DAY 7 - OXTED TO REIGATE

DAY 7                                  Friday 26th September 2014

ROUTE                                Oxted to Reigate

DISTANCE                          12.2 miles
CUMULATIVE MILEAGE    93.5 miles

START POINT                    Flint House, Oxted - TQ 385 542

FINISH POINT                    Colley Hill, Reigate - TQ 248 522

WEATHER                          Overcast most of the day but sunny at the very end!

WALKERS                          Cally Charman, Rod Boreham and Graham Palmer

SUPPORT DRIVER            Jim Rice

SUFFER SCORE                5 (renewed impetus as we were joined by Jennie and Nick)    
    (On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being easy and 10 being unbearable!) 

CTOG AWARD                   Jim Rice (aka 007)
                                           Awarded for his dedication during the week to the cause, his
                                           contribution to the cake tin, his superlative driving and ability to miss
                                           oncoming vehicles by a hair's breadth, his amusing texts (which will
                                           only be made public for the right price!) and his ability to make that 
                                           white van the best vision on the horizon that any weary walker could
                                           wish for!  Jim we love you and are going to miss our daily rendez-vous!                                                                                      

We were delighted to welcome Nick and Jennie McDuff onto our walk today.  Nick and Jennie are the first of many who we hope will join us over the weekend as we get closer and closer to our finish at Guildford Cathedral on Sunday afternoon.  The CTOG team are really looking forward to meeting you all over the weekend.

We welcome Jennie and Nick as honorary members of the team!

Day 7 started a little overcast but we were just grateful that once again, it was dry.  We really have been very fortunate with the weather as none of the team have had to put waterproofs on at any time on the walk so far.  Our start was just north of Oxted, now well into the county of Surrey.  As we once again headed east, the constant drone of the M25 motorway was never far away.

Walking back up along the North Downs Way

Jennie and Rod setting the pace for the day

Nick putting his best foot forward in hot pursuit

After only 40 minutes into our walk, we received a call from Jim to say that he had been approached by the Police and advised that there was a man roaming in the woods close by and on no account should he be approached.  Jim phoned us immediately and relayed the police request for assistance with the manhunt.  After a quick discussion amongst the team and with Nick and Jennie it was decided to continue on our route as planned.  Not long after, we too met up with another police officer who told us that the person they were interested in was camped out in the woods about 100 metres or so from where we had just walked.  The police officer was concerned about the man in the woods and showed us a photo of him but seemed more interested in guarding the cash machine that had been dumped at this location having been extricated from a wall somewhere nearby!  After hearing tales of how thieves remove money from these ATM machines we progressed on our way, crossing a footbridge over the A23 to meet Jim for a brief rendez-vous before finally stopping for a quick coffee and lunch stop at the Harrow Inn at Arthur’s Seat near Caterham.

The ideal watering hole, albeit just coffee.....

Coffee was slow to materialise - however Jennie more than compensated for this by producing a lovely fruit cake which, as we had now been walking for nearly a week, was very much appreciated by the team.  For Jim however this was clearly not enough and he deliberately teased us by ordering himself a sumptuous roast dinner of pork belly and mustard mash!  

Don't worry about us Jim, we'll survive!

Energised by just coffee and cake it was time to leave Jim to his lunch and head off towards Merstham.   

The morning haze had cleared to allow a magnificent view of London, some 22 miles away. As we moved on Canary Wharf also came into view and we enjoyed a panoramic view of all the major skyscrapers in the capital including the Shard.

Magnificent views of London - camera did not do this justice!

We plough the fields and scatter....

Emerging onto open farmland with Merstham ahead of us

Early afternoon sunshine breaking through the clouds

The M23 (southbound) nearing its junction with the M25

The noise of the M25 was relentless and increased in volume as it was joined by the M23.  Having passed beneath the M23 we continued towards Merstham where we said farewell to Nick and Jennie who were going to head back to Guildford on the train.  It had been a pleasure to have them walking with us today and we hope they enjoyed their time with us.

After walking through the churchyard at Merstham we crossed the footbridge over the M25 to reach Merstham village itself. 

Pausing for thought at Merstham Church

Cally is reminded of the chocolate she has forfeited in coming on this walk!

Now that's what I call a coffee, Jim!

Our route along the North Downs Way now took us across the fairways of the Reigate Hill Golf Club as we headed towards the top of Reigate Hill and our finishing point for the day.

The North Downs Way took us through the grounds of the Royal Alexandra and Albert School near Gatton Park where we discovered the Milllennium Stones which were originally commissioned by Wolseley Fine Arts as a touring exhibition to mark the millennium. Artist Richard Kindersley carved 10 standing stones to mark the double Millennium from the birth of Christ to 2000AD. Each stone represents a 200 year segment and is inscribed with a quotation from a writer prominent in that period. The first stone starts with words from St John (In the beginning the Word was) with the final stone displaying an extract from TS Eliot, a poet who clearly understood the need to discover meaning in our spiritual uncertainty.

An impromptu RVP at the entrance to Gatton Park

 

The Millenium Stones

Ascending through Gatton Park

The manicured countryside of Surrey

Next stop was the viewing point at the top of Reigate Hill and the opportunity for an ice cream whilst watching the aircraft flying in and out of Gatwick Airport, 7 miles away in the distance.

Emerging onto Reigate Hill

Reigate Hill viewpoint

Oink!

A special treat - our reward for defeating Reigate Hill!

Onwards to our final stop of the day at Colley Hill.  

Passing Reigate Fort on our left....

And Reigate mast on our right....

The Folly on Colley Hill comes into view

You look wonderful Graham.....

Scary!

The end of the day regrettably heralded the end of Jim's duty as crew van driver and we were sad to say goodbye as he had served us so well.  However, he had rightfully earned a rest and duly handed the keys to Mike, one of the original members of the team, who was due to pick up the baton for our last two days.

Jim hands over the keys and wishes Mike all the best for the weekend ahead!

Last team photo with Jimbo

We retired for the day with the hope of more people joining us on our walk over the weekend as we move ever closer to our final finish in Guildford on Sunday.

www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/CTOG14

 

DAY 6 - OTFORD TO OXTED

DAY 6                                  Thursday 25th September 2014

ROUTE                                Otford to Oxted

DISTANCE                          13.4 miles
CUMULATIVE MILEAGE    81.3 miles

START POINT                    Otford Village - TQ 528 594

FINISH POINT                    Flint House, Oxted - TQ 385 542

WEATHER                          Sunny and warm but fresh and breezy

WALKERS                          Cally Charman, Rod Boreham and Graham Palmer

SUPPORT DRIVER            Jim Rice

SUFFER SCORE                6 (due to seemingly long trudge for last hour or so)    
    (On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being easy and 10 being unbearable!) 

CTOG AWARD                   Stuart Butler, sports physiotherapist
                                           Awarded for one simple but very effective piece of advice - wear
                                           tubigrip on knees at night to prevent swelling overnight and have no 
                                           pain during the day!  All three of us have been able to protect our                                            knees by doing this. No support necessary during the day!



After early morning rain on Day 5, we were pleased to be greeted by clear blue skies as we woke on Day 6.  Day 6 would prove to be a day of crossings and we were keen to get started.

Oak Hall - the morning after the night before!

We returned to Otford Pond which has Grade Two listed status, to start again from where we left off at the end of Day 5.

 

Otford duckpond - the only area of water in England to be designated as a listed building!

The ruins of Archbishop Warham's Palace in Otford

Our walk took us through the village as we headed out towards Dunton Green. A quick meeting with Jim in the van at The Rose & Crown at Dunton Green to check all was well and we were on our way once again.  Our route firstly crossed the Darent Valley Path and then crossed the M25, which we were seeing for the first time on our walk, with its familiar signs for Gatwick and Heathrow.  

Then followed the long uphill slog of Star Hill on our way towards Knockholt Pound and the village of Knockholt beyond.

Looking south from Star Hill

Star Hill - one foot in front of the other.....repeat, repeat, repeat!

Once we reached the level ground at the top of the hill we enjoyed good views of Chevening House which was bequeathed to the nation by the Earl Stanhope and is currently used jointly as the official residence of the Foreign Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister.  The 17^th century building reputedly designed by Inigo Jones boasts 115 rooms and a 3,500 acre estate.  It most recently hit the headlines when it was discovered that thieves had broken into the South East Pipeline on the Chevening estate and stolen 30,000 litres of fuel every day for 7 months at a cost of £8.3m.  

A well-earned drink near the pipeline at the top of Star Hill

Chevening House glimpsed through an avenue of trees

The long climb up to Knockholt was tough going in the mid-morning sunshine and we were very pleased to see Jim and the van at the top so that we could have a quick coffee before continuing on our way.

A beautiful Red Admiral butterfly

Still one foot in front of the other.....repeat, repeat, repeat!

Walking towards Jim....

Betsom's Hill - repeat, repeat, repeat!

Our route then took us on a path parallel to the M25 passing Westerham to the south and heading on towards Betsom’s Hill which is the highest point in Kent and once the location of a Victorian defence fort.  As we moved ever closer to Surrey we had to drag Graham, a Kentish man, across the border!

Having crossed the border we were now in Surrey and it really felt as though the end of our challenge was now in sight.

We arrived at Botley Hill somewhat jaded and decided to carry on for a further 1½ miles as we knew that we have tough walking days coming up on the last 3 days of the walk.  As we left Botley Hill we joined up with the Vanguard Way and very shortly crossed the Greenwich Meridian.

A handsome herd.....

Straddling the Greenwich Meridian line with one foot either side

Having also crossed the Greensand Way, the sight of Jim and the support van in the distance was very welcome.  Although the day’s distance was only 13.4 miles, it had been a tough day for the team and we were looking forward to a return overnight stop at Oak Hall.

www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/CTOG14

DAY 5 - CUXTON TO OTFORD

DAY 5                                  Wednesday 24th September 2014

ROUTE                                Cuxton to Otford

DISTANCE                          15.0 miles
CUMULATIVE MILEAGE    67.9 miles

START POINT                    Horseholders Wood - TQ 676 644

FINISH POINT                    Otford Village - TQ 528 594

WEATHER                          Drizzle during morning, clearing then sunny and warm

WALKERS                          Cally Charman, Rod Boreham and Graham Palmer

SUPPORT DRIVER            Jim Rice

SUFFER SCORE                5     
    (On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being easy and 10 being unbearable!) 

CTOG AWARD                   The lovely Romanian lady who cooked us dinner at Oak Hall
                                           Delicious trout and fresh vegetables followed by apple crumble and
                                           homemade custard - an amazing treat much appreciated by weary
                                           walkers

Oh dear, it’s raining!  Our hearts sank a little as we walked across the courtyard of Aylesford Priory to go to breakfast and it was very wet underfoot following overnight rain.  The wet conditions were worrying as we knew that later in the day we would be walking across the chalk downs and how slippery chalk can be when wet.  We feared that falls might be the order of the day and we were not looking forward to that, particularly as we would still have 4 more walking days to go.

Breakfast in the Pilgrim's Hall

A good breakfast, the van packed and we bade farewell to Aylesford Priory which had been our overnight accommodation for the last two nights.

One of the walking team, Graham, was keen to get going as he was looking forward to getting back to Otford, the village where he was born and grew up.

The barrier that had thwarted Jim and the van at the end of Day 4 was still in place and so we took the decision to take a route back up onto the North Downs Way that would cause us to re-walk about ¼-mile of the route again.  Unfortunately, to get back up onto the North Downs Way we had a very steep climb to negotiate which was painful on calf muscles which were not properly warmed up at the beginning of the day.  Our concerns about the wet chalk were soon realised when Cally took a heavy fall which fortunately didn’t cause any permanent damage…….other than to her dignity.  The weather continued to be showery but fortunately nothing too heavy that might have required us to don waterproofs.

Cally takes a fall for the team!

Mud!!

Our route today took us through the woods above the villages of Snodland, Birling and Ryarsh as we headed towards the Trosley Country Park which covers 170 acres of woodland and chalk downland and is a haven for dog walkers.   

Trosley Park

There is a magnificent Visitors Centre at the entrance to the Country Park and a great restaurant which served us with a very welcome cup of coffee.   

Cally chatting with Jim as the sun comes out for the first time

Coffee break over and we were back on the trail now heading for Wrotham village and what would be…….

OUR HALFWAY POINT!!

 

Wrotham, our halfway point

Reaching the halfway point just had to be celebrated and so we sent Jim ahead to find us a good pub and, as it was now another beautifully warm and sunny autumn day, a beer garden would be preferable so that we could sit out and enjoy our drinks.  Jim didn’t let us down and we joined him at The Rose & Crown in Wrotham High Street for a very welcome celebratory drink.  Just down the High Street is the impressive building, Wrotham Place (now owned by a private bank) which is where Henry VIII was staying when he learned the news of Anne Boleyn’s execution in 1536.

We think Jim might be enjoying himself too much!

Couldn't have Jim having all the fun - unanimous decision by the team to join in!

Back on the trail again and we were now heading out of Wrotham towards the village of Kemsing and the St Clere Estate.  

Jim chatting up the locals

The house at St Clere was used in 1980 for filming the Agatha Christie thriller, The Mirror Crack’d, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson.  For the walking team, St Clere meant another big uphill slog as we traversed from the Pilgrims Way back onto the North Downs Way again.  

Walking back up on to Exedown on the St. Clere Estate

 

 

Another field, another gate....

The haze that had shrouded the far hills during the morning had now been burnt off by the warm sunshine that we were enjoying and the resultant views to the South were now quite spectacular.  

 

4 legs would have been so much easier!

For some, the strain is starting to show!

And some of us are still smiling.....

From above the St Clere Estate we were now heading towards the imposing building of Otford Manor where we would be spending our next overnight stop.  The house which lies directly on the route of the North Downs Way, was built by Sir Oliver Lyle of Tate & Lyle sugar family fame.  The magnificent building sits high on the North Downs above the village of Kemsing and is known locally as ‘Treacle Towers’.

The cross in front of Treacle Towers

Our finish point for the day was to be Otford village and our route would take us down The Mount and past Otford station.  We had completed a total of 15 miles today and were pleased to see Jim waiting by the famous Otford Pond ready to take us back to Oak Hall (previously known as Otford Manor) for our much needed overnight stay.

Oak Hall

Baked trout

Good food then a good sleep!

Now we are over half way we are hoping to reach our target for donations.

Please support us if you can....

www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/CTOG14