A chance to meander the myriad of footpaths which criss-cross the Bourne valley and to graze the edge of the Bourne Woods and Bourne Green. There are quite a few ups and downs but the majority of this walk is surprisingly off road.

Distance

3 miles

Difficulty

Moderate

How long to allow

1.5 hours

Starting point

St Thomas on the Bourne

Parking

Yes

Wheelchair/pushchair accessible

No

Suitable for dogs

Yes

Clothing

The paths can be muddy after wet weather and there are tree roots to navigate

Description of walk contributed by Lizzie Spruce

Please follow the Countryside Code to get the most out of your walk.

Start at St Thomas on the Bourne Church.

Walk through from the main entrance past the Garden of Rememrance with the church on your right until you exit on to Swingate Lane.

Turn right until the end of the road. Just past Greenhill Road on the left there is a footpath which runs adjacent to this road. Turn left into this footpath (by the letterbox).

Follow this path until you reach a signed footpath to your left called ‘Stan Cockett’s Path’. Take this path, which is named after the founder of the Bourne Conservation Group, as it wends through Paradise Wood. Under Stan’s auspices, the wood was transformed from being somewhere which had been heavily invaded by laurel and rhododendron to a lovely woodland habitat which provides a valuable wildlife habitat.

Carry on past the bench erected in his memory until you reach the end of the path into a T junction with a unmade road. Turn right up the hill and pass Greentubs house on your left.

Take the footpath immediately to the left of Greentubs and follow this path as it wends its way down to Bourne Grove. Cross over a footbridge to reach the road and turn right and follow this quiet lane past The Spotted Cow. This is a lovely place to stop for a drink and a break when weather and rules permit.

Carry on down Bourne Grove until you reach a T juntion by a post box. Avoid Vicarage Lane on the right and also avoid the footpath straight ahead. Instead turn left and head up past Bourne Grove Drive and follow this path until you meet Lodge Hill Road.

Cross the road and then turn immediately left past a house called Sweet Croft and up a named footpath called ‘Old Man’s Hill’. This is allegedly so named because it is shaped like a crooked back. However I believe that the true reason is that if you walk up it in the opposite direction it’s so horribly steep that you feel like an old man at the end of it whatever your age and sex! Thankfully we are walking down the steep side.

At the bottom of the path turn left and follow this footpath as it meets the unmade Dene Lane. Cross this road and head straight up the footpath next to the litter bin and into the Bourne Woods. At the top of this path turn sharply right onto a sandy path and follow this path as it bends right and then left. Do not be tempted by paths off to the left.

After the path has run downhill and then bent to the left (avoid Marjories path on the right) it is time to leave the path and to turn sharp right down some steps in a fenced area. This is part of Sable Wood which is owned by Bruce and Nanas Callendar who have nurtured this corner of the Bourne Woods and have helped to restore it, improve its biodiversity and have performed wonders during the last decade. There are signs on the fence detailing the changes during their ownership.

Once you reach the bottom of the steps follow the path through the trees until you reach Dene Lane. Cross out of the woods and turn left into Dene Lane. Avoid Dene Lane West and carry on straight into Dene Lane. Walk up the unmade road and past the Bourne Green. Turn right immediately by St Martin’s up a footpath which leads you to Lodge Hill Close. Turn left at the end here until you reach the main road.

Cross Lodge Hill Road into School Lane. Go straight ahead for about 50 metres and then when School Lane bends sharply to the left, you carry on straight ahead into Deepdene. Follow this unmade road and avoid the first footpath on the right instead carry on and cross the footbridge.

Follow the path which takes you left past a bungalow. When you reach a footpath on the left by a footbridge – take this left and cross the bridge and then over a second footbridge into Sturt Walk. This leads you to the main Frensham Road. You pass the Bourne Bore Hole on the right. This is drilled to a depth of 134 metres to supply drinking water to Farnham.

Once you reach the Frensham Road – cross over and then turn left and take the footpath immediately on your right by the stream. Follow this path for about 15 metres and then take the named footpath ‘The Pieces’ which will lead you twistingly up to Middle Bourne Lane.

Once you reach the road turn left and then immediately right to pick up part 2 of ‘The Pieces’ which will lead up to Vicarage Lane. You are ‘spat out’ by the footpath immediately opposite Langhams Recreation Ground. Walk through this lovely green space until you reach the Ridgway Road.

Turn right and follow the road past the shops. Cross Edward Road and keep on Ridgway Road. On the other side of this road near the traffic lights at the junction with Frensham Road is one of Farnham’s hidden places of calm. This is the Batting Garden of rest. This house-plot-sized garden was donated to the town by Walter Batting, a local businessman and gentleman hop grower in 1933. It’s a plain and simple space with a bench which is a nice spot for a coffee.

Cross back over to where we were on Ridgway Road and at the traffic lights by Pear Tree Interiors cross the road. Turn right down the Frensham Road and St Thomas on the Bourne which is where we began is about 150 metres on the left.

Disclaimer

There are many variables including, but not limited to, weather, fitness level, terrain features and outdoor experience that must be considered prior to walking any of these routes. Be prepared for your journey and be sure to check the current weather and conditions before heading outdoors. Always exercise common sense and caution. Farnham Town Council  are not responsible for the safety or well-being of any one who chooses to follow these routes.

These walks have been provided by keen local walkers and walking groups. While every effort is taken to ensure that the routes shared are correct, we can in no way guarantee the routes to be 100% free of errors.