Midhurst Footpath Companions
Walking in Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey.

Farnham walk on 12th November 2025

We met at the Long Garden Way car park, starting our 4.5 mile walk along Beavers Road past the University for the Creative Arts, turned into Waynflete Lane and onto the footpath across fields towards Dippenhall.  We turned north, crossed Crondall Lane along the fields past Burles Farm and reached St Swithun’s Way, stopping for our coffee break near Lower Old Park.  St Swithun was buried in Wincheter but after Becket's death in 1170, pilgrims then wanted to go to Thomas  Becket's shrine  in Canterbury, so a stop in Farnham along the 112 mile route was most convenient. We stayed on St Swithun’s Way along roads and paths through fields and past Claypit Wood coming onto Old Park Lane and Castle Hill, around Farnham Castle and Farnham Park. Farnham Park is a 320 acre medieval deer park founded in about 1376,  with an impressive 1km tree lined avenue. It was used by the Bishops of Winchester who received many important royal guests and the deer park was often the hunting ground of royalty. Luckily the Winchester Bishops now live in Winchester and more recently have concentrated on infighting rather than deer hunting.  We then walked clockwise around the Castle until we found ourselves back in Farnham town  and adjourned to the Wheatsheaf Pub for our lunch.

Assembled for the walk

Our walk leader

Single file on the footpath

Not much of a stream despite the recent rains

It’s a shame this lichen is not old man’s beard

..because we could have called this bluebeard or even sloebeard!

View across the countryside

It’s amazing what you can do when you have the right skills

Lounging around on our coffee break.

Admiring a ‘big bird’ perch

We passed a strange dwarf cherry apple tree

The tree had a misspent youth in the 1960s where it learnt to twist, just like this

Learning about the ancient paths beside Farnham Castle

Q:Are you poor? A:Yes, not a bean to my name. Q: Are you honest? A:Yes, just ask anyone in Farnham. Q: Are you old? A: I’ve cleared my three score and ten, so yes, I think so. Q: OK, here comes the tricky question…..

Milling about The Wheatsheaf

Our 4.5 mile walk around Farnham

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