THE DOG AND DUCK HAREWOODS ESTATE TRAIL Moderate Terrain A 6 mile circular pub walk from the Dog and Duck in Outwood, Surrey. The Dog and Duck is a delightful pub where everyone is made welcome. From walkers to cyclists and children to dogs, you are guaranteed a warm welcome before or after your walk. The walking route explores the surrounding land, part of the National Trust s Harewoods Estate, taking in a mixture of beautiful woodlands and tranquil open fields and meadows. You will be rewarded with lovely views of the North Downs, an abundance of wildlife, a visit to a windmill and carpets of bluebells in the late spring. 6 Miles Circular 3 hours 180516 Getting there Outwood is a village in the Surrey weald, about 3 miles south of Nutfield and Bletchingley. The walk starts and finishes at The Dog and Duck which has its own large car park. Approximate post code RH1 5QU. Walk Sections Go 1 Start to Brickfield Road Leave the Dog and Duck car park via the vehicle exit and turn left along the grass verge, passing the pub on your left. Immediately after the pub, turn left onto the signed public footpath, crossing a sleeper bridge and passing through a kissing gate to reach the corner of a large meadow. Walk straight ahead (with the pub to your left), keep ahead through the gap in the trees and then continue in the same direction, with a hedgerow on your left and an open field to your right. Access Notes 1.The walk has several gentle climbs and descents throughout. 2.Some sections, particularly the woodland bridleways, can get very muddy so good boots are a must or wellingtons with grips in the wetter months. 3.You will need to negotiate some kissing gates, footbridges and 3 stiles (all of which have gaps alongside suitable for most dogs to pass through). 4.Whilst most of the fields are arable, you may be sharing a couple of fields with cattle and one with horses so take particular care with dogs. 5.There is one stretch of road walking on a quiet country lane so take care of traffic at this point. Get the ifootpath App for a smarter walking experience. Hundreds of walking guides in the palm of your hand with live maps that show your progress as you walk. Say goodbye to wrong turns! ifootpath.com The Dog and Duck Harewoods Estate Trail 1
At the end of this field you will come to a T-junction marked with a fingerpost. Turn left and follow the line of trees on your right. In the field corner, continue ahead on the obvious path which leads you over a small stream and becomes a stone path leading you out to a junction with the road, Brickfield Road. 1 2 Brickfield Road to Burstow Park Farm Continue ahead through the next gateway (or use the stile if this is locked). At the end of this field, go ahead through the kissing gate and over the arched concrete stream bridge to reach the gate into the next large pasture. Enter the pasture but do NOT take the obvious path at 11 o clock towards the kissing gate, instead walk at about 1 o clock on a path which leads you to a stile at the edge of Temple Wood. Cross over the road with care and walk straight ahead to join the public bridleway leading you into Outwood Common. Continue on this main bridleway, ignoring any smaller side paths. Pass a waymarker post with an NT yellow arrow and about 20 metres later you will come to a beautiful secluded pond on your right. There is a bench here should you wish to enjoy the wildlife, look out for the darting dragonflies and damselflies in the summer. When you are finished at the pond, continue along the main bridleway which leads you to a T-junction. Turn left and after 90 metres ignore the kissing gate on the right, instead stay with the bridleway track which dog-legs left and then right leaving the woodland and continuing with open fields on your left. Simply continue ahead on this bridleway as it becomes a grassy ride with the hedgerow still running on your right. 3 4 Temple Wood to Bransland Car Park At the end of the grassy ride you will emerge to the edge of a crop field. Walk ahead on the wide track which leads you through the centre of this and then one further crop field. Exit this second field via the gateway ahead to reach a fingerpost marking a junction of paths (with some of the red brick buildings of Burstow Park across to your left). Bear right (at about 2 o clock) to follow the main stone vehicle track (signed as a bridleway) for about 60 metres and then turn left onto the grass track (again signed as a bridleway) with a fence running on your right. Go straight ahead through the gate and follow this enclosed grass track as it leads you past the main farmhouse of Burstow Park Farm on your left. The farmhouse is Grade II listed and has medieval origins. 2 3 Burstow Park Farm to Temple Wood Pass through the next gate ahead and then take the metal kissing gate at about 11 o clock. Follow the obvious path (at about 11 o clock) across the pasture to reach a kissing gate at the far side. Go through this, walk ahead for a few paces and then turn left passing a small sunken pond on your left. Go through the gap in the hedgerow and turn immediately right to follow the grass path with a hedgerow and small stream running on your right. Cross the stile and follow the obvious path winding through this pretty belt of woodland, with tall elegant oak trees and a carpet of bluebells in the late spring. This is a permissive path which has been created through a partnership between the landowner and Defra. Towards the end of the woodland, the path swings left and then right leading you to a gate. Go through this to enter a large meadow. Walk straight ahead following the line of trees on your left (and you may have a line of temporary fencing on your right). At the far side, another stile leads you into the next section of woodland, Bransland Wood. A few paces in you will come to a three-way fork, take the left-hand branch (the path running closest to the edge of woodland on your left). This mixed woodland of silver birch, beech, oak and hazel has a particularly profuse population of bluebells. Continue through the woodland for 500 metres, staying on the left-hand path closest to the woodland edge, and you will emerge into the parking area for Bransland Wood. Alongside the parking area is a pond and bench which makes a great place to pause and enjoy the tranquil setting. The Dog and Duck Harewoods Estate Trail 2
4 5 Bransland Car Park to Salfords Stream Follow this grass track through a gateway and on to reach a T- junction with a stone vehicle track. Turn right for about 60 metres (to reach the fingerpost). Turn sharp left to join the signed public footpath, passing through a wooden kissing gate and following the right-hand edge of the farm pastures. The path leads you past a beautiful line of ancient oak trees on your left. Outwood Common and the surrounding area is renowned for its majestic ancient oaks, some of which are more than 200 years old. Go ahead through the gateway and continue straight ahead on the grass track through the centre of two crop fields to reach a crossroads of paths (marked with a fingerpost). The small bench which sits between two large oak trees is actually the remains of an old stile. It is worth taking a moment to glance behind at this point. The views across the valley and on to the slopes of the North Downs stretch for miles on a clear day. From the Bransland Car Park, take the main stone path (which starts immediately to the left of the noticeboard) leading you alongside a line of large redwood trees on your left. At the edge of the woodland a gate leads you into the corner of a crop field. Bear slightly right, following the grass track around the righthand edge of this field. About 50 metres before the far righthand field corner, stay with the grass track which forks left to cut across the field corner. Stay with this path which leads you through a gap in the tree belt and over Salford Stream. 6 7 Field Crossroads to Outwood Windmill 5 6 Salfords Stream to Field Crossroads Go straight on, following the line of hedgerow and oak trees running on your left. At the end of this long meadow, dog-leg left and then right to follow a path across the centre of this next meadow with the line of oak trees now running on your right. At the far side a metal kissing gate leads you back into Outwood Common. Keep ahead and join the tarmac access drive, passing a pair of cottages and then the National Trust Estate Office, on your right. Keep straight ahead on the obvious bridleway which leads you through the centre of a small section of meadow and then across three crop fields (heading for the brick buildings of Burstow Park). You will notice that each of these fields has generous grass margins, designed for nature conservation. In the spring, listen out for the distinctive song of skylarks as they hover above the fields sharing their beautiful vocal displays. The Harewoods estate was created by the Victorian London stockbroker, Alfred Howard Lloyd. Lloyd bought nearby Harewoods House in 1875 and over the the next 20 to 30 years he built a mini empire of more than 2,000 acres by buying neighbouring land and property. It is believed that he used the land mainly for hunting and the estate was donated to the National Trust in the 1950s. At the end of the third crop field, bear right along the field boundary for about 100 metres and then turn left through the metal gate to join the grass track. Follow the grass track past Burstow Park Farmhouse (this is the same path that you used on the outward leg and this time the farmhouse is on your right). Simply keep ahead along this access drive for 500 metres (passing by Windmill Garage and a couple of cottages on your right). At this point, where the drive bends left, keep straight ahead to join the path across the grass which leads you to the Outwood village sign. 7 8 Outwood Windmill to End At this point you will have a good view across to your left of Outwood Windmill, the shape of which is depicted on the village sign. Outwood Windmill dates from 1665 and, since it is still in working order, counts as the oldest working windmill in England. Standing with your back to the main road and windmill (with the village sign to your right), take the stone track at about 11 o clock, leading you directly past an Outwood Common National Trust sign). As you draw level with the noticeboard in the parking area, turn left and join the right-hand of the two grass paths which leads you between the two ponds and on to reach the post box on Millers Lane. The Dog and Duck Harewoods Estate Trail 3
Cross over to reach the far pavement and turn right along this. Ignore the first turning on the right and soon afterwards the pavement ends. Simply continue along the road edge, taking care of any traffic. Take particular care around the left-hand bend (passing the beautiful tile-clad property Wasp Well) and then turn right into the side road, Wasp Green Lane. Immediately after the Old Farmhouse on your left, turn left onto the signed public footpath, a narrow path leading you between tall hedgerows. Disclaimer This walking route was walked and checked at the time of writing. We have taken care to make sure all our walks are safe for walkers of a reasonable level of experience and fitness. However, like all outdoor activities, walking carries a degree of risk and we accept no responsibility for any loss or damage to personal effects, personal accident, injury or public liability whilst following this walk. We cannot be held for responsible for any inaccuracies that result from changes to the routes that occur over time. Please let us know of any changes to the routes so that we can correct the information. Walking Safety For your safety and comfort we recommend that you take the following with you on your walk: bottled water, snacks, a waterproof jacket, waterproof/sturdy boots, a woolly hat and fleece (in winter and cold weather), a fully-charged mobile phone, a whistle, a compass and an Ordnance Survey map of the area. Check the weather forecast before you leave, carry appropriate clothing and do not set out in fog or mist as these conditions can seriously affect your ability to navigate the route. Take particular care on cliff/ mountain paths where steep drops can present a particular hazard. Some routes include sections along roads take care to avoid any traffic at these points. Around farmland take care with children and dogs, particularly around machinery and livestock. If you are walking on the coast make sure you check the tide times before you set out. At the end, a kissing gate leads you into a paddock (which may be holding horses). Keep straight ahead and at the end of the paddock pass through the gate to reach a crossroads of paths. Go straight on, following the line of hedgerow on your left. Pass through the kissing gate ahead and turn immediately right (with the hedge running on your right). You will come to a fingerpost (just before you reach a line of hedgerow ahead), turn left here and follow the line of hedgerow on your right. You should recognise this path from the outward leg. Walk straight ahead, through the gap in the tree line and then out through a kissing gate to reach the road. Turn right along the grass verge and you will come to the Dog and Duck on your right for some wellearned hospitality. The Dog and Duck Harewoods Estate Trail 4
The Dog and Duck Harewoods Estate Trail 5