Hike the North Downs Way- Stage 2: Guildford to Box Hill

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September is my favorite month to hike- cooler temps, late summer sunshine, the foliage changing to scarlet. Join me as we tackle the North Downs Way- a 153 mile/246km waymarked National Trail that starts in Farnham in Surrey and ends at the White Cliffs of Dover. I’m going to break it down to manageable day hikes from London, linking the trail with train stations across the Southeast. It should take about 12 stages total to complete, and I will schedule these on most Saturdays this autumn. If you can join for one stage or all, this is a great trail to explore the countryside on London’s doorstep as it links up chalk downlands, woods and heather-covered heathland along with historic churches and cathedrals. It’s not a hugely difficult trail, with a lot of gentle rolling hills. This trail is one of the most ancient footpaths in the UK, and is recognized as part of the Camino pilgramge route.

On this stage 2, we begin our adventure in Guildford. This is one of the longest and hardest stretches of the North Downs with several hills but rewarding views through really picturesque countryside. From here, we follow the North Downs Way east through the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We will climb to the hilltop church of St Martha’s and continue along the ridge through rare chalk downland habitat and beautiful old woodland. After many miles, we will descend through the vineyards of Denbie’s estate, the largest vineyard in the UK (and perhaps stop for a sample of their tipple if the tasting room is open). We will end at either Dorking or Box Hill Station.

GRADE: Intermediate/Challenging. 15 miles/24km. Good trails but a few steep climbs, and it’s mostly just a very long ridgewalk.

Meeting Point: Due to Covid, we can not travel together and organise group tickets at this time (however, you are welcome to self-organise if there is a lot of you leaving from the same place!). There are also a number of discounted tickets available if you book in advance via trainline.com. Meet me just outside the gates at Guildford Station. There’s a train that leaves Waterloo at 9:15 that gets to Guildford just in time. If you choose to drive, you can get back to Guildford to your car from Dorking Station at the end of the hike.

Cost: £10 organiser fee payable on RSVP. We have temporarily raised the price of walks to be able to accommodate smaller groups. As soon as it is safe to take larger groups, we will re-asses our pricing. For this hike, I will be taking a maximum of 20.

What to bring: PPE, Lunch, snacks, water, suitable clothing and hiking footwear. We will not be stopping at a shop or a pub so have everything you need for the day! Click here-https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FLjSAczjgbZ26OKE4Iy_zX2IFqkybdXCmK9AkVfqI1w/edit?usp=sharing

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