Dorcap two

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Part two of a two-leg walk from Horsham to Dorking - DORCAP Two. 21-08-2023.

Heading out of Capel, the first part of the walk is a pleasant section across fields, all well marked. Through Beare Green, the route is along a roadside pavement which continues beside the busy A24 for about 500m until just past the petrol station. It also passes the old Duke's Head pub which is now permanently closed and in the process of being converted into houses. That was the second lost pub I passed on the route from Horsham to Dorking . A sign of the times sadly.

The footpath away from the A24 at Garston's Farm is well way-marked to the railway crossing. This is not a busy railway line so the crossing is straightforward. Once across, you come into a large field which is crossed by a footpath and a bridlepath. Neither were obvious on the ground. When I walked across, the field only contained stubble, but this may be more difficult when the crop is growing as it didn't look as though the farmer cuts out the paths.

The route then takes you into Holmwood Common, an area criss-crossed with paths and trails where you can pretty much ramble where you like. I found it a bit tricky sticking to the route marked on the map and was reliant on sat-nav to make sure I was heading in the right general direction. That might just be my issue as I always get lost in these sorts of places. It is similar to Ashdown Forest though not nearly so extensive.

You emerge from Holmwood Common by the church on the edge of North Holmwood. From there it is fairly straight forward to follow the paths through the housing estates and along Bents Brook to the crossing over the A24. This is a busy road but there is a refuge halfway across. The path then climbs into the woods around Tower Hill to emerge into a little meadow with a nice view across the valley to Ranmore Common on the North Downs.

The final section is downhill to arrive at Dorking High Street right next to Sainsburys. The railway stations are about a mile away to the East. Dorking is an attractive town with all the amenities.

The route itself loses a star for me because of the road section around Beare Green and the confusion of paths through Holmwood Common. The Common is an attractive nature reserve but not terribly easy to navigate your way through. The service station on the A24 and Ruby's Cafe near Rugge Farm, Beare Green are your only pit stop opportunities. The railway crossing in particular (photo#4) shows the route is not suitable for wheels. There are also plenty of other stiles along the way.

I walked from Capel to Dorking.
Past Capel's beautiful church into fields, past Ruby's Café then along a busy road with a good pavement, Just past a petrol station (coffee!) there's a turn into more open fields. There is a railway line to cross before entering Holmwood Common, a beautiful woodland. Lots of criss-cross paths so pay attention to the route. Good paths along Bents Brook and through Glory wood before entering Dorking suburbs to the town centre.
High stiles, steps, narrow paths, rail crossing, gates, kissing gates, narrow bridges are many, including mud-step-stile-bridge combinations. Some paths across fields are not clear. There are some very steep parts. Not for wheels. There are benches for resting.
This is an excellent rewarding walk with lots of variety both natural and architectural.

Too Many Chefs café in Dorking will re-fill your water bottle for free.
The station for Capel is at Ockley, just under 1km away, there is a footpath across fields from the dual carriageway crossing point to the church in Capel.

I walked this on an mostly overcast Saturday morning, from Dorking to Capel.

The route climbs out of Dorking pretty quickly before going up the hill to The Glory Wood, with delightful paths. It then follows Brent Brook for a bit, after which a large portion is through the woods of Holmwood Common. There there is route straight over a field towards a level crossing with the railway. Then there are then some fields (with cows), before having to walk a brief section along the A24, which is the least pleasant bit. Then there are more fields with more cows (so many cows)! The route then finished in the little village of Capel, with a pub. Very enjoyable!.

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