05 – Witley to Haslemere

Description

The Hills to Harbour Trail is a series of self-guided walking routes that link the stations along the railway line between Guildford and Portsmouth. You can walk between any pair of stations.

Walk 05 is 7.2 miles in length from Witley to Haslemere railway station but it can be completed as two shorter walks:

  • The walk from Witley to Chiddingfold is 2
  • The walk from Chiddingfold to Haslemere is 5 miles. The 71 bus, which serves the village of Chiddingfold, calls at Godalming, Witley, and Haslemere.

There’s beautiful countryside to explore and the attractive town of Haslemere to round it off.

Stile alert! Over the first mile of this route there are about a dozen stiles! If you find stiles difficult, you could join the walk at Chiddingfold.

Start and End

Witley/Haslemere

Distance

7.2 miles

Time

4 hour

Grade

5/10 - Unusually large number of stiles and some steps with no handrail.

Accessibility

Not push/wheelchair accessible

Route Map
Download GPX File

Upload the GPX file to your walking app

Walk Instructions

  1. Leave Witley Station by the Portsmouth bound platform (2) and turn immediately right through the station carpark.
  2. Continue forward along a road with a builder’s yard on your left. Almost at the end of this road, turn left along the path.
  3. Continue along the path between houses and industrial buildings. Go over the stile and then cross a field.
  4. After crossing the stile onto the road, bear left and across the road to another stile into a small field.
  5. On the far side of the small field, cross the stile and continue forward on the main path through the woodland. Go over the next stile into the field and cross diagonally to your left.
  6. A stile, a footbridge, and another stile take you into the next field. Cross the field with the fence on your right.
  7. In the far corner, cross the stile and bear left along the track for about 50 yards. Then turn right at the finger post.
  8. Yet another stile! Bear left and gently upwards to go over the bluff of the hill then down to a gate with a stile to the right.
  9. A second stile takes you into woodland. Cross the stream and climb the hill.
  10. Finally, stiles give way to kissing gates. Go through this one and follow the right-hand hedge.
  11. There is a further kissing gate, and the path continues between the houses curving left and down to meet the road.
  12. At Woodside Road (un-signed), turn left crossing over to the pavement at a convenient point. Continue around the bend to the right.
  13. Continue down the hill until the road starts to rise again. Turn right into Coxcombe Lane.
  14. After the recreation ground on your left, the road descends to a left-hand bend. Turn right here along the track.
  15. Bear left into the Church Yard and follow the path round and past the Church porch.
  16. When you emerge at the church yard gate, the village is in front of you with its green, pond, and seats.
    (There are pubs, shops and a cafe here. Bus stops are opposite and slightly to the left.)
    To continue the walk, turn right at the church yard gate and right again into Mill Lane. Ignore the ‘No through road’ sign which is for vehicles not pedestrians.
  17. Follow Mill Lane for just under three quarters of a mile. It is a well surfaced but quite lane with interesting houses. Pass the stone water trough on your left and continue forward past Orchard Cottage to take the next footpath on your right.
  18. Steps – Pass through a kissing gate at the edge of the field and follow the path as it meanders through the woodland. It narrows and there is a short flight of 2 steps with no handrail. (If you are uncertain of your balance, a walking stick or walking poles may provide confidence.)
  19. Continue forward to West End Lane (un-signed). Cross the lane and continue along the path on the other side.
  20. Steps – Continue over stiles and enter woodland. Just before meeting West End Lane again, there is another narrow section of path followed by informal steps with no handrail. (If you are uncertain of your balance, a walking stick or walking poles may provide confidence.)
    Turn right along the lane.
  21. In about 100 yards, where West End Lane bends sharply to the left, fork right (signed ‘Frillinghurst’).
  22. Continue forward to pass the last of the farm buildings. Just after the fields open up on the left-hand side, go through the gate (the stile was broken when the walk was tested in May 2025) and cross the field to another stile.
  23. Cross the stile and bear right to follow the edge of the field beside woodland.
  24. At the corner of the field, ignore the kissing gate on your left and continue forward through another kissing gate and into the woodland. Keep forward in about 50 yards ignoring the path to your right.
  25. Towards the top of the hill, look out for a finger post on the left. (It is partially hidden by the trees and easy to miss.) Bear left to follow the signed path.
  26. Continue forward through the woodland and then beside a field keeping the hedge to your left. At the far corner of the field, turn left through the hedge and then immediately follow the track around to the right and down to the road.
  27. At the road, turn left and then immediately right along the road (signed ‘Imbhams Farm’) as it continues with the pond on your right.
  28. Follow the road as it wiggles past the farm on your left and gently ascends the hill. Keep forward to Holdfast Lane (un-signed). The route continues along the path just to the left of the houses ahead.
  29. Cross the field then briefly through woodland to emerge onto a track. Bear right along the track.
  30. Pass through a 5-bar, wooden gate. You are entering the National Trust ‘Swan Barn Farm’.
  31. Keep forward with woodland to your right and through a succession of gates. When a wire fence appears to your right (partially hidden amongst the undergrowth), bear left.
  32. Continue through the woodland until you see the back of a National Trust sign ahead. Go between the sign and the footpath finger post then slightly down to cross a foot bridge.
    (You are joining the Serpents Way at this point and will follow it through to Haslemere High Street. Look out for the purple, disc-shaped Serpent’s Way markers.)
  33. Cross two fields. Go through the gate and bear right around the black timber building then follow the concrete/gravel track around to the left.
  34. Pass a small pond on your left and start ascending a gentle hill. Pass the first footpath on your right and continue up the hill.
  35. Follow the track round a bend to the left and immediately turn right through a narrow gap in the hedge and through a small gate. Follow the footpath down and continue through the field.
  36. Cross the foot bridge and climb the hill beside the orchard. At the top of the hill, go through the gate and turn right.
  37. Pass the seats on your left and then follow the path as it bends left to emerge on Haslemere High Street. Turn left.
    (Haslemere Museum is a short distance to your right. Most of the shops are to your left.)
  38. Turn first right along West Street.
  39. Cross the road in front of Waitrose and, where the road bends right, continue forward (still West Street). Just before the fire station, turn left along an un-named road.
  40. Immediately beyond the first station boundary wall, turn right along an ally way that runs between the wall and a chain-link fence. (This is not easy to see until you are right by it.) The ally wiggles around to finally emerge in the town meadow.
  41. Cross the green space keeping the children’s playground on your left.
  42. Turn left along Tanners Lane (un-signed) then, at the T-junction, turn right along the main B2131, Lower Street (un-signed.) Follow the road for about 300 yards to find Haslemere Station on your right.

Safe Walking

Walking is a sociable activity so travel with someone else if you can. It’s also best for safety. Follow the usual walking guidelines about clothing, footwear, drinks, food, and first aid kit. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back

Refreshments

Many stations have opportunities nearby for refreshments when you arrive. The towns have cafes and pubs, and there are some along the route as well. They may have more restricted opening than those in London, particularly for serving food, so check websites for opening times when planning.

Reporting footpath issues

The Hills to Harbour Trail crosses three counties, all of which have good, on-line facilities for reporting rights of way issues. If you find something that needs fixing, please report it on the appropriate webpage.

Search for “report rights of way” followed by the county name.