Ewhurst Circular

Ewhurst Circular is a 4.3 mile loop trail located near Cranleigh, Surrey, England that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, running, and nature trips.

Length4.3 miElevation gain767 ftRoute typeLoop

Description

Waypoints (7)

Getting There

A circular walk from the village of Ewhurst in Surrey. The walk explores the beautiful local countryside, with stunning areas of mixed woodlands, rolling meadows, pretty streams and picturesque cottages and farms along the way. In the spring you will enjoy dazzling displays of bluebells and, on the return leg, there is a perfectly-framed view of Pitch Hill within the Surrey Hills. This walk is published through a collaboration with the Surrey County Council. The walk includes several steady climbs and descents throughout and follows a mixture of paths and tracks through woodlands, meadows and farmland. Some stretches can be very muddy (and slippery) after periods of rain and in winter, so good boots are required (or wellies with grips at the wettest times). A few paths are quite narrow and so can be a little overgrown in summer. There are a couple of short stretches along quiet lanes, so take care of traffic at these points. You will need to negotiate some gates and staggered barriers plus 16 stiles. There are medium-large size fence gaps or dog flaps alongside all but one stile (our standard poodle only needed a hand to climb this one stile). Remember, this number of stiles will make the walk slower and more tiring. Whilst most of the paths are fenced away from livestock (with wooden or electric fencing), you will cross a couple of paddocks that are likely to be holding horses. Allow 2.5 hours. If you are looking for refreshments, The Bulls Head public house is conveniently located at the start and end of the walk. Ordnance Survey Maps: Explorer 145 Guildford and Farnham and Explorer OL34 Crawley and Horsham. This walk follows public footpaths and bridleways which cross private and public land. Information is included for your interest, but please respect people's privacy, keep dogs under control and remember the Countryside Code.

Start to Mapledrakes Road

Standing on the pavement outside The Bulls Head and facing the village green opposite, turn left along the pavement, heading south through the village. Cross over the first side road, Downhurst Road, and continue to the next side road, The Glebe. Turn left into The Glebe and immediately cross over this side road to fork right into the entrance drive for The Old Rectory. As you reach the zebra crossing painted within this driveway, dog-leg left then right to join the enclosed footpath (marked with a yellow arrow) with a garden fence running on your left. Stay with this enclosed footpath zig-zagging ahead and you will emerge via a staggered barrier into Rectory Close. Turn right (uphill), heading towards the house at the end of this close, Number 5 called The Hollies (do not worry that you appear to be heading for a dead end!). Pass between the two trees at the start of the house driveway and immediately fork left to joint the tarmac path, with a hedgerow on your left (and passing The Hollies house on your right). Pass alongside an old gate to reach a junction with a driveway, turn left along this and you will reach a junction with a residential road, Mapledrakes Road.

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Mapledrakes Road to Plough Lane

Cross over and go straight ahead to follow the next stretch of enclosed public footpath. You will come to a staggered T-junction with another footpath. Turn left and follow this pretty tree-lined path ahead. Ignore the first footpath turn on your left, instead keep ahead on the main path through the woodland. The woodland verges each side host a lovely display of bluebells in the late spring. You will come to a fork, with a footbridge visible on the left-hand branch. Do NOT take the bridge, instead take the right-hand path branch which continues through the woodland with a large stream, known as Cobbler's Brook, running on your left. You will come to a footbridge ahead. Cross this (and the stile at the far side) and keep ahead on the footpath, with a woodland on your right and an open grass meadow with young trees on your left. (NOTE: A fenced section of this meadow is used for grazing sheep). When the woodland on your right ends, continue ahead to cross the remainder of the meadow, heading for the far bottom corner. In this corner, cross the two stiles in quick succession to reach the corner of the next grass paddock. Go ahead, staying alongside the field boundary on your right as it swings right. At the far end, cross the stile and you will emerge out to the road, Plough Lane.

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Plough Lane to Slythehurst

Turn right to follow Plough Lane, taking care of any occasional traffic. Follow this lane, passing a long row of properties on your left. Just before you reach the T-junction at the end of the road, you will draw level with the final property on your left, The Fields Cottage. Turn right at this point, onto the unmarked grass path, staying close to the hedgerow on your right. You will come to the tarmac access drive for Upper House. Turn left along this drive, leading you out to the road in Ewhurst Green. Cross over with care and go straight ahead on the tarmac drive for Old House, signed as a public footpath. Follow the tarmac drive, between laurel hedges. As the drive swings left, do NOT turn right through the hedge onto the signed footpath, instead stay on the drive to reach a cattle grid. Do NOT go ahead alongside the cattle grid, instead turn right immediately before the grid, passing alongside a metal vehicle gate. Follow the grass track with a woodland on your right and a fenced pasture on your left. Ignore the two footpaths marked to the sides, instead keep ahead on the grass track. The track leads you to the start of the horse facilities at Slythehurst.

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Slythehurst to Bookhurst Road

Do NOT go through the wooden vehicle gateway ahead (this is private property), instead turn right immediately beforehand through the small wooden gate marked with a yellow arrow. Follow this path, with a fenced paddock on your right and a hedgerow on your left, soon emerging via another gate to a junction of tarmac driveways. Go straight ahead to follow the side drive, with a conifer hedge running on your left. Just a short way along (and just before the drive bends left), turn right through the wooden gate (with yellow arrow) to enter a narrow horse paddock. Go ahead across this paddock and exit via the footbridge with two stiles (the second of these stiles is enclosed with wire, so dogs may need a lift). Keep ahead on the path between fenced horse and sheep pastures. At the far end, cross the stile ahead (there is a lifting flap in the wire mesh for dogs) to reach a farm track. Go straight ahead over the stile (with mesh dog flap) to join the next section of enclosed path. NOTE: There was a ram (male sheep) loose on this section of path when we walked & after consulting the farmer we understand this is a common occurrence, he regularly strays onto the path but soon moves back into his adjacent field when approached! Cross the next stile (with mesh dog flap) and go ahead on the narrow (and sometimes overgrown) path, winding ahead through the pretty woodland. The path widens to become a grass track, leading you through Lower Canfold Wood. When you come to a fork in the path, take the right-hand branch and at the end of this woodland path you will reach a T-junction with a tarmac access drive. Turn right and follow the drive up to the junction with the road, Bookhurst Road.

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Bookhurst Road to Lemans Farm

Turn left along the pavement and follow this, leading you into the outskirts of Cranleigh. Just before you reach the mini-roundabout, cross over the road to join the shared cycle and pedestrian walkway (now with the road running to your left). Pass between the wooden bollards at the end of this short stretch of cycle and pedestrian path, pass a metal vehicle barrier on your right and, immediately afterwards, turn right onto the signed public bridleway. Follow the bridleway leading you along the edge of the woodland (this path can be churned and muddy at times). Across to your right is the main expanse of Upper Canfold Wood, which also has lovely bluebell displays in the late spring. With such a dense population of bluebells, there is also a beautiful scent throughout the woodland when they are in flower. After about 1km, you will reach a crossroads of paths, with a waymarker post. At this point we leave the public bridleway, so turn right onto the public footpath (marked with a yellow arrow). Follow the path leading you steadily uphill and, as you emerge from the trees, you will reach a junction with the entrance drive for Lemans Farm.

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Lemans Farm to Coneyhurst Gill

Go straight ahead, crossing a stile to join an enclosed stretch of footpath. Cross the next stile ahead to enter the corner of a grass pasture. Walk straight ahead on the footpath, probably lined with electric fencing. At the far side, cross the stile to reach a junction with another farm access drive. Go ahead and cross the stile to enter a horse paddock. Go straight ahead to cross the paddock, exiting via a stile at the far side. Follow the enclosed stretch of footpath and cross a stile to enter a large grass meadow. Look to your left here and you will have a beautifully framed view of Pitch Hill within the Surrey Hills. Cross the meadow on the path at about 11 o'clock. Pass just to the left of some trees which jut into the field and then bear slightly right to reach the stile on the far boundary. Cross this stile to enter the woodland and follow the path leading you downhill to reach a wooden footbridge over a stream, Coneyhurst Gill.

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Coneyhurst Gill to End

Cross the footbridge and continue on the woodland path which leads you to a T-junction, with a Sayers Croft Nature Reserve information board ahead. Turn left at this junction, following the footpath leading you gently uphill through the woodland. You will emerge to a T-junction with a quiet access lane. Turn right to join this lane and follow it, leading you out of the nature reserve and passing a number of properties on your right. Continue all the way to the end of the lane and you will emerge directly alongside the green, where the walk began.

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Ewhurst is located about 2 miles east of Cranleigh, and about 8 miles south-east of Guildford. The walk starts and finishes at the village green, directly opposite The Bulls Head. If you are coming by public transport, there are bus stops directly alongside the pub. For help with planning your journey by public transport please visit http://journeys.travelsmartsurrey.info. If you are coming by car, there is some roadside parking directly alongside the green or the pub has its own car park if you are intending to take refreshments after your walk. (If the village green parking is full, you could use the village hall car park instead ' turn right at the mini-roundabout into Ockley Road and, as you reach the village club on your right, turn left through the gateway to enter the village hall car park). Approximate post code GU6 7PB.

Weather

UV Index

Daylight

Reviews (12)

Photos (15)

Recordings (8)

Completed (34)

justin brewster

September 27, 2020

Hiking

Nice short walk - pub at the beginning is closed at the moment unfortunately

View justin's Recording

Kevin Whaley

October 10, 2019

Hiking

Nice walk through Ewhurst, was a bit muddy walking in October, but too be expected this time of year. I enjoyed walking through the fields with horses either side some friendly ones said hello *NEIGH*

View Kevin's Recording

Chris Britton

March 17, 2019

A lovely walk around the outbacks of Ewhurst crossing many streams, pleasant woodland, not too hilly but very muddy in places essential to have a good pair of walking boots also a nice pub at the end with great food served

carolinel carolinel

November 25, 2018

Completed the walk in Nov so expected muddy tracks and wore boots. Lovely woodland scenes. Mainly flat walking but a few stiles. Directions good and walk as described. Thanks. It took us 2.5 hours with a a short refreshment stop.

nancy nancy

June 8, 2018

Really enjoyed this walk until we arrived at the muddy swampy part. Lots to see and some lovely views too. Spent the last couple of miles being attacked constantly by horse flies which couldnâ��t be helped. Thanks for posting this walk!