This isn't a massively long walk and is a particular pleasure in the winter, a cold and frosty morning providing breathtaking views over the vistas that deliver the promised 'four counties' views (Kent, Surrey, West Sussex and East Sussex in case you were wondering).
The walk starts in Dormansland, a pretty village just south east of Lingfield and right in the south east corner of Surrey. There is good parking on Ford Manor Road, where the walk starts, and Dormans station is a couple of miles away.
Standing on Ford Manor Road, facing away from the main road, head straight on, past old cottages on your right, until you reach a junction of footpaths. Keep going straight ahead, taking the right hand fork. Look off to your right over the fields for the first of those vistas!
Follow the road ahead, passing through metal gates and passing a lodge house on the right. This is the boundary of the Greathed estate. Not long after this you'll be able to see the manor house off to the right over fields; Greathed Manor was built in 1862 and this gothic-revival confection was formerly home to scions of the Astor family, HQ of the Canadian Armoured Division in the run up to D-Day but is now a private nursing home.
Follow the road straight ahead and then at the junction of paths take a left, skirting a paddock and passing workshops on your left. This (mostly) made track turns into a footpath through woodland, following a babbling stream. Even in summer this is a very muddy section, plenty of slip sliding! At the end of this path you’ll go through a metal gate and enter onto a farm track. Go straight ahead, passing cottages on your left; just after these take the footpath to the right, which will be way marked as part of the Vanguard Way. Follow it straight on. It will take you through a bit of woodland and then tracks uphill until the path skirts fields and passes behind a barn to emerge out onto a road. Take a right, sticking with the Vanguard Way, passing houses on your right and then taking a left at the junction (again, follow the Vanguard Way).
This section of path also tracks uphill but has the best views over towards the North Downs. A the top of the hill you’ll pass through the earthworks for the multivallate Dry Hill Iron Age fort, skirting round the fenceline before descending down a gravel path bisecting fields heading straight on until you reach Beeches Farm farmyard.
Its gets a bit tricky here; as you enter the farmyard there’s a cowshed ahead of you. Turn left and then curve round to the right, going around the cowshed and heading straight ahead as if to follow the road. Do NOT follow the road ahead of you, but turn right in front of the bungalow, passing between it and outbuildings. It will look like a dead end, but right at the end of the driveway is a way marked path to the left, heading into a field and downhill.
Follow the fence line on your right, pass over a stile (although this might be broken, if so, head through the gate but be aware it’s difficult to close) and carry on down the hill through another field. Kind of in the middle of the far side of this field is a gate that leads out into another farmyard (this is Lower Stonehurst Farm). Turn right and follow the path straight ahead, passing stables (or maybe piggeries??) on your right. Pass through the gate and into the paddock. There are probably sheep here- cheeky buggers.
Pass over the stile and follow the obvious path ahead. You’ll pass over another stile and into a farmyard (this is Upper Stonehurst Farm); turn left and follow the drive which passes houses on the left. Then take the next footpath on the right which tracks initially through a field, then crosses a small stream before narrowing to pass between hedgerows. At the end of this footpath there is a high stile; cross this and you’re out on a road. Turn left and go straight on passing a very modern looking house on your left, with spectacular espalier apples trees (I think) at the front. A little futher along comes another set of farm buildings with a way marked footpath turning right off the road. Take this and follow the path straight ahead, past the paddock on the left and then through a metal gate into woodland. The woodland ends at a set of stables on your left and an equestrian training yard of some description on the right. Passing past these you come back to the point where you branched left earlier (remember, when you passed some workshops??). Take a left and head back up the main road, retracing your steps back to Ford Manor Road.
All in this is almost 9km (a little over 5 miles) and usually takes me about 1hr 45 mins. It’s always a reliably beautiful and occasionally challenging walk.
At this point I usually post a pic of the map, but have been playing with a bit of an upgrade, whereby the maps are bit more interactive and, well, followable. So, here’s the map.
Some notes:
1. You should be able to open this in a browser or in the Google maps app if you're planning to follow the route, or yu can interact with it from this page. Testing with local walking buddies suggests that the Google maps app, or at least the Google Chrome browser will render the map best. (Google gonna get us all in the end!)
2. Click on the numbered waymarkers for descriptions, instructions and the occasional picture; these may come up as a banner at the bottom of your phone screen- tap on the banner for more detail if so
Also worth noting this walk is described in a series of Surrey walking guides from the county council, which gives a bit more detail onthe route (but fewer photos of sheep).
And as for the cat? Well, at time of writing she is a very poorly kitty so isn’t making an appearance this time; rest assured she’ll be back!
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