The Red Lion, Horsell Common and Mimbridge Meadows Walk

Begin the walk by standing on the pavement in front of the Red Lion, facing the road. Turn right and follow the pavement passing the war memorial on your right. Just a few metres later, turn right into the entrance lane for Horsell village hall. Pass to the left of the village hall and keep directly ahead on the narrow tarmac footpath. The path swings right and then left, leading you out to the end of a residential road, Hill Close. Join the right-hand pavement and walk ahead to reach the T-junction at the end. Cross over, turn right along the pavement and then take the first left into Hammond Road. As the road begins to swing left, turn right into Grobars Avenue. At the turning circle at the end of this road, take the tarmac footpath at about 11 o'clock and you will emerge to a junction with South Road. Turn left along the pavement for just five paces then cross over with care to take the narrow path leading you into woodland.

Follow the path winding between the trees and holly and at a small T-junction turn right. You will reach a crossroads, turn left here heading towards a house and lamppost. As soon as you draw level with this first house, turn right to join the path heading north through the woodland. The woodland paths can get very muddy and, in fact, the name Horsell probably comes from the Saxon term 'horig scylf' meaning muddy slope, so you have been warned! Keep left at the fork and follow this path out to a junction with the road, Littlewick Road, alongside Viggory Ditch on your left. Cross over the road with care, turn left along the far verge and a few paces along turn right onto the woodland path. Pass through a kissing gate to enter Horsell Common and then take the path at 10 o'clock. At a junction with a wider path, turn right and follow this wider path as it swings steadily left. As you reach the belt of conifers, walk directly ahead through these tree to reach a dense hedgerow of holly in front of you. Turn right and follow the path with the hedge running on your left. At the fork, take the left-hand branch and follow this bridleway (which is often muddy) to reach a double gate. Pass through the two gates and walk ahead along the vehicle access track, crossing Viggory Ditch once again. About 50 metres later, look for a subtle path to your left which follows the line of Viggory Ditch running on your left. (NOTE: You may need to pick your way through the first section of undergrowth to pick up the start of this path. If you cannot find it, or would prefer to avoid it, simply stay on the access track to the end, turn left along Horsell Common Road (taking care of traffic) to reach Chobham Road and then pick up the directions in the next section). If you have picked up the woodland path, follow it with the ditch running on your left. At a junction with a grass track, either go straight ahead (still following the ditch) to reach Chobham Road or turn right and follow the track out to reach the junction between Horsell Common Road and Chobham Road.

Turn left along the grass verge path with Chobham Road running on your right. A pavement begins just as you reach the river crossing. At this point, cross over Chobham Road with extreme care and then take the kissing gate on your right, immediately after the bridge. This gate leads you into Mimbridge Meadows. Walk straight ahead following the line of the river, The Bourne, on your right. Ignore the first footbridge on your right, instead continue ahead on the grass path with the river still on your right. Eventually you will come to a second bridge across the river. Turn right to cross this and then turn immediately left to continue with the river now running on your left. Some way along, you are forced to turn left over a boardwalk across the river to enter Bourne Fields.

Walk directly ahead, following the line of the ditch running directly on your right (and the river running over to your left). The path bears right, leading you through a pinch point between the ditch and river. Go ahead across the earth bridge over the stream and then keep to the left-hand side of this next stretch of meadow. Continue just until you reach a tree line across this meadow (in a line to your right). Immediately after this tree line turn sharp right, with the trees running on your right. Join the boardwalks across this boggy section of water meadow and keep ahead along these (ignoring the smaller branch to the right). The path bears right to reach the end of a track between horse paddocks. Go directly ahead on the grass track, with horse paddocks each side. As you draw level with a stable block on your right, you are forced to swing left to join the vehicle access track. Follow this track swinging round to meet a T-junction. Turn right and you will reach a second T-junction with the house called Seven Acres directly ahead.

Turn left and follow the vehicle track between hedgerows and then through woodland to reach a junction with the A3046, Chobham Road. Cross over, again taking particular care on this busy road, and walk directly ahead onto the path into woodland. This path soon narrows, leading you between a section of gorse bushes. Just after passing a handful of silver birch trees on your left (and before the path enters a very tall section of gorse) turn left on a narrow path leading you through the heather. You will come to a junction with Littlewick Road. Cross over the road and take the sleeper bridge directly ahead (marked with a yellow arrow). Follow the footpath that cuts through this section of common, Forge Common. You will come to a junction with South Road, with a vehicle access drive directly opposite.

Cross over South Road and walk into the vehicle track ahead for just five paces. Turn right to join a narrow woodland path, which begins by running parallel with South Road to your right. At the small crossroads go straight on and then turn right at the small T-junction. The path bears left, leading you out of the woodland, heading for a row of white houses. Turn right along the stone vehicle lane, passing alongside a vehicle barrier with the row of white houses on your left. At the end of the lane, keep ahead onto the tarmac path signed as a public footpath. Continue to the end of the path to reach a T-junction with a residential road. Turn left along the pavement and follow this past Woking High School on your left. Just beyond the school, go straight ahead into the private road, Ridgeway. Follow this steadily uphill. After passing the gates for St Andrew's School on your right (and just before the road bends left), go straight ahead onto the tarmac public footpath. At the crossroads in the path turn right. As you emerge to the road, keep ahead, passing a churchyard on your left. Just beyond the churchyard swap to the right-hand pavement. At the T-junction, turn right and you will come to the Red Lion on your right for some well-earned hospitality.