Dockenfield Circular Walk

Leave the pub car park via the vehicle entrance and turn left along the lane. Keep ahead as the lane narrows to become a tarmac track, passing a "No Through Road" road sign on your left. About 60 metres later, you will see a fingerpost on your right. Turn right here to join the signed public footpath leading downhill into woodland. At the bottom of the slope, keep ahead onto the tarmac lane, passing a large brick property (called Rose Cottage) on your right. Immediately after Rose Cottage, stay with the main lane which turns right, continuing downhill. After just a short distance (where the first stretch of hedge on your right ends), turn right to join a stone track (signed as a public footpath). Follow this path as its narrows to continue between trees and fences. At the T-junction in the path, turn left and follow the narrow path climbing to reach a junction with the village road, Dockenfield Street.

Turn right along the street, taking care of any traffic. Immediately after the last house on the left, turn left to join the signed public footpath. Follow this grass path leading you uphill between hedgerows then fences. Eventually you will pass an old concrete barrier to reach a T-junction with another path. Turn right along the path and, as you emerge to a property's driveway, keep ahead along this to reach a junction with the road, High Thicket Road. Directly ahead of you is the start of Alice Holt Forest, a Forestry Commission woodland within Hampshire that was once part of the Royal hunting forest, Woolmer Forest. Dockenfield was formerly part of Woolmer Forest in Hampshire but was transferred to Surrey in 1895. NOTE: The next stretch of the walk follows the edge of this road, so take care of traffic. Turn left along the road and, after 300 metres (at the end of the second field on your left), turn left through a kissing gate. Follow the enclosed path with Abbots Wood on your right.

The path leads you through Abbots Wood, a pretty stretch of woodland which has a beautiful display of bluebells in the late spring. For many years hops were grown in this area and the hops were dried in local oast houses using charcoal produced from these areas of coppiced woodlands. We will see an example of a former oast house later on the walk. Pass through the metal kissing gate and continue straight ahead on the woodland path (which can be boggy or waterlogged in part). At the far side of the woodland, a metal kissing gate leads you into a grass field. Walk straight ahead (downhill) and exit via the stile (with dog gate) to reach the road, Old Lane. Turn left along the lane, taking care of traffic and enjoying the far-reaching views of the hills ahead. Continue for just 220 metres (the length of one field on your left) to reach a stile (with dog gate) alongside a metal gate on your left. Turn left across this stile to enter a pasture (which may be holding livestock).

Walk directly ahead along the left-hand edge of the pasture and pass through the wide gateway (with disused stile) to continue along the left-hand edge of a second section of pasture. In the field corner, cross the stile (with dog gate) and continue ahead on the enclosed grass track to reach a metal kissing gate. Take the kissing gate to enter a large hillside pasture (this field is likely to be holding sheep, even if you cannot see them yet) and walk straight ahead, staying close to the hedgerow on your right. At the far side, pass through the wide gateway and continue along the right-hand edge of this second sheep pasture. In the field corner, follow the path through a ditch (take care) and over a stile (with dog gate) to enter a section of woodland. Keep ahead on the pretty woodland path, ignoring a footpath signed to the right part way along. At the end of the woodland you will emerge to a small playing field. Cross this diagonally left to reach a T-junction with the main road. Our route continues to the right shortly, but first we take a small detour to visit some points of interest. Turn left along the grass verge and almost immediately you will see the Dockenfield village sign, an elaborate sculptural plaque. Notice the reference to Noel Coward's song, A Room with A View. Coward's mother lived in Dockenfield and a house in the same road is thought to have been the inspiration for this song. It is also said that Coward wrote his famous play Hayfever whilst staying with his mother in Dockenfield. Continue a few paces ahead to the bus stop and if you look to your right you will see the roof of one of the old village oast houses, now converted to a private home. Beyond the bus stop you will come to the Church of the Good Shepherd on your left. Notice the bell mounted on the wall of church, rather than being within a tower or steeple. The church was built in 1910 using local bargate stone, galletted with brick dressing. Galletting, the studding of mortar with ironstone, is a characteristic local style and is both decorative and practical. The sandstone is difficult to shape accurately to give close joints and the studding prevents the mortar being removed by birds and weathering.

When you have finished at the church, retrace your steps back along the lane, passing the bus stop on your right and the oast house on your left. Just before you reach the road chicane, turn left into the side lane, Bealeswood Lane. Follow this pretty lane down through the dip and starting to climb. Just after the lane bends left, you will see a fingerpost on your right and at this point you have two choices. For the shortest route back to The Bluebell, simply stay with the lane as it bends left, and this lane and then a bridleway track ahead will lead you directly back to the pub. For the full route, turn right on this bend (signed as a public bridleway) and follow the grass path past a house and hedge on your left. Immediately after the hedge, turn left over a stile (with fence gap for dogs) to enter a large grass field. With your back to the stile, walk uphill at about 11 o'clock to exit via another stile (with fence gap) into woodland. Follow the woodland path leading you quite steeply uphill. At the top of the slope you will reach a junction with a vehicle track. Cross over and go straight ahead through the next short stretch of woodland, emerging to a path crossroads (with a waymarker post). Turn left and follow the level path through this pretty stretch of woodland. Follow this path ahead to the far end of the wood (ignoring a footpath signed to the right part way along). At the far end, turn left across a stile (with fence gap) and follow the enclosed path, with horse paddocks on your left and a property on your right. At the end of this path, dog leg right (over a sleeper bridge) and then left to join a stone vehicle track. You will reach a junction with the road. Turn left and immediately left again, and you will reach The Bluebell on your left for some well-earned refreshments.