings left heading steadily uphill. Stay on track to pass Home Farm House and then continue downhill to join a cutting which leads you under thatched bridge. The cutting was constructed in 1861 to allow vehicles to use this estate road without being seen from the gardens.
6 THATCHED BRIDGE TO CROSSROADS
Pass under second bridge and, where tarmac track turns left, keep ahead along track lined with yew trees (signed public bridleway). After 300m you will come to staggered T-junction. Turn right heading uphill on tarmac track, noting views of the Mole Valley, until you reach Yew Tree Farm on left. A few paces after, keep left at fork. Keep left again at second fork, staying on main track. Further along on left, you will find a small rest area with a bench, with lovely views back towards Polesden Lacey House. Some way further up the hill you will come to a short waymarker post with blue and yellow arrows, marking a crossroads of paths.
7 CROSSROADS TO NORTH DOWNS WAY
Keep straight ahead on main track and then ignore next path signed left. About 50m later, fork right to join bridleway marked with a blue arrow (not NT arrow). Keep straight ahead across a stone vehicle track and continue along bridleway through woods for 450m to reach junction with road. Cross road with care and go along track opposite (signed Ranmore Campsite). Pass scout campsite on left and continue downhill for 100m to reach signed junction. Turn left here to join North Downs Way
8 NORTH DOWNS WAY TO END
Keep ahead on this path, passing through wooden staggered barrier, along edge of Ranmore Common woodland. After 700m, at staggered crossroads, go ahead through kissing gate into Steer’s Field. Take left-hand of two paths ahead, heading for Ranmore Common’s St Barnabas Church spire, note view of Westcott to right and Dorking ahead. Follow path as it swings left and pass through gate to reach car park where walk began.
You could extend this North Downs Way walk further to link up with the Ranmore circular walk. You’ll then be walking about 11 miles! Join at point 2 of this walk, detailed above.
Allow 2.5 hours
PROSPECTS OF POLESDEN
Fully illustrated walk directions to download at
www.surreycc.gov.uk/selfguidedwalks or download
the app at ifootpath.com
ROUTE DESCRIPTIONSTART TO TANNERS HATCH YOUTH HOSTEL
From Denbies Hillside car park, cross over Ranmore Common Road and turn left along wide grass verge. You will pass red Charlotte Cottage
to left and Fox Cottages on right. Immediately after Fox Cottages, turn right alongside a vehicle barrier onto track into woodland (signed Youth Hostel). Ignore first path forking immediately left, simply stay on track
Pros
pect
s of
Pol
esde
n on
the
Nor
th D
owns
Way
µ 1:15
,000
© C
row
n C
opyr
ight
and
dat
abas
e rig
hts
2014
Ord
nanc
e S
urve
y 10
0001
9613
. Ex
cept
A-Z
Stre
et A
tlas
© C
opyr
ight
of t
he P
ublis
hers
Geo
grag
hers
' A-Z
Map
Com
pany
Ltd
.
RIG
HTS
OF
WAY
Foot
path
Brid
lew
ay
BOAT
Res
trict
ed b
yway
Star
t/Fin
ish:
Den
bies
Hill
side
car
par
kSt
iles/
Gat
es: 0
stil
es, 2
gat
esTe
rrai
n:
Seve
ral
stea
dy
clim
bs,
chal
leng
ing
terr
ain,
wea
r sui
tabl
e fo
otw
ear
View
s: V
iew
s ac
ross
to
Mol
e G
ap &
Sou
thD
owns
(on
a cl
ear d
ay).
Toile
ts: N
T Po
lesd
en L
acey
Ref
resh
men
ts: N
T Po
lesd
en L
acey
HO
W T
O G
ET T
HER
E - R
H5
6SP
By
car:
Den
bies
Hill
side
NT
pay
& d
ispl
ay c
ar p
ark
on R
anm
ore
Com
mon
. Fre
e fo
r NT
mem
bers
By
bus:
Rou
te 5
33 s
tops
at C
hurc
h bu
s st
op o
n R
anm
ore
Com
mon
Roa
d. F
or h
elp
plan
ning
you
r jou
rney
vis
it:ht
tp://
jour
neys
.trav
elsm
arts
urre
y.in
fo.
Star
t
12
3
45
6
7
8
