This is an easy walk across heathland and through fields and woods with very little up and down. The walk was submitted by Guildford Rambling Club (see guildfordramblingclub.org.uk).
1. Go back through the tunnel and immediately fork right reach the road and cross to the Thames Water water treatment building opposite. Take the path along its right-hand side. Stay on this, ignoring lefts and rights. At a cross paths follow the bridle-way forward (actually very slightly right). Go straight over another cross paths and start following signs showing a white arrow on a red disk, labelled ‘Heathland Hike’. Fork right, again following the same sign. Reach Webb Road (you will see the barrier and car parking area along to your left).
2. Go straight across and on for some distance. At a cross paths with another red/white sign pointing left, ignore it and go straight on. Reach a T junction with another red/white sign. Follow this sign right, onto a wide track. Again, see a red/white sign, the track swings left. Reach another cross paths with a red/white sign and follow it straight on. Pass another red/white sign. Fork right at the next such sign. After 50 yards take an unsigned path right, into trees. Quickly reach a road and cross, passing a barrier and walking out onto heathland by a Witley Common sign. Ignore a wide fork right. Continue forward, ignoring lefts and rights. Go up a rise and, shortly after starting to drop down the other side and as the track swings sharp right, fork left onto a narrow path. After 100 yards, reach a T junction with a track and turn left. Quickly reach Eastlake, a large house on the left.
3. Turn right and walk along its wide access track. This track swings right to reach a road, French Lane. Go straight across and follow a path which heads towards the A3, swings to parallel it and then reaches French Lane again. Turn left and walk up a slope to reach and cross the Thursley Bridge over the A3. On the other side turn left and walk up to turn again, left down the Old Portsmouth Road. Walk down to turn right into Boundless Road. Follow this for some distance until you reach a tunnel under the A3. Go under and, on the other side, turn left to follow the road. It becomes a drive and takes you down to pass Cosford House.
4. Just past the house the path swings sharp right and you follow the Greensand Way as it breaks off left and, in two sections, climbs a steep bank up through trees to reach a field. Cross to a gate and exit onto a road, French Lane again. Go straight across and along a short section of track which dead ends at a stile taking you to the right and into a field. In the field turn left to walk alongside the hedge to a gate left and out onto the drive of a house. Cross this and enter a field. Head straight across this field and the next to reach a drive by the entrance to Lower House. Straight across and now follow the path between fields and through a wood, eventually dropping steeply down to emerge through a turnstile gate onto a road. (You have been walking in an area once owned by Lord Pirrie, the ill fated owner of the White Star Line and the Titanic. Hence the Whitecross Line symbols on some of the gates). Turn left and walk to the road’s junction with the A286. (Here, note the track ** on the opposite side of the junction with the A286.) Turn right and walk along to the Dog and Pheasant. Lunch here or picnic at or by the Pirrie Hall cricket pavilion at the back of the playing field opposite.
5. From the Pavilion head half-right to the corner of the playing field nearest to the road. Take a path running through trees roughly parallel to the road and fork right to drop down to the start of the track ** mentioned above. Turn right to climb up this track, away from the road and through a deep cutting. At the top, ignore a footpath right and continue forward. Ignore a quick left turn. Continue forward to reach a 3-way signpost at Parsonage Farm Cottages. Turn left and, after a few yards, turn right to enter a field. The path takes you out half-left, passing the farm and then along a fenced corridor. Ignore a path right and continue to the far end of the corridor to reach a lone house. Turn right, along its access track, to reach a road.
6. Go straight across and follow a narrow path through gorse and out onto heathland. Reach a T junction with a wide track and turn left. About 150 yards after seeing a plaque and small car parking area off to your left, turn down onto a track running away to the right. At a T junction, turn right. Next, fork left. Reach the dead end of a road (Gadsden Close). Walk to the far end to reach Gadsden Lane. Turn left. Walk along to cross the A286 and enter Webb Road. Walk up here to reach an information plaque and turn right to walk out onto Witley Common, heading north. After a while the track swings right a little and then left, i.e. north again. In a wide section of the track reach a fork and take it right. Go straight over a cross paths and immediately fork left. Carry on, ignoring lefts and rights until forced to choose. Fork left and pass the Thames Water water treatment works. Go straight across the road and through trees to reach the track that runs, left and under the A3 into Mousehill car park.
DISTANCE: 8.5 miles
OS MAPS: Explorer 145 Guildford & Farnham, Godalming & Farnborough and also Explorer 133 Haslemere & Petersfield, Midhurst & Selborne
STARTING POINT: Park in the car park at Moushill Down. To find it, come off the A3 and go straight on through both sets of lights at Milford, pass the green and the shops. Look for a track, signposted Rodborough Common, on the right about ¼ mile from the second set of lights. Don’t go too far or you will rejoin the A3 with a consequent long return detour!
REFRESHMENTS: The Dog & Pheasant, Brook.
