North Downs Way - Day 3

Reigate Hill to Westerham
Distance: 16.5 miles
Ascent: 525m
Weather: mostly cloudy,  warm
Jays, squirrels, pied wagtail, lots of sparrows and starlings

Surrey is the garden of England* (or at least the golf course) and our walk this morning started through one designed by Capability Brown. Unfortunately the NDW (as it often seems to) follows the drive between some functional looking buildings and the tennis courts, rather than through the parkland with its sparkling lakes. Golf course update: Reigate Hill course looks very attractive.

We called in for some supplies on the outskirts of Merstham, and then walked down Quality Street! Then we crossed the M25 - which was moving well, don't know what the fuss is about - and then the M23.

The path angles up across fields away from the roads, although the M25 was in view in the distance.

In the meadows there were more common blue butterflies, birdsfoot trefoil,  forget-me-not under mackerel skies. A lane led to a trig point in pretty meadow.

It's not often that you see an aeroplane in someone's front garden, let alone two aeroplanes.

A bit of road walking down the lane took us passed Whitehill Tower and then into Oldpark Wood, carpeted in white ransomes.

We had an early lunch on a bench just before Pilgrims Fort (there are a lot of Pilgrims places along here - Way, House, Cottage,  Lane, Holt, Farm) as there was a bench and the weather forecast for this afternoon was a bit iffy. Then passed somewhere called The Devil's Hole, which we didn't see, but we did see an enormous rabbit hole.

Oxted Down is an old quarry and there were masses of butterflies and an unidentified bird of prey flying low over fields. Here we crossed the meridian line back East again. We stopped for some tea and a biscuit on the other side of the down. Then the path turned steeply up through Titsey Wood, where we heard a woodpecker.Just as we were leaving the woods, we were passed by a couple of walkers, one of whom was barefoot, which doesn't really bear thinking about. They also had short sleeves and crop trousers,  which cannot have been much fun down the overgrown little path. I was stung by stinging nettles enough times through my trousers.

A private road took us between massive houses, their desirability dampened somewhat by all the signs of burglary patrols and flytipping warning signs.

At the end of here we were in Kent, and turned off down to Westerham, a few drops of rain just as we arrived at the Kings Arms.

PS. Yesterday I found a two pound coin on the path. I was going to buy an icecream with it, but have decided instead that I shall take it to Canterbury, as it is customary to carry a token on pilgrimage - typically a shell (we've passed a couple of shell totem posts) and I think a couple of quid will be more use to the roof fund than a seashell.

*as stated by Mrs Elton in Emma by Jane Austin.