David was born in Surrey, and that's where he first discovered his love of walking in the countryside. He went back to many of his old childhood haunts whilst researching this book for AA Publishing.
Somewhere in the depths of Surrey's wilderness I was trudging down an ancient hollow way, gouged so deeply into the landscape that I passed unseen from the woods above. The sides of the lane dripped with mosses and ferns, and tree roots gripped the banks like the toes of swimmers on the water's edge. In the gathering dusk the woods gave way to fields, and the fields gave way to a village where lights were coming on in the mellow half-timbered houses around the green.
Surrey may be better known for its suburbs than its scenery, but the image is unjust. Over a quarter of the county's landscapes are official Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and along the downs and the greensand ridge you can gaze to distant horizons with hardly a building in sight. This is England's most wooded county, and has more village greens than any other shire. You'll find sandy tracks and cottage gardens, folded hillsides and welcoming village inns. There's variety, too, as the fields and meadows of the east give way to the wooded downs and valleys west of the River Mole.
Of course there are also large built-up areas, mainly within and around the M25; but even here you can still find some appealing walks. On the fringe of Greater London you can picnic in Chaldon's hay meadows, explore the wide open downs at Epsom, or drift idly beside the broad reaches of the stately River Thames.
Deep in the Surrey countryside you'll discover the Romans at Farley Heath, and mingle with the monks at England's first Cistercian monastery. You'll see buildings by great architects like Edwin Lutyens and Sir George Gilbert Scott, and meet authors too, from John Donne to Agatha Christie. Then, amongst a host of curiosities, you'll unearth London's lost route to the sea, and find out how information technology put Chatley on line fully fifteen years before Queen Victoria ascended the throne.Six long distance routes, including two National Trails, weave their way around the county, and you'll sample all of them as you journey through these pages. The Thames Path needs no introduction on its Royal progress from Runnymede to Hampton Court. Next comes the North Downs Way, linking Farnham with Canterbury and Dover; a little further south, the Greensand Way runs east along the glorious ridge from Haslemere. The Downs Link and the Wey South Path follow disused rail and canal routes south from Guildford, connecting Surrey with the South Downs Way. Finally, the Sussex Border Path slips in and out of the county between Haslemere and East Grinstead as it tracks the boundary with Surrey's southern neighbour.
So pull on your boots, dig out the maps, and join me as we set out into Surrey's magnificent highways and byways ...
Text © Automobile Association Developments Ltd
Image © David Foster
what readers say ...
"Easy to follow with clear instructions. Nice extras on historical and points of interest on the walk and surrounding area ... Would recommend. "
J Tyrrell
Amazon reviewer