Broadwater Lake – Thornthwaite Street – Bramley – Downslink – Peasmarsh – Broadwater Lake.

Jean Shepherd

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Broadwater Lake is a fishing lake set in a park on the northern outskirts of Godalming. Bird species here include mallard, moorhen, coot, swan, Canadian and Egyptian geese, great crested grebes, cormorant, grey heron, kingfisher and common tern.
From here our route crosses the Wey Navigation and then crosses a couple of ridges before descending into Bramley, a possible refreshment stop.
As you walk through the village look out for the wine press on the green before the library on the right hand side. This was presented to Bramley by Rhens, their German twin town. Holy Trinity church was open when I visited.

The next section of the walk is on the Downslink trail which at this point occupies the bed of the old Guildford- Cranleigh railway, opened in 1865 and closed by Beeching in 1965. The route passes the site of the old station (waymark 14 ). You can see here the post box in a pillar which is all that remains of the old stationmaster’s house.
This part of the route also coincides with the course of the old Wey – Arun canal. This opened in 1816 linking London to Portsmouth and the English Channel and closed in 1871. The Wey and Arun Canal Trust is a charity whose aim is to restore the canal. You will pass interpretation boards telling of their work and an area of landscaping they have carried out including the construction of a pleasant riverside path and a viewing area. A friend told me she had seen a kingfisher here.
The route then crosses the Wey Navigation on a newish bridge built on the site of the old railway bridge and the final section of the walk is along a wonderful stretch of the Wey Navigation tow path.
This walk uses a number of bridleways so has muddy sections after rain. There is one steep ascent of about 60m after waymark 7
Note to dog owners - there are 3 stiles on this walk between waymarks 7 & 8 but at the time I surveyed it you could walk round two of them. This field is also the only point in the walk where you could potentially have direct contact with livestock.

England - South England - Surrey - Surrey Hills

Features

Birds, Cafe, Church, Food Shop, Great Views, Industrial Archaeology, Play Area, Pub, Public Transport, River, Toilets, Woodland

8/24/2022 - James Bellringer

A very enjoyable walk. Very well described, so I was foolish indeed to go wrong at waypoint 11. I continued to the left, which is a pleasant enough path, but it brings you out on the road at Bramley Mill Pond, from where I walked along the road into Bramley. Worth mentioning the Jolly Farmer in Bramley. If you leave Broadwater lake as I did at 10.00, you will go past this lovely pub at lunchtime. I got a very welcome pint. The menu looked good as well, but I didn't test it. And the petrol station in Bramley is now a local Coop.