Why not take the train and discover the beauty of the South West Trains patch on foot? Put on stout boots and heads into the lovely Surrey countryside for a great day out
Just an hour from London by train, the walk from Farnham to Godalming is a perfect day outdoors, combining fresh air, walking and gourmet food in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Starting from the 800-year-old market town of Farnham, this walk passes along river meadows, woodland paths and sandy bridleways to Godalming. The route takes in the ruins of 12th-century Waverley Abbey and bridge, Moor Park House, Peper Harow Park, the River Wey and glimpses of chocolate-box cottages and Lutyens-inspired homes.
Exit Farnham station and cross the railway tracks to head downhill on Station Hill Road. The Q8 petrol station is on your right and, after about 220 yards, you come to the A31 intersection. Instead of crossing here and skirting Farnham, as the Time Out Book of Country Walks suggests, look out for the North Downs Way finger post, partly obscured and to your right at the junction of Station Road and the A31. Follow the North Downs Way marker that soon leads to a gravelled lane that crosses the meadows by the River Wey, where you are likely to see deer, and eventually it reaches Moor Park House and the Heritage Trail.
Walking along the former carriage drive, now a shaded woodland path, you’ll pass defences from World War II, a middle-Stone Age camp and caves, and a nature reserve. Moor Park House (01252 734477, open by appointment) is where Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver’s Travels) worked as secretary to Sir William Temple in the late 17th century.
Leaving the grounds, you pass Stella’s Cottage (the home of Swift’s best friend, Esther “Stella” Johnson) and the ruins of Waverley Abbey, the first Cistercian monastery built in England, which are about a quarter of a mile away. If you pass Keepers Stud, retrace your steps to take the byway.
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