A walk around Ockham Common and Chatley Heath
Samuelson Masusoleum. Image: Chris Howard & Ken Bare - Credit: Archant
Discover this surprising oasis, next to one of the busiest junctions on the M25
Chatley Heath Semaphore. Image: Chris Howard & Ken Bare - Credit: Archant
Information:
Start: Ockham Common Car Park
Grid ref: TQ 076 588
Postcode for Sat Nav: KT11 1NA
Parking: Free parking
Toilets: currently closed due to COVID restrictions
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Length of walk: 3 miles (4.8 kms) Allow 1 hour
Public Transport: Stagecoach bus 715
Food and Drink: Ockham Bites Café, Car Park, Old Lane Cobham, KT11 1NA
While you are there: Visit RHS Wisley Gardens, where there is a café, restaurant, shops and garden centre as well as the world renowned gardens.
READ MORE: Enjoy a walk around Farthing Downs
The Walk:
1. Facing the café, walk to your right until you spy a red sign with number 13 on it at the edge of the car park. You may also spot a small blue sign to the Chatley Heath Semaphore Tower. Follow this path straight ahead crossing over several paths. Keep following the blue signs to the Semaphore Tower.
2. Continue on past the Tower and picnic area and bear left around the side of the Tower on the tarmac road. Ignore the footpath signposted on your right. Keep straight ahead and as the tarmac road bears left, keep going straight ahead on small footpath. Keep left at the fork in the path. You will soon reach a small wooden post with a white “M” marked. This is the path to the mausoleum. Keep on this narrow sandy path through the woodland until you reach the mausoleum.
3. At the mausoleum turn right down the slope. If you climb up the bank on your left you will see the back of Hatchford Park House across the open field, former home of Sir Henry Samuelson, who commissioned the mausoleum. When the path bends sharp left, be careful not to take the smaller path continuing straight ahead. Go left continuing down the slope. You soon meet a T junction with a wider path marked ‘Downside Walk’.
4. Turn right onto Downside Walk and continue through the woods until you meet a wide sandy crossroads, marked Old Lane ½ mile.
5. Turn left following the path signposted to Old Lane. Ignore all side paths until you reach a wide open clearing in the wood with a bench under an oak tree.
6. Turn right onto the wide open bridleway that opens out into heathland.
7. When you reach a wide open sandy cross roads, with an orange sign indicating the Semaphore tower to your right, go left down the small path through more woodland. This takes you down to Pond Car Park.
8. Look for a signpost to your right marked ‘car park and café’ and follow this path through woods back to the start of the walk.
Join Chris Howard on one of her free guided walks – see surreyhillssociety.org for details.
