Trail Run: Godalming to Frensham

1. Godalming to Milton Wood (1.7 km)
Exit the railway station, turn left and take the stairs down to the lower car park. Turn left onto Westbrook Rd, then right in to Vicarage Walk after 50 m. Emerging onto Borough Rd, turn left and follow the lower footpath over the wooden bridge and through Guardian House car park. Continue under the railway bridge. As the road curves, turn left onto the footpath (marked by a metal fingerpost) just before the small bridge over the river. Continue on, passing the Westbrook Mill development on your left to join the asphalt path on the river bank. After 500 m the path forks. Bear left, following the footpath directly alongside the river. Follow this for 500 m as the river bends in an ’S’ shape and you come to an old WW2 pillbox. Carry straight on up the rough track by the end house. Turn left at the top and take the public footpath through Milton Wood.

2. Milton Wood to Hurtmore (1.3 km)
Follow the narrow footpath through Milton Wood as it winds, dips and rises. This track can be muddy and there are boardwalks in some spots that can become slippery. Continue for 400 m until you pass through a wooden gate onto a small lane. Continue straight over the sandy crossroad of paths at Hurtmore Bottom and follow the garden wall of a large stone house to your right. Follow the lane round and up the hill, past more cottages on your left. After 300 m, turn sharp left onto the footpath just before you pass under the road bridge. You will emerge onto Hurtmore Rd.

3. Hurtmore Road to Shackleford (1.8 km)
Cross over Hurtmore Rd and continue left under the A3 flyover, joining the higher footpath through a clump of trees opposite the Guildford bound A3 slip road. After 200 m take a hard right into a gravel lane directly on the junction with Grenville Rd. Follow this track for 400 m, passing houses on the left until you reach Roker’s Lane – a wide grassy footpath. Turn left and continue until it ends at Grenville Rd. Cross directly over the road onto a sandy path and follow it round as it skirts a small field and exits through a tiny, unmade car park. This is Shackleford village – you will see the Post Office on your right hand side.

4. Shackleford to Gatwick (2.3 km)
Continue past the Post Office, with grass verges and the walls of Aldro School to your left. Turn left into Lombard St, signposted to Cutmill. Continue on Lombard Street, passing the buildings of Aldro School on your left. The lane rises gradually, passing a row of cottages and a finger posted footpath to your right. Ignore this footpath – continue another 200 m up the hill and take the short, steep forking path off the road to the right. Pass through the small metal kissing gate, continuing diagonally uphill on the grassy track until you pass through another kissing gate. Continue straight onto a rough, stony access track, with cattle fields to your right and woodland to your left. After 400 m, you will reach a crossroad of paths and footpath signs. Continue straight and follow the broad, sandy bridleway as it gradually descends for 1 km to reach Lombard St and the hamlet of Gatwick.

5. Gatwick to Farnham Road (2 km)
Turn right on Lombard St and pick a safe route around the sharp bend in the lane. After 100 m – on the apex of the bend – take the left hand footpath into the trees, marked with a fingerpost. Follow the twisting track through the woods for 150 m, passing through a gate into a large open pasture. Continue on the main track, exiting the field through another gate onto an unmade lane. Turn right and then left after 200 m onto Fulbrook Ln. Follow the curving lane downhill for 500m. You will then see a small wooden gate and sign marking the footpath into Elstead on your left. Take this twisting path and follow it through marshy ground and a paddock until you cross a small wooden bridge into a sheep field. Follow the faint path across the field to reach a stile towards the top left corner. Cross the stile onto Farnham Rd.

6. Farnham Road to Upper Hankley Common (1.75 km)
The footpath is scant on this section of busy road, so cross over (near The Mill PH) and run on the verge facing traffic. After 200 m, cross back over the road to the footpath over Elstead Bridge – a nice stretch of the river. After 100m, cross again to The Golden Fleece Public House and continue round the back, passing the beer garden to your left to pick up a small public footpath which skirts the rear of houses past some residential garages. Follow this round and turn right onto Thursley Rd. After 300 m you will reach a small green in front of the church. Turn right here into Westbrook Mill and follow the lane as it winds downhill, past cottages and through woodland. The lane curves left and opens out, passing the buildings of Westbrook Farm to your right. Continue on this lane for 350 m to a small, unmade car park at the end of the lane. Bearing right, pass directly through the car park into Upper Hankley Common.

7. Upper Hankley Common to Tilford Road (2.4 km)
Continue on the main track as it enters Hankley Common, with woodland either side. After 800 m, the trees thin out and heathland begins to dominate. You will pass the sign and driveway to Upper Hankley Cottage on your right. Continue straight, bearing slightly right as the track splits. The track dips then begins to rise gradually, with pine trees either side and the river snaking below you to the right in a steep gorge. After a further 800 m of broad, sandy forest track you will reach a junction of paths at the bottom a small bank. Follow the signpost round to the right towards Stockbridge Pond and onto an unmade gravel lane. Continue straight – passing the pond on your left – for 600 m until you reach Tilford Rd.

8. Tilford Road to Pierrepont Farm Ford (2.2 km)
Cross directly over Tilford Rd to join Tilford Common Rd – an unmade, gravel lane which runs between woodland, with paddocks and fields either side. This lane is extremely flinty and rutted and unsuitable for anything but the most hard core off-road vehicle, so you won’t need to worry about cars. After 1.6 km you will ford a small stream. There is a short section of planks and boardwalks to pick your way across. After 300 m, take the right hand footpath towards the River Wey and the Pierrepont bridge and ford.

9. Pierrepont Farm Ford to Tilfordmill Bridge (3 km)
Pass over the wooden footbridge and follow the track as it bears right after 150 m, to the rear of Farnham Brewery Co. Don’t be tempted by a pint and pizza – this is just the half way point of the run! Follow this track over the heathland of Tankersford Common as it arcs and becomes a gravel lane to join The Reeds Rd after 1.5 km. Cross directly over and rejoin the footpath, marked with a fingerpost. This path takes you round the fringes of Farnham Heath Nature reserve, with its small hillocks and pine trees. After 800 m you will emerge onto Tilford Rd. Cross directly into Sheephatch Ln and continue as it gradually descends for 500 m to reach the narrow, rustic Tilfordmill Bridge.

10. Tilfordmill Bridge to Whitmead Lane (2 km)
Cross the bridge and after 30 m, take the single track footpath on the right up a steep bank into the trees. Continue through the woods for 500 m until you join an unmade lane past a cluster of cottages and barns to your left. Continue on the narrow lane for a further 500 m, passing properties on your left until it ascends through trees and curves sharply left before joining Tilford St. Turn right on the pavement at Tilford St and continue for 400 m, passing Hazelbank Nursery to your left. At the apex of a sharp bend, take a left turn into the narrow lane which branches off from the main road just before the black and white chevron sign. This lane turns into a footpath after 200 m. Continue on the track for 500 m to join Whitmead Ln.

11. Whitmead Lane to The Donkey (1.6 km)
Turn right into Whitmead Ln and continue for 300 m until you reach a 180° switchback in the road, by a half timbered house set behind gates. Take the wide bridleway to the left, which will take you through woodland, with a steep knoll to your left, for 1 km to reach a crossroad of unmade lanes. Take the forking right hand turn here, which drops you down past The Donkey PH (currently closed at time of writing). Follow the rise for 100 m and you will emerge onto Farnham Rd at Charleshill.

12. The Donkey to Seale Road (1.5 km)
Cross Farnham Rd directly to pick up the bridleway opposite. This is a broad, unmade lane with large mixed trees on either side. Continue for 800m as it winds and gradually ascends, past several large stone-built period properties to reach Crooksbury Common. Pass through the hedge and tree line that demarcates it and turn 90° right to pick up the broad sandy track on the edge of the common. Follow the track for 600 m then bear right at the t-junction of tracks to proceed into the small car park. Pass through the car park, taking the right hand fork onto a small footpath after 50 m. After a further 50 m you will emerge into Seale Rd.

13. Seale Road to Lower Puttenham Common (1.25 km)
Cross Seale Rd directly into Britty Wood, marked by a Hampton Estate sign. Bear slightly left and head directly up the sloping track with the new, fenced plantation to your right. Continue on this track directly for 700 m as it gradually climbs then descends to a junction of broad tracks among the pine trees. Proceed straight ahead for another 200 m to reach Britty Wood Car Park. Turn right and pass through the wooden gate at the end of the car park to pick up a track with deciduous woodland to your right and the more open common to your left. After 300 m take a sharp left turn through the ferns into a narrow, unmarked sandy single track onto Lower Puttenham Common.

14. Lower Puttenham Common to Littleworth Road (1 km)
Follow this track as it broadens out through the heather, with sparse birch and pine trees dotted about. This gradually turns into a vehicle access track and you will emerge by forestry works and a timber pile at Suffield Ln. Cross directly over to rejoin a narrow, winding footpath through ferns and birch trees. After 500 m you will emerge onto Littleworth Rd/Lombard St, with some barn style garages directly opposite.

15. Littleworth Road to Lombard Street (1.7 km)
Turn right on the Littleworth Rd/Lombard St, following the bend in the road towards the hamlet of Gatwick. After 150 m, take the left hand turn – marked with a fingerpost – into the driveway of “Gatwick Bridge” cottage and join a narrow public footpath to the rear. Continue through the trees for 200 m and then bear left onto the broad, sandy bridleway as it ascends through woodland and paddocks. After 700 m of gradual uphill you will arrive at a t-junction of tracks. Ignore the left turn and continue straight for 20 m then take a hard right turn into a small unmarked pathway into the trees. After 100 m, just before you reach the edge of the field, take a 90° turn and follow the single track as it ascends through the undergrowth. After 200 m, take the right hand, dog-leg turn at the t- junction of paths and follow this wider track as it curves down through the woods and spills out into Lombard St.

16. Lombard Street to Elstead Road (1.6 km)
Turn right and cross Lombard St, following the curve of the lane. Take the third left hand turn (after 100 m) onto a gravel lane marked with a metal fingerpost. Continue on the twisting track for 400 m, crossing over a small brook until you reach the lodge house. Take a 90° left hand turn here to continue on the bridleway through a canopy of trees. After 350 m the track bears sharp right and narrows. Follow this track as it rises past a corn field to your left and the woods to your right. After 350 m you will emerge on to Peper Harow Lane. Continue straight over to rejoin the path through woodland. This opens out into a broad, grassy avenue with trees either side. After 350 m, you will emerge onto Elstead Rd.

17. Elstead Road to Lower Eashing (1.25 km)
Cross Elstead Rd to rejoin the bridleway directly opposite. This gradually descends for 500 m until you reach a metal gate at the end of the trees. Pass through the gate and follow the track left to skirt the perimeter of a large field which descends gradually towards the A3. At the bottom of the field, turn left to pass through another farm gate and continue over the A3 footbridge onto Lower Eashing Ln, opposite the petrol station. Turn left and left again into Greenways Ln after 60 m.

18. Lower Eashing to Hurtmore Bottom (1.3 km)
Follow the lane, passing Greenways Riding School on your right and continue on the paved lane for 400 m. Pass through the five barred gate by a WW2 Pillbox and continue on the footpath, with paddocks to the right and woods on your left. The woods gradually become thicker as the sandy track weaves and twists. After 800 m you will arrive at the crossroad of paths at Hurtmore Bottom that you crossed earlier (see section 2).

19. Hurtmore Bottom back to start (2.5 km)
Take the right hand turn to join the surfaced lane and then pass through a wooden gate to pick up the footpath back through Milton Wood towards Godalming. From here, simply retrace your steps back to the River Wey and return to Godalming Railway Station.