22nd Srptember 2025 - Bookham Commons

Monday, 22nd September 2025.

Walk on Bookham Commons – about 4 ½ miles

Led by Rob, back marker Frances B.

A lovely walk mainly in woodland, on flat ground with no stiles. The walk was taken from (but adapted) “The National Trust Countryside Walks in the Home Counties” (published 1985.)

We were blessed with glorious autumnal sunshine. The walk started on a narrow path leading directly off the London bound platform at Bookham station. Thankfully, they had cleared the fallen tree which might have made access difficult. We started on quite a narrow path across a plank footbridge and then on a mixture of narrow and broader tracks – mainly bridleways.

We stopped at the strangely named Isle of Wight pond to watch a large heron in stalking mode. Later, Anne S. found a stout but damp bench for a coffee stop. Near the end of the walk we paused to look at a bank of wild(?) cyclamen near houses.

We took lunch, for those who stayed, at the café in The Vineries Garden Centre, Great Bookham.

Present on the walk:

Pam and Steve with their friend Jane Woolford, Anne Swatman, Jayne and Stuart, Frances Bergman and R