Day TWO: Albury to Betchworth

My daily mileage and choice of overnight stopovers ranged from 12 miles to 20 miles and did not always finish at a rail station which is feasible for day walkers. You might want a more balanced route in mileage or one that takes account of attractions you want to spend time at such as vineyards tours or cathedrals.

One of the Nature Reserves

Constant signage

The National Trails acorn symbol

Each organisation stamps its patch

A ridge with a view

There are a string of pill boxes on today's walk and they highlight how the landscape has changes. The ridge had been a wooded area like most of Britain and was cleared for grazing at a time when it was economically viable. In 1940 the area was clear of trees and an ideal place to watch for aircraft. Since 1940 the lack of commercial viability has meant the area is reverting to woodland again with the valleys being planted with grape vines; I assume to provide higher value return on the small areas of valley land.

WWII lookout post

Home Defence pill boxes named after the pill box they resemble

I love autumn walking as you get to see, and sometimes eat the produce including the classic combination of apple and bramble. These massive mushrooms had me wishing I had a field guide to mushrooms and some cooking apparatus. Naturally only eat what you know is not poisonous.

Mushroom season

Today I reached Sir George Gilbert Scott's St Barnabas Church on Ranmore common. The church was built by, and for the sole use of, the Cubbitt family. It was Thomas Cubbitt who built the Bloomsbury and Belgravia housing in London and had a starring role in Julian Fellowes' book Belgravia. Looking at my notebook I see I was gravely upset that the guidebook photo has this attributed to George's grandson Sir Giles Gilbert Scott who by my crude approximation would have been aged five when the church was completed.