This is an easy walk through woods and fields and it affords views onto both Frensham Great Pond and Frensham Little Pond. There are two good pubs, one on Tilford Green and the Duke of Cambridge which is a short drive from the starting point on the road towards Hindhead. The walk was submitted by Guildford Rambling Club (see guildfordramblingclub.org.uk).
1. Cross the bridge towards the shop and take the footpath heading left which starts about 20 yards further on. Go up to meet a tarmac lane by a 3 way signpost and turn left to pass Tilhill House. Continue on and the lane becomes a track which you follow until forking left at blue arrow (right is a red arrow). Continue straight on until dropping down to Sheephouse Lane. Turn left and go over Tilford Mill Bridge then on along the road to a T-junction with Tilford Road. Go straight over to take the footpath opposite, into woods. Ignore gates on the right and a path right. Keep straight on and the path meanders through RSPB woodland to Reeds Road.
2. Again go straight over to a footpath which runs behind some houses then through woods and a large area of what was coniferous woodland. Pass Pierrepont Home Farm, owned by the Countryside Conservation Trust. Pass the farm, go over a footbridge to cross the River Wey and then up a rise for about 100 yards. With a 5-bar gate on your left, turn right along a bridleway and continue on until reaching Priory Lane and a car park on a bend. Jink left and cross the road to walk past the right-hand side of the car park. (Don’t take the footpath opposite which bears right to take a wide track close to a fence). Almost immediately the path forks and you turn right over a cross-paths and, at a sandy clearing, fork right again. Continue on for about 150 yards then take an unsigned path left and up to a road by a Frensham Pond Hotel sign.
3. Cross into the start of Bacon Road. Go left for 50 yards then left on a path through a red and white barrier. Continue uphill to a wide mown crossing track. Go right on this track, quickly passing a mauve arrow, until taking a small path right at another mauve arrow. Now walk diagonally downhill to join a wide sandy track and continue on for about 50 yards to turn left and immediately take a boardwalk on the right to reach the refreshment kiosk by the Frensham Great Pond.
4. With your back to the kiosk, on its pond side and facing the water, go left. After 50 yards take a path left into the trees. A path merges in from the left. Keep going as the path swings right. Pass a purple arrow and fork right. At a junction turn right on the wide sandy track and continue to another red and white barrier and a road. Cross and go through a gate and up onto Kings Ridge. Here turn left but immediately fork right onto the furthest away of two tracks. Follow this path along the ridge until it drops down the hill towards pine trees.
5. Half way down this hill see a peaty track on the left continuing downhill into trees. Take this but take the right fork. Where a wide track crosses at the bottom, pass through a red and white barrier and then a green one. Go up onto the next ridge, passing a bench and a view (right) down onto Frensham Little Pond. The path then drops down between the corner of Little Pond and, on your left, the Priory Lane car park which you passed earlier. Go straight on into the trees. At a T-junction at the edge of a small clear area, go half-left across to reach a road.
6. Go left for 50 yards then take a path out right. Keep going along the wide, undulating track for about ¾ mile (ignore a track off right) until you see a footpath forking left through small gate. Take this path through a pig farm to pass Meadow End Farm. When the path becomes a road go forward until you can take a fork left. Follow the footpath through woods and along the river bank all the way back to Tilford Green.
DISTANCE: 7.5 miles
OS MAPS: Explorer 145 Guildford & Farnham, Godalming & Farnborough
STARTING POINT:Park in the car parking area by the cricket pitch and the bridge at Tilford.
REFRESHMENTS:
The Barley Mow, Tilford Green. T: 01252 792205
The Duke of Cambridge, Tilford Rd, Tilford GU10 2DD.
T: 01252 792236
