Silent Pool Circular Walk – Complete Guide & Map

If you were looking to mix hiking and wild swimming here is the walk you need. Let me take you to the Silent Pool near Guilford. From the greenery of the rolling countryside of the Surrey Hills to the clear blue water of the Silent Pool, jump into a show of colours for an amazing day out in the British countryside.

Wild swimming is the new hot activity for outdoor lovers and a huge phenomenon on Instagram with a growing number of hikers’ accounts promoting it. After a long and sweaty hike, what a nice feeling to take a dip in the cold water to cool off. Whilst it might be easy for those leaving in places such as Dartmoor or the Lake District to find some pools of clear water, for us leaving in London it is much more challenging.

Even though you can find some wild swimming places in London such as Hampstead Heath or the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park, bathing in the middle of a busy recreation ground defeats the purpose of the word “wild”.

So if you are based in London or the surrounding areas and you are looking for a spot where you can go wild swimming, the Silent Pool is an ideal location.

Disclaimer 1: When I visited the Silent Pool it had dried up due to a prolonged period of heat. Therefore the pictures of the actual Silent Pool in this article are from the royalty-free pictures website Pictures of England

Disclaimer 2: Hiking groups may organise the same or similar walks to the Silent Pools. Find out more about these groups here.

Logistics Of the Silent Pools Walk

Highlights of the Silent Pools Walk

The Silent Pool Walk

So let’s dive into (literally) the Silent Pool Walk with this step-by-step walking guide. You will find the GPS map at the end of this article.

Guildford

Guildford is a countryside town in West Surrey. Settled during the Mesolithic as shown by the evidence of human activity in the region, the city developed during the medieval age thanks to the wool trade. The popularity of the navigation from the River Wey to the Thames in London followed by the expansion of the railway in the 1840s contributed to the economic growth of Guildford.

Related Content: Gomshall to Guildford Walk

Guildford is surrounded on its west, east and south sides by the Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Beauty, where we are going on this walk.

This hike starts at the Guildford train station. From there, make your way towards Guildford Castle. It is unsure when the palace was first erected, but it was possibly a motte and bailey castle from the times of the Norman Conquest. It was only in the middle of the twelfth century that Henry III commissioned the rebuilding of the castle following a fire and turned it into a royal residence. The place in ruins was bought in 1885 by the borough and opened to the public for the first time 3 years later.

Walk through the garden and flower beds at the bottom of the Castle and take Pewley Hill. Follow the road until the end, and you set foot onto the Surrey Hills.

Pewley Downs

You start the climb of the first hill of this walk. At the top, you find a trig point, with a navigation map on the top showing you all the points of interest you can go to. The one we are looking for is St Martha’s Church.

Continue the climb passing through woodlands.

Nested at the top of St Martha’s hill, the grade II St Martha’s church was built during the twelfth century. It ended up in ruins and was rebuilt between 1848 and 1850. The church is the only one from Surrey to be on the Pilgrim’s Way, which we will follow on our way back to Guilford. It is believed it was built to assist pilgrims on the way to Winchester and Canterbury Cathedrals. The church is only accessible by foot and is still open for mass.

Take a break on the benches on the side of the church, facing the valley. When you are ready you can start your descent towards Newlands Corner.

Newlands Corner

Walk down across golden and green fields until you arrive at the bottom of the hill where the Nature Reserve of Newlands Corner is located.

Climb to the top where the view over the Surrey Hills site is breathtaking. The 13 hectares (250 acres) of Newlands Corner are composed of grass hills and woodlands with some trees being 1000 years old.

Fun (or not so fun) fact: In December 1926, when Agatha Christie disappeared, her car was found in Newlands Corner.

This is the perfect spot for lunch, sitting on the hillside facing the Surrey Hills. You can find a coffee shop and buy a sandwich and a coffee to fuel up for the rest of the walk. There are picnic tables available as well as public toilets.

It is a meeting point for bikers, so expect the site to be busy and queues at the coffee shop.

The “Optohedron”

After lunch, continue walking uphill towards to highest point of this walk at 650 feet (198 m) in Chantry Wood.

On your way, you cannot help but notice a sculpture on the side of the footpath overlooking the beauty of the valley. This artwork, from artist Will Nash, is called the “Optohedron“. Representing a geometrical seat, the structure is made of weathering steel and the inside is stuffed with timber from local woods. Inside the timber, you find 3 kaleidoscopes: 1 looking up at the branches, one looking at the trees and one looking down to the earth.

The sculpture forms part of an art project on the North Downs Way called “Inspiring Views” which started in 2019. The project was made possible thanks to the donations of the public.

After Chantry Wood, you start your descent to the highlight of this walk, the Silent Pool.

The Silent Pool

Walk down the hill and you pass by the Albury Organic Vinyard.

Just opposite the vineyard, there are a couple of stairs going down to the Silent Pool.

The Silent Pool is a spring source. It is known for its clear water due to the presence of chalk in the spring. Opposite the Silent Pool is another pound called Sherbourne Pond. During hot summer, the spring, unfortunately, can dry up. This was the case when I visited the place. However, when the spring is at its normal level of water, it is an ideal spot for wild swimming.

The water from the Silent Pool is used for the manufacturing of the Silent Pool Gin by the distillery behind the spring.

The spring is also known for its folklore and legends, one of which is that King John drowned the daughter of a woodcutter in the pound and her ghost can be seen at night. During Agatha Christie’s disappearance in December 1926, there were suspicions she may have drowned in the pool.

The Pilgrims’ Way

We continue our Silent Pool walk following the path alongside Sherbourne Pond. You arrive on Shere Road. Cross over the road and take Sherbourne in front of you. On the right, you find the footpath the Pilgrims’ Way.

The 141 miles (227 km) long historical route of the Pilgrim’s Way stretches from Winchester to Canterbury. Following the geography of the terrain, this route was taken by pilgrims wanting to get to Canterbury to see Thomas Beckett’s shrine. Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett was murdered in 1170 by four knights following the orders of King Henry the Young. Thomas was canonised in 1173 by Pope Alexander III and was thereafter venerated as a saint and a martyr.

The current name of the Pilgrim’s Way was given by Ordnance Survey surveyor Edward Renouard James in 1871.

As you walk alongside the Pilgrim’s Way, you pass by Newlands Corner, but this time on the opposite side. You can see across the Nature Reserve fields the place where we stopped for lunch on top of the hill.

Shalford

Continue your walk on the Pilgrim’s Way, passing through woodlands with sandy paths.

Leave the Pilgrim’s Way and the beautiful grassy hills behind. It is now time to get back to Guildford. At the end of the path, cross over Shalford Road. On the opposite side you arrive at Shalford Park where on a totem you can read:

These meads are where part of the Shalford House Estate. The house is gone but the parkland remains, saved for the public pleasure.

The house which was once standing in former Shalford Village was demolished in 1968.

River Wey

On the opposite side of Shalford Park is the River Wey. The 87 miles (140 km) long river takes its source in Alton, Hampshire, and runs to Tilford, Surrey. Walk over the wooden bridge to get to the other bank. On the right bank, there is a mini beach where swimming is possible. However, looking at the colour of the River Wey water, you quickly understand why you only see dogs making the most of the beach and not human beings!

Walk on the towpath alongside the River Wey bordered by luxurious vegetation and dotted with boat houses, until you reach Guildford.

Once in Guildford, make your way to the Britannia on Millmead. With a covered beer garden at the back, this lovely British pub is a great place to end the hike.

Bon appetit!

Silent Pool Walk Map

Do you want to do this walk? Simply download the GPS map by clicking on the button below. Please check my step-by-step guide here to learn how to upload the map onto your navigation app.

Final thoughts on the Silent Pool Walk

If you like Newlands Corner and the Surrey Hills, why not try these walks?

Walks passing by Newlands Corner:

Guildford Circular: A Walk In The North Downs

Shere To Dorking: Walk In The North Downs

For more inspiration, check out my selection fo the best walks in the Surrey hills here.

And you, what is your favourite Surrey Hills walk? Let me know in the comments below.

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