Fancy some autumn colours? Before all the trees get naked, hurry up and get to the National Trust Winkworth Arboretum for the perfect autumn walk. From green, brown, yellow and red colours, the park offers a kaleidoscope of colours for the pleasure of the eye of the little ones and the grown-ups. And if you are a hiker (which I guess you might be if you are reading this), why not add some distance and make it a hike from Witley to Godalming passing by the Winkworth Arboretum! Sounds good? So, let’s get to it.
I was looking for that perfect autumn walk, and one of my friends messaged me about the National Trust Winkworth Arboretum. There we go, I was sold! The hike takes you from Witley to Godalming passing by the Winkworth Arboretum. Want to do the same hike? Here is what you need to know.
Disclaimer: Some hiking groups may offer the same or similar walks passing through the Winkworth Arboretum. Find out more here.
Logistics for the Winkworth Arboretum Walk
- Distance: 9.85 miles (15.85 km)
- Total Ascent: 250 m
- Highest Point: 545 ft (116 m)
- Lowest Point: 118 ft (36 m)
- Walking Estimate: About 4 hours
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- How to get there:
- Train from London Waterloo to Witley. It takes 1 hour by direct train.
- Direct train from Godalming to Waterloo. The journey takes just under 1 hour.
- The inbound and outbound journeys are on the same train line so you can book a day return ticket.
- Please note that there is a train approximately every 20 minutes on Saturdays and twice per hour on Sundays.
- What to pack:
- Comfortable footwear and clothing
- Gaiters as the path can be really muddy during the Autumn season
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and head cover, if you are going on a bright day as some parts of the hike, are exposed
- Rain gear if you are going on a rainy day
- Water (at least 2L recommended),
- Snacks, lunch and money for a coffee at the Winkworth Arboretum and the pub at the end
- Additional Information
- Public toilets are available at the Winkworth Arboretum
- Where to eat and drink:
- Arbor Tea Room, Winkowrth Arboretum, Surrey
- The Star Inn, Godalming, Surrey
The Highlight of the Winkworth Arboretum Walk
- Witley
- Hambledon
- Winkworth Arboretum
- Godalming
- The Star Pub and its amazing Halloween Decoration
The Winkworth Arboretum Walk
As much as it is not a long walk, I classed it as an intermediate hike due to the undulating terrain. It is not too steep but you will be going up and down multiple times so if you haven’t hiked before, you might find it a bit challenging.
Witley to Hambledon
You start the walk in the village of Witley, Surrey. Bordered by farmland and Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the village is composed of traditional timbered framed houses and cottages. It is the home of the Witley Manor and the Oxenford Grange.
Fun fact: Witley inspired Ian Flemming’s 9th James Bond book, Thunderball when James Bond visits Shrubland Health farm.
Walk on the road alongside the rail tracks and then turn to get into the forest as you reach Sweetwater Pound. Walk across Buss’s Common and as you get to the top of the hill, you can admire the view over the valley.
This is the ideal spot for a quick snack and photo break, before going back on the trail. A little bit further, you find yourself face to face with a hill at the bottom of Hambledon village. One big push and you discover the lovely St Peter & St Paul church nested at the top.
Hambledon village is surrounded by fields and woodland. The church was originally built during the eleventh century and had many additions over the centuries.
Hambledon to Winkworth Arboretum
After leaving the village, you walk across green lush fields and meadows.
You then arrive in the forested area of Holloways Heath. Walk across the woods and then onto the fields until you reach the National Trust Winkworth Arboretum park.
Winkworth Arboretum is a 95 hectares of garden created by Dr Wilfrid Fox in 1938. He acquired the land and planted carefully over 1000 species of trees to enhance the beauty of the autumnal colours. The park is a good hill walking exercise with all the slopes and stairs. At the bottom, you find a lake with an impressive view over the site.
Take the time to roam across the park. With a coffee shop and public toilets, it is the ideal place for either a late lunch or a snack break if you already had your lunch. When I did this hike we had our lunch break in a clearing in Holloways Heath woods.
Winkworth Arboretum to Godalming
When you are leaving a park, there is a part of the walk where you need to be on the road, and there is no sidewalk! This means you would have to pull over on one side to let the cars go. It’s not the funniest part of this hike, but it is necessary to get to the public footpath leading to the Munstead woods.
As you are walking on the edge of the woods, you can admire the view of the undulating landscape.
Come out of the forest and take the path going through a residential area with lovely cottages. At the end of the road is Godalming. But first, you need to pass the lock on the River Wey.
Cross over the bridge and go down the stairs to get to the bank and follow the path along the river. When you arrive at Bridge Road, leave the river path to get to the historic market town of Godalming. With a history going all the way back to the Saxon times, Godalming is nowadays an affluent residential area voted UK’s fourth best place to live in. The town has kept its traditional appearance, making it a go-to choice for movie and TV shooting locations.
Related Content: Guilford Circular
From there, you have two choices: you can either make your way to the train station (as shown on the map below) to go back to London or you can choose to stay a bit longer, roam around the town and hit the pub. If you opt for the latter, I advise you to go to the Star pub, serving beer since 1832! If you are going during the month of October, the Start won’t disappoint you with its amazing Halloween decoration. From a body on the snooker table to a bloody corpse bag hanging from a tree in the beer garden, even the flower pots have been Halloweenified. Bon appetit!
Map of the Winkworth Arboretum Walk
Fancy adding some colours to your walks? Here is the map of the hike from Witley to Godalming passing by the Winkworth Arboretum. You can download the map by clicking on the button below. Please note the map is in GPX format. If you want to upload it on your navigation app on your phone, please follow my step-by-step guide here.
Final Thoughts
The Winkworth Arboretum walk is the MUST DO autumn walk. From the tree colours to the lake, the environment in the park really has that pre-Christmas feel. Perfect for an afternoon with kids, dogs or friends, grab a hot drink a hat and your wellington boots for the perfect autumn walk.
For more inspiration about where to go for a hike in the Surrey Hills area, check out my selection of the Best Surrey Hills walks here.
Have you been to Winkworth Arboretum? If so, let me know what route you did in the comment below!
