Oxted's Railway Intellectuals

Climb the North Downs escarpment and see how the coming of the railway changed village life in Oxted.

Distance 5.6 miles (9km)

Minimum time 3hrs

Ascent/gradient 607ft (185m)

Level of difficulty Medium

Paths Field edge paths, farm tracks, town roads, 12 stiles

Landscape Dramatic chalk downlands and flatter, pastoral scenery

Suggested map aqua3 OS Explorer 146 Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate

Start/finish TQ 395529

Dog friendliness Good on Downs, around Oxted dogs must be on leads

Parking Ellice Road car park, off Station Road East, Oxted

Public toilets At car park

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Directions
Background
Information

1 Walk down Station Road East from the Ellice Road car park in Oxted. Turn left when you get to Gresham Road, then turn right at the top into Bluehouse Lane. Lastly, turn left again into Park Road and, at the bend, continue up the signposted public footpath towards Woldingham. Cross the stile beyond the school playing fields, and head across the field towards the footbridge over the intrusively noisy M25 motorway.

2 Cross the motorway, bear left, and follow the path to the stile. Nip over, and swing left onto the North Downs Way National Trail. Follow the waymarked trail across Chalkpit Lane and past the quarry fencing, until it swings to the right for the assault on the North Downs ridge. Climb as far as the waymark post beyond the wicket gate, and bear left into the National Trust's Oxted Downs estate.

3 Follow the path as it burrows through the trees, cross the stile, and turn hard right up a flight of rustic steps. Don't miss the view from the seat halfway up, directly above the railway tunnel. Swing left at the top of the steps, and follow the National Trail to the road at Ganger's Hill.

4 Turn left, and drop back down the public footpath towards Oxted. Join the bridleway half-way down, and carry on across the bridge over the M25 onto the lane past Barrow Green Court. Cross over Barrow Green Road, squeeze through the wicket gate, then follow the footpath along the edge of the field past Townland Pond and out onto Sandy Lane.

5 Turn right, pass underneath the A25, and cross Oxted High Street at the Old Bell Inn. Follow Beadles Lane for 200yds (183m), then turn left into Springfield and fork off onto a footpath on the right. Drop gently down to Spring Lane, and the picturesque Oxted Mill (privately owned).

6 A 500yd (457m) diversion leads you to the Haycutter pub. Cross straight over Spring Lane, zig-zag right and left, then take the waymarked path through the meadows to the pub. The main route turns left past the mill, and left again over the stile at the weir. Follow the path through to Woodhurst Lane, and turn left. Fork left up the narrow footpath at Woodhurst Park, and cross the A25 into East Hill Road. At the foot of the hill, turn right up Station Road West, then dive through the station subway at the top. Finally, turn right into Station Road East to return to the start of your walk.

If Swindon or Crewe is your idea of a railway town, then you're in for a surprise. The railway came late to the medieval village of Oxted - just how late, we'll see in a moment - but it didn't destroy the character of the place. Instead, when Oxted expanded to embrace the new arrival, it developed its own unique style.

To begin with, it looked as though Oxted wouldn't get a railway at all. Parliament had authorised an independent line between Croydon and Royal Tunbridge Wells in 1865 but, in all but name, it was part of a turf war between two powerful companies competing for traffic between London and Hastings. Parts of the line were actually built, including the tunnel that you'll see on the walk. But there were all kinds of difficulties, including a riot against the contractor's Belgian workforce, and work was abandoned around 1870.

Years passed and, in 1878, Parliament approved new proposals for a railway linking Croydon, Oxted and East Grinstead. This time, the old rivals were working in partnership. The new scheme took over the abandoned works from the 1860s, and construction went ahead smoothly. After a wait of almost 20 years, the line through Oxted finally opened in March, 1884.

By coincidence, the Fabian Society of socialist thinkers was formed in the same year. One of its founder members was Edward Pease, who lived at nearby Limpsfield. He and others soon discovered that they could now live in a house in the country without having to cut themselves off from London society. Intellectuals such as DH Lawrence, George Bernard Shaw and Sidney and Beatrice Webb were amongst many who used the railway to attend Fabian gatherings in the area. The author Hilaire Belloc also used the railway - though he didn't come by train. In his book The Old Road, Belloc describes how he set out to prove the route of the Pilgrim's Way by walking the track from Winchester to Canterbury himself. He reached the cutting near Oxted tunnel at nightfall, and stumbled down the railway line in search of an inn.

As the area's popularity grew, the railway became the natural focus for expansion. From the dawn of the 20th century, right through to the 1930s, the Williams family of local builders developed the 'Oxted Mock Tudor' style to blend the new town with the half-timbered Tudor buildings of Old Oxted. The National Westminster Bank in Station Road East is a good example, but my own favourite is the Plaza cinema in Station Road West, built in 1930. You'll pass them both, near the start and finish of the walk, and you can compare them with the real thing on your way up through Old Oxted.

Where to eat and drink

On the High Street in Old Oxted, the Old Bell is a standard carvery-style pub with a heavily beamed Tudor interior. They also serve meals in a bar area where dogs are welcome. Nearby and also on the High Street is the George Inn, a relaxed and genteel pub with old beams, an excellent selection of real ales and a wide range of bar food. In Broadham Green the Haycutter is an unpretentious country pub, popular with locals. The food is traditional and worth waiting for. There's a garden and they serve mainstream real ales.

While you're there

The big draw in the area is undoubtedly Winston Churchill's home at Chartwell, to the south of Westerham. This country house, set in delightful gardens, is strongly evocative of the wartime leader and contains many mementos of his illustrious career. Owned by the National Trust there is the usual tea room and gift shop as well as excellent facilities for children.