Trail Run: Godalming to Hascombe and Hydon’s Ball

1. Godalming to Munstead Heath Rd (4 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, cross straight ahead to enter Phillips Memorial Park. Continue by the riverside until the park runs out and cross Bridge Road, turning left onto the bridge. Just after the bridge turn right to join the Wey Navigation Towpath behind Godalming United Church. Follow the canal towpath for 1 km to the bridge at Cattleshall Lock. Exit here and turn right, following the double bend in the road then taking a dog leg left to cut through onto Cattleshall Lane. Turn left and after 100 m take the right hand turn at the black and white half-timbered cottage. The lane runs out and turns into a sandy footpath after 400 m. Continue for 1.5 km on this path as it steadily ascends to meet Munstead Heath Road.

2. Munstead Heath Road to Thorncombe Street (2.2 km)
Continue straight across the road into the wooded public footpath, with a residential property set behind a hedge and fence to your left. Continue straight through the woods until you reach Alldens Lane. Turn left onto the lane and after 100 m, go through the iron kissing gate on the right into Longfield Copse. Follow the wooded trail downhill, emerging into an open field. Keeping right, skirt the edge of the field and follow it round at a right angle to cross through the farm gate. Continue straight on the access path, with the woods on your right, until you emerge onto the lane at the bottom of Alldens Hill. Turn right and immediately left at the T-junction with Thorncombe Street.

3. Thorncombe Street to Gate Street Farm (1.9 km)
After 100 m. Take a sharp right up the gravel footpath by Baggetts cottage. This tails off into a steep single track up through an ancient hedgerow and gorse bushes to emerge on a small hilltop, with a sheep field to the left and rolling views of the surrounding countryside. Continue on the footpath and follow it through the copse, where you will cross a wooden stile into a sheep field. Here, the path is fenced either side to protect livestock. Continue downhill to a four way junction of paths at the bottom and take the sharp right hand path to join the Greensand Way. It is narrow and framed with thick hedges, with fields either side. Continue for 600 m until you reach Gate Street Farm on your left.

4. Gate Street Farm to Hascombe (3.2 km)
Take the right hand turn – directly opposite the large wooden barn and livery yard at Gate Street Farm – and cross the cattle grid to continue on the Greensand Way. You will pass pig enclosures on your left hand side. Follow the track on the edge of the trees and continue across the meadow until you reach a woodland area. The path is fairly obvious here – follow it through the woods until you emerge opposite Scotsland Farm, then bear right and left as it dog-legs into more woodland at Juniper Hill. Follow the main trail through the trees, keeping right until you drop down into Church Road, Hascombe. Continue running downhill, passing through a five barred gate, with cottages to your right and pastures either side of the road. Continue on the winding lane for 500 m, passing the duck pond, church and period cottages until you reach the end of Church Road at the White Horse pub.

5. Hascombe to Hydon’s Ball (3 km)
Cross the main road and pass through the unmade parking area opposite the pub and you will see a fingerpost to rejoin the Greensand way. Follow the trail across a meadow and then a sheep field until the track ascends steeply into Hurtwood Copse. At the top of the rise take a sharp right and then left to follow firebreaks and tracks in the plantations until you emerge onto Markwick Lane. Turn right onto the lane, then a left to join the public right of way at Little Burgate Farm. Pass through the five barred gate and continue up the sandy track through a clump of trees. After another 200 m, take the right hand track with fields either side. You will see Hydon’s Ball rising directly ahead. At the T-junction of paths, take a right and a hard left after 100 m to join the steep track up to Hydon’s Ball viewpoint and Octavia Hill seat.

6. Hydon’s Ball to Hambledon Road (2 km)
Pass directly over the top of Hydon’s Ball and bear left past the underground reservoir to descend the hill until you reach a T-junction of paths in the woods. Turn right and continue for approximately 1 km until you emerge onto Salt Lane. Turn right then immediately left to continue the footpath on a gravel lane with private houses either side. Towards the end of the lane, bear left, following the public footpath signs to pass through a grassy plot with a pig enclosure. Follow the signpost to continue into a narrow wooded footpath which skirts the boundary of a dressage school on your left. Follow the track until you emerge onto an unmade road with a large, gated house to your left. After 150 m this joins Hambledon Road.

7. Hambledon Road to Godalming (3.7 km)
Cross the road and continue directly into the public right of way at Clock Barn Farm. The footpath passes between the wedding venue and stables before descending into woodland at Busbridge Lakes. After 750 m turn right at the T-junction of paths and follow the track up the hill into Quartermile Road. From this point, the final 2 km are on pavement. Turn right then immediately left into Busbridge Lane. At the crossroads, take the footpath diagonally opposite, which cuts over Crownpits Lane into Grosvenor Road. Follow this all the way, crossing the recreation ground and winding steeply down, bearing right to Flambard Way. Cross the road into Queen Street and follow Godalming High Street back towards the starting point.