For several years there has been a booklet available describing the Footpaths, Bridleways and Byways of Headley parish. However it suffered from the very real problem that its world ended at the parish boundary, leaving walkers in limbo. They had either to retrace their steps, or boldly go into the unknown if they wished to complete a circular route. This publication attempts to overcome that particular deficiency. It describes twelve circular walks which all start and end in Headley but which extend outside the hallowed borders of the parish - indeed outside the county and into Surrey and Sussex in some cases. While the walks described here do not include every right of way in Headley parish, they do use most of them - and walkers may draw on the parish council booklet mentioned above to fill in the gaps if they wish. We have also added historical information where appropriate, and photographs of features on the routes - some recent and some of past times.
For several years there has been a booklet available describing the Footpaths, Bridleways and Byways of Headley parish. However it suffered from the very real problem that its world ended at the parish boundary, leaving walkers in limbo. They had either to retrace their steps, or boldly go into the unknown if they wished to complete a circular route. This publication attempts to overcome that particular deficiency. It describes twelve circular walks which all start and end in Headley but which extend outside the hallowed borders of the parish - indeed outside the county and into Surrey and Sussex in some cases. While the walks described here do not include every right of way in Headley parish, they do use most of them - and walkers may draw on the parish council booklet mentioned above to fill in the gaps if they wish. We have also added historical information where appropriate, and photographs of features on the routes - some recent and some of past times.
List of Walks Walk 1 - Four Bridges - (6 miles/10km) Starts and ends in Headley High Street, visiting Trottsford, Cradle Lane, Dockenfield, Huntingford Bridge, Saunders Green, and The Hanger. It crosses the River Wey and the River Slea. Walk 2 - To Frensham Great Pond and back - (8 miles/14km) An extension of Walk 1, taking in Dockenfield church, Frensham Mill, Frensham Great Pond, Wishanger and Hearn. Walk 3 - Around Fuller's Vale - (2 miles/4.5km) This short walk starts and ends in Headley High Street, taking a tour past the old workhouse, through coppice woods behind Hilland, past the restored Fuller's Vale wildlife pond, over Headley Hill and along 'The Brae' footpath. Walk 4 - Down by the Riverside - (5 miles/8km) Starts and ends in Headley High Street, visiting Standford, following the River Wey upstream through Passfield to Waterside, then via High Hurlands and Ludshott Common to Fullers Vale where it rejoins Walk 3 in returning over Headley Hill to the High Street. Walk 5 - To the Military railway - (7 miles/12.5km) Starts and ends in Headley High Street, visiting Standford, Passfield Common, Woolmer Forest, the track of the Longmoor Military Railway, Walldown earthworks, the Deadwater Valley and Headley Mill. Walk 6 - Right round Lindford - (5 miles/8km) Starts and ends in Headley High Street, visiting Headley Mill, Bordon Inclosure, Broxhead Common and Headley Wood aqueduct. Walk 7 - The Hampshire/Surrey border - (6 miles/10.5km) Starts and ends at the National Trust car park in Pond Road, visiting Openlands, Hammer Lane, Whitmore Vale, Barford Mills, Churt, Simmonstone, Wishanger, Hearn, Arford Common and Fullers Vale. Walk 7a - shorter option of Walk 7 - (5 miles/8.8km) A shorter route offered between Hammer Lane and Hearn, visiting Assisi, Plaster Hill Farm, Bacon Lane and Park Lane. Walk 8 - To Grayshott and back - (6 miles/9.5km) Starts and ends at the National Trust car park in Pond Road, visiting Ludshott Common, Waggoners Wells, Stoney Bottom, Grayshott and Whitmore Vale. Walk 8a - shorter option of Walk 8 - (3 miles/5.5km) A shorter return route offered from Waggoners Wells visiting Superior Camp on Ludshott Common. Walk 9 - Three 'new' villages - (8 miles/13.5km) Starts and ends at the National Trust car park in Pond Road and is an extension of Walk 8, visiting the three villages of Grayshott, Beacon Hill and Churt. They are 'new' in so far as before the 1850s there was virtually nothing other than heathland where their centres now stand. Walk 10 - Walk with the Devil - (13 miles/22km) Starts and ends at the National Trust car park in Pond Road, visiting Whitmore Vale, Barford, Frensham Great Pond, the Devil's Jumps, the Devil's Punch Bowl, Hindhead, Nutcombe Valley, Miss James' Walk, Stoney Bottom, Waggoners Wells and Ludshott Common. Walk 11 - Where Three Counties Meet - (8 miles/13km) Starts and ends at the National Trust car park in Pond Road, visiting Waggoners Wells, Bramshott Chase, Hammer Vale, Bramshott, Gentles Lane and Gentles Copse. Walk 12 - To Conford and back - (6 miles/9.5km) Starts and ends at the National Trust car park in Pond Road, visiting Ludshott Manor, Bramshott, Conford, Passfield and Waterside. Walk 13 - The 'Missing Link' - (2 miles/3.2km - linear) Links Walks 10 and 11 between Hindhead & Hammer, passing through Nutcombe Valley and Critchmere, allowing a complete 'outer ring' walk. Walk 14 - The Flora Thompson Trail - (10 miles/16km) Grayshott to Griggs Green [Heatherley to Peverel] and back again. The Outer Ring (R) - (21 miles/34.5km) For the fit or foolhardy! Can start at several convenient points, and proceed in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction according to choice.
John Owen Smith was born in 1942 and trained as a Chemical Engineer at London University, but spent most of his working life designing commercial Information Systems for the paper-making industry. Following redundancy, he 'fell' into researching and recording the local history of east Hampshire, where he now lives. His output includes historical community plays, lectures, articles and books.
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