Section 32 Return
Farnham to The Sands
Walk Details
| Map | OS Explorer 145 Guildford & Farnham |
|---|---|
| Distance/Time | 4 miles/ 2 hours |
| Start | The Queen's Head, by Castle Street |
| Comment | It's difficult to find a loop back to The Sands but this route starts in the very pleasant Farnham Park then links short stretches of several paths which have been truncated by new roads and development. There are several roads to cross but mostly the route keeps on pedestrian paths sneaking through secret corners of the town eventually to return to Runfold Wood and a relaxed walk back to The Sands. |
Walk Instructions
From the Queen’s Head walk back to Castle street. Turn up it. Towards the end of the houses look out for The Nelsons Arms pub on your right. Turn right on a side road (Park Row) down the side of the pub.
In a short distance, turn left up an alley to Farnham Park. Enter the bottom corner of the park. Turn right along an asphalt path along the bottom edge of the park with house gardens below. Stay on this path for ½ mile. Eventually leave the park but keep forward on the path to emerge on a road at the Six Bells pub.
Cross the road bearing left to a track dropping down a bank just beyond the entrance to a petrol station. Go ahead across rough ground between allotments on your right and a road up on the left. Soon cross a footbridge and go up steps to a roundabout.
Turn right a few paces to a crossing place. Turn left, across the road, to a triangle of grass and then continue over to the far side. Leave the road, steeply down the bank, on a footpath and cycle track. At the bottom turn right along with an old fence on your left and a pasture beyond.
The path becomes a rough lane and eventually reaches a main road. Cross this (use the cycle crossing) and turn left away from the roundabout. Soon reach a ramp up to a supermarket car park on your right. Go up and walk up the edge of the car park past the entrance to the Supermarket to the top corner. Here turn left on a walkway along to another ramp up to a road in an industrial estate.
Turn left and follow the road all the way along to a road junction at the far end. Here turn right along by Hurlands Close. In a few paces cross the road and turn left into Hurlands Close Business Park. Pass The Mulberries on your right. Just beyond join an enclosed path between a hedge and fence.
Cross a stile, then a railway, then steps up into a rough field. Bear right downhill with bushes on your right. At a Y-fork, bear left diagonally across the field under power lines to the far opposite corner. Here find a wooden kissing gate hidden by brambles.
Go through and enter a path enclosed between wire fences. Stay on this to eventually emerge through another kissing gate onto a lane. Turn right down this. It soon reduces to a footpath and reaches the edge of a main road. Turn left here on a broad path between fences ald follow along by the road. At the end climb up to a road junction.
Cross with care and go over a bridge over a busy dual carriageway. Immediately over turn left down steep steps. At the bottom go forward to a garden fence. Here turn right and soon reach a road. Keep on along this to a small roundabout. Turn right here and follow the road to a T-junction in Runfold village. Cross to an old pub opposite (now a Chinese restaurant). Just left of the pub car park, by a wide gateway, go up an enclosed path which, in a short distance, reaches a road.
Cross to the other side for safety, then turn right for 100 metres. Just past the last house on your left, turn left up a track between holly and a fence. Soon reach an open grassy area. Do not swing into it but keep on up by the fence on your right.
Enter Runfold Wood. Ignore a path off right up steps and keep on for 50 metres to a corner of wire fence. Here turn left on the North Down Way.
Continue through the wood then on on a drive down to a road. Carefully turn left a few paces then cross to go down a narrow footpath between fences.
This soon reaches a final road. Turn right all the way back to the Barley Mow in The Sands. Pass a golf Club House and several side roads to reach the start of the section.
