Rail to Ramble: Around Witley
and Mare Hill Common

The walk starts at Milford station and leads to Witley village where there are a number of buildings of historical interest as well as village shops and two pubs.

It takes you to Mare Hill Common – an area of heathland designated SSSI and a prime site for invertebrates such as bees, solitary wasps, and the delicate silver-studded blue butterfly. Three birds on the European list of threatened species, the woodlark, nightjar and Dartford warbler, breed here among the heather and grasses. Five reptile species, including the threatened sand lizard, enjoy cover and relative warmth among the heathland shrubs.

On leaving the common the walk passes through woodland to Witley Church and then on to Enton Mill and through open fields to Enton Green and Station lane which returns you to Milford station

Useful information

Start: Milford railway station
End: Milford railway station
Highlights: This is an easy walk through the village of Witley where you can see a number of buildings of historic interest and then on to areas of heathland, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
OS map: 145 Explorer, grid reference: 953 413
Distance: 5.1 miles.
Toughness: 3/10
Path accessibility (wheelchair/pushchair friendly): No  
Travel information:
   TRAIN - South Western Railway London Waterloo-Portsmouth Harbour services - National Rail timetables.
   CAR - parking at Milford station.
Refreshment stops: Coffee shop on Milford station,  and pubs The Star and the White Hart

Crown Copyright.  All rights reserved. Surrey Hills AONB licence No 1000 19613 2007

Step by step

1

Start: Milford Station. Leave the station by the gate at the end of Platform 1, cross the road and take the narrow footpath which runs parallel to the railway for some distance. It then swings right through woodland and broadens out as you pass allotments and then stables on your right, with Lower Enton Lake to the left. At the junction with a tarmac road, turn right and come shortly to a T junction with the A283, with Witley Stores facing you. Cross this busy road with care, going right until you reach a junction with Wheeler Lane on your left.

2

2

The Star pub on the corner here has a large garden and provides a range of refreshments. Walk along Wheeler Lane for half a mile until you reach Little London, an unmade road, on your left. Walk up here past houses until you come to a noticeboard with a map of the Mare Hill site and some information on the wildlife.

3

Turn right and follow the track for a short distance, turn right at the junction and then after about 50 yards turn left on to a wide track. This skirts the northern fringe of the area with houses on your right. Just past the last house, the track divides: keep to the right and continue straight ahead until you come to a wooden footbridge. Bear right over the footbridge and keep straight ahead (ignoring minor footpaths to your left until eventually reaching the south west corner of the site at the junction with the A286.

4

At this point, to extend your walk, you could cross the road to explore the large area of National Trust land, Witley Common. (See Witley PC ‘Walks on the Web’ numbers 11 and 12), To continue on the given route, turn left along a narrow track which soon joins a wider sandy track, leading slightly up hill. At the top of the slope and beneath the powerlines, you will notice a small parking area to your right. Continue along the crest of the hill on the main track and when you come to a junction with a broad track to the left leading off downhill, look for a narrower track on your right.
Follow this through the heather, cross the road on to the track opposite and almost immediately take a narrow path left leading past Mare Hill cottages and continue straight ahead down slope, skirting the house and lake at Lower Roke. The path now climbs a flight of brick steps and turns sharp left uphill, passing the houses of Churchfields before reaching a large parking area at Church Lane. Turn left down Church Lane, shortly coming to Witley Infant School on your right and Witley Church on your left.

5

At this point, looking down Church Lane you will see the main A283 and on the other side of the road The White Hart, another potential stop for refreshment. It is an ancient building, reputed to be one of the oldest licensed establishments in England. The church is of Saxon origin but the main part dates from the 12th century onwards and it is famous for its medieval wall paintings which are well worth visiting.

The walk continues to the left through the churchyard, running past back gardens, fields and the local middle school before reaching Roke Lane. Turn right here and cross the A283 with care to Mill Lane. A short distance down the lane you will find a footpath to your left, just before some new houses.

6

At this point you could decide to return to the station more directly by taking this footpath to the left which shortly re-joins the track you took earlier from the station. Otherwise, continue straight on down Mill Lane to Enton Mill, follow the road round, under the railway bridge and up the hill. At the top of the slope where the main trackway turns right, look for a footpath ahead of you which leads across a field, behind some houses crossing two stiles and down another field to join the road, Water Lane, at Enton Green. Turn left here and follow the road round to join Station Lane.

7

The land facing you is Tuesley fruit farm and if you cross the road you will find a kissing gate and a short length of pathway which was inserted by the landowner so pedestrians did not need to use the road. At the end of the pathway, cross Tuesley Lane, going straight ahead on to a broad pedestrian/cycle path leading back to Milford Station.

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