Wentworth & Virginia Water Walk
Saturday March 15, 2008
|
|
Wentworth & Virginia Water WalkSaturday March 15, 2008 |
|
          
|
Wentworth & Virginia Water LakeKey FactsStart/Finish: Thorp Green Car Park, near Rose & Crown pub Distance: 14.4 km or 9 miles Time: Allow 4 hours Type of walk: Moderate Walking DirectionsTHIS WALK TAKES IN THE LOVELY OPEN SPACE OF BOTH WENTWORTH GOLF COURSE AND VIRGINIA WATER LAKE. MAP REF. 011680.
Walk up the hill, along the main road, away from the motorway. Just after the garage, as the road swings to the right, take a lane on the left, signposted as Public Footpath no.58 to Trumps Mill Lane. The track bends to the left, but carry straight on along a narrow footpath between a barbed wire fence and a hedge, heading towards the railway. Cross the railway with care. The footpath continues downhill through the woods, where it can be rather boggy underfoot. At the footpath junction, turn right to go uphill slightly. Exit the track under a height barrier and turn left. Pass the sign to Trumps Mill Cottage, over the wooden footbridge. The footpath turns to the right and goes uphill. On joining Bridge Lane, turn right and cross the road in to Lyne Road. Follow the road to ‘Cornerside’ and take the narrow footpath up the railway Climb over the stile and cross the railway line. Go over the stile and walk straight ahead down Crown Lane, passing a restaurant on the corner. Cross Trumps Green Road and walk along Crown Road. At the T-junction and the Stag & Hounds Public House, cross Wellington Avenue and continue up the track, Public Footpath no.63, through the kissing gate. Ignore the track alongside the conifer hedge, but continue to follow the footpath through Wentworth Golf Course. As the path goes downhill, turn off to the right, still following footpath no.63. After approximately 25m turn left through an area of woodland. The path runs parallel to a large conifer hedge. After the kissing gate turn right along a track towards the road. Cross the road and walk along West Drive, over the bridge with a “toads crossing” warning sign. Your route leads back to the golf course once more with views of the fairways. Check for low flying golf balls before walking along the more open stretches of the road. On reaching the A30, cross the road with care and turn left towards Sunningdale. Turn right along the public footpath and bridleway just before the Berkshire boundary. Follow the path through Coworth Park with fine views of the Polo Ground. At the junction with the A329 turn left towards Blacknest car park and The Robin Public House. Turn right and cut through Blacknest car park to pass through the pedestrian gap in the fence. Take the foot path straight ahead. On reaching Virginia Water Lake, turn right along the wide track that follows the water’s edge. The Duke of Cumberland was responsible for making the 130-acre artificial lake in the 1740’s. The track continues past some Corinthian pillars of Ro man origin, which were brought from Tripoli as a gift to the Prince Regent (later George IV) and erected in 1826- 7. The Cascade, or Waterfall, is also notable. It is close to the A30 and is built of stones from Bagshot Heath. The stream ultimately enters the Thames at Chertsey. Cross over the Bourne and continue along the edge of the lake past The Wheatsheaf Hotel & Restaurant until just before reaching the totem pole. This was a gift from the people of Canada to HM The Queen in 1958. The pole is 100 feet high and was carved from a 600 year old Western Red Cedar. Cross the causeway between Virginia Water Lake and Wick Pond if you wish to have a closer look, but retrace your route back across the causeway and continue uphill on the path straight ahead of you, passing a quaint timber bridge. Continue to follow the route back uphill to reach a car park. At the signpost, turn right to Englefield Green & the A30. The route passes through an area of tall conifers. On passing some houses on your right, at the junction, take the second on the left, almost straight on and slightly downhill. Continue along the track and as it turns 90° to the right, head to the left to pass through a pedestrian gate at the corner of the park. On reaching the A30, turn right. After 300 metres, cross the main road with care and follow the public footpath through the small wooded area. The path opens up to walk along the boundary of the American Community School playing field. Continue to the end of the footpath, pass around the metal gate and turn left along Callow Hill. Ignore the first footpath on the right after about 50m, but continue along into Bakeham Lane, past the research laboratory. Just before the red brick wall with the post box, turn right down a roadway marked with a public footpath sign. The roadway soon ends and the route continues downhill along a gravel path and through a wooded area with blue- bells in flower in the spring. Climb over a stile and across the wooden planks across a ditch. Go straight on along Public Footpath 64 to Stroude Road, aiming to the right of a mound of earth at the far side of the field. Cross the water filled ditch and pass through the tunnel under the railway line. Pass through a heavy metal gate and follow the fence line towards the old derelict farmhouse. Walk through the farmyard. A plaque on the side of the house reads 1855. Pass over the stile straight on, cross the field towards the metal gate. Continue along the track to pass through a kissing gate and along the tarmac roadway to reach Stroude Road. Turn right. Take the first road on the left, ‘The Lane’. On the left is the access to Stroude Road Allotment Site. Continue straight on down the track and follow the route as it passes around the boundary of a field. There is a view of the tower of the old sanatorium building on the right. Pass over a wooden bridge and the footpath widens to a track. At the end of the track turn right, follow the track with trees of both sides, turning right once more on meeting the tarmac road. The open field on the left is Thorpe Green. There is a magnificent old oak just near the tennis courts. Follow the road to ‘Oak Cottage’, a quaint thatched property on the right. Cut across the grass to reach your starting point in the car park.
This site was last updated 09 Mar 2008 |
