Saturday 26 May 2012

Weekend Life....A Walk in the English Countryside (Surrey)

The English Countryside....Westhumble, Surrey circular walk.

On a beautiful sunny Saturday morning two weeks ago, we set out to do a country walk from the Time Out Country Walks Guide. I love living in the city but sometimes it is nice to escape the sirens, planes, traffic and crowds that are part of living in London. These country walks are brilliant for getting out into the stunning English countryside for a day, filling your lungs with fresh country air and stopping for a pub lunch along the way (the book gives suggestions for morning/afternoon tea and a pub lunch).  And the best thing is you don't need a car to do them - most walks are circular and begin and end at a railway station within about an hour or so of London.

The walk that we did was the Westhumble circular walk (walk 14 in volume 2 of the guide) and it took us through rolling hills, fields dotted with sheep and bouncing baby lambs (they do literally bounce along!), woods with bluebells in flower, a vineyard and to the magnificent Polesden Lacey estate which is now run by the National Trust. We stopped here for morning tea and purchased a beautiful Welsh blanket from the National Trust shop....which I then had to carry for the rest of the day on our walk!

15 comments:

  1. I got my Master's degree at the University of Surrey and stayed there for a whole year! It is a raining often but I guess this is why it is so green! Amazing photos, thanks for reminding me =)

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  2. @barefoot duchess - well, I think this was literally the first fine day we had had for weeks (hence the desire to go to the country for a walk!) so it was really green (and a bit muddy!) when we were walking. Such a pretty part of the world...and it seems to far from London yet it is only 40mins on the train. What I love about getting out of London as well is that people are really friendly - good morning or good afternoon is standard when you are out walking. When I first moved to London I made the mistake of striking up a conversation with someone on the tube - oh my, I think they thought I was a crazy person! Never again!

    @Jennifer - it is so lovely and peaceful - the only sound I didn't like on this walk was my own moaning and groaning as I had to tackle 2 steep hills!

    @shibuii - thank you!

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  3. These photos are beautiful! xx
    http://obsessedaboutbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/

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  4. The countryside is absolutely beautiful, and your photos bring out the best of it!

    -Hannah

    servinupstyle.blogspot.com

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  5. This pictures are unreal!
    You take such beautiful shots. You're such an inspiration.

    http://annahashizume.blogspot.com/

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  6. Beautiful pics

    http://maddenim.blogspot.com/

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  7. i really need to go there <3

    http://dontthinkjustfeel-yuka.blogspot.jp/

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  8. It is stunning over there.

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  9. Beautiful! I absolutely love your blog. Your photos are so inspirational! Kim

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  10. Oh, such talent! So many of these photos look like they were set up just for you... but we all know it's just because you're so very good with your camera. Love!

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  11. How funny to scroll down and feel deja vu. I moved here from london 2 years ago by happenstance and the UKIP gangs that roam free here are offset (just) by the moss covered rolling pockets that I still have yet to discover completely. Just today I got round to trying out the Denbies NT nature trail on Ranmore. My oldest said it was the best day ever (apart from her birthday) how nice i that? If only some sort of devilish troupe would come to town and stay for a while to mix it up. Like in The Master and Margarita...

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  12. Thanks for all your super kind comments on these photos - it means a lot!

    @Anonymous -oooo yes! We walked down from Ranmore Common (fantastic views!) to Denbies wine estate. Did you walk up the hill?! If you did I salute you! I would have passed out halfway up - it was a fairly long, steep incline as I recall. So happy that your daughter enjoyed her day out in the countryside!

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  13. That area is so beautiful in the Spring. The blue bells always look like a purple mist has settled on the woods. Thank you for sharing these gorgeous pictures. They make me miss England that much more.

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