Photo by Glenn Waterfall on AllTrails
Looking for a chance to get out of the house? Each month we thought we’d share some great walks you can indulge in to spend some time out and about! The Hurtwood and Winterfold Hill is a 6.9 kilometer loop trail that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options. Horses are also able to use this trail.
Distance: 6.9 km
Time: Est. 2 hrs 17 mins
Route Type: Loop
Elevation Gain: 250 m
Walk Information:
A circular walk around The Hurtwood, a unique and beautiful world of heath and forest in the heart of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Hurtwood is a stunning mix of magical pine woods and heaths, ponds and glades, wildlife and wilderness. The walking route begins on Winterfold Hill, with its stunning views to the south, from where it heads north to follow a beautiful old sunken path before cutting back through the heart of Winterfold Wood.
Waypoints
1. Start to Row Lane
Leave the car park via the vehicle entrance, cross over the lane and take the footpath opposite. A few yards in keep right, then right then left at the three small forks, following the yellow arrows marking the public footpath. Follow the path with a fenced private property now directly on the left. Continue steadily downhill on this main path and follow it bending left and you will emerge to reach a T-junction with the entrance drive to the cottage. Turn right to follow the entrance drive and this will lead you to a T-junction with the road, Row Lane.
2. Row Lane to Shophouse Lane
Turn left for a few yards and then fork right onto the bridleway heading into the woodland. Follow this path which leads you down into the base of a gully. Bear right here to follow the path along the bottom of the gully with tall banks each side. Keep ahead as the path merges with a wider sunken track. Follow this path for a time and ignore the first path off to the left. Further along you’ll come to a crossroads – keep ahead once again. Continue until you reach a footpath crossing the sunken track with stiles on the top of the banks each side. Turn right and go over the stile. Follow the path through the horse paddock field. At the end of the first field keep ahead on the enclosed path. This leads you past Shophouse Farmhouse and via another stile out to a T-junction.
3. Shophouse Lane to Dewdney Junction
Turn left along the lane for just a few yards and then turn right onto the public footpath via a stile. Follow this enclosed path which leads you between sheep pastures. A squeeze gap leads you to a crossroads with a sunken track. Go straight ahead onto the footpath marked with a yellow arrow. Keep ahead passing a cottage, then follow the path as it heads steeply downhill into the woodland. At the bottom of the slope, cross the stream via the sleeper bridge and you will come to a T-junction with a track. Turn left along this and you will draw alongside the hedge of a cottage on the right. At the hedge corner, turn right to join the bridleway with the cottage garden to the right. Follow this path and after a little distance on the left you’ll pass a small weir. Keep ahead as the path begins to climb with the stream running down to the left. Keep ahead over the small pipe tunnel and continue with the stream now on the right. At the major fork marked with blue arrows, take the right-hand path and eventually you will emerge to a crossroads of bridleways.
4. Dewdney Junction to Car Park 4
Turn right here and after just 100 yards you’ll pass a large pond on the right and emerge to a crossroads with the main forest road. Cross over and go straight ahead on the bridleway marked with a blue arrow. Keep ahead on the bridleway, ignoring the footpath which crosses your path, and a few paces later, keep left at the fork. Keep straight ahead on the bridleway and it will lead you through a single gate where the track narrows slightly and continues through the woodland. Eventually you will emerge out to a crossroads with Car Park 4 opposite.
5. Car Park 4 to End
Cross over the road into Car Park 4 and then fork right just before the large notice board. Soon you will pick up the yellow and black arrow marking this path as part of the Greensand Way. Continue past the vehicle barrier and follow the waymarked path through the woodland. A little way along, look out for the bench, Lord Justice James’s seat, on the left which is a great place to pause and enjoy the views over the Weald. From this point, continue on the obvious Greensand Way path along the top of the Greensand Ridge, following the yellow and black arrows to guide you as the path winds through the woodland. You will be following this path all the way back to the car park. Some way in, the path emerges out to run along the edge of Winterfold Heath Road, and after just 20 yards it forks left back into the woodland. Continue on the waymarked path winding and undulating through the woodland and it will lead you back to Car Park 5 where the walk began.
See more info on the walk at: www.alltrails.com
