Dorlea one

Verified Slow Way

Verified by 100.00% of reviewers

I walked from Dorking to Leatherhead.
This is a lovely walk. Past the church in Dorking and quickly into open countryside. Huge vineyard to start with open skies then down a narrow passage through Westhumble. Then parallel to the rail and the River Mole. You follow the Mole Gap Trail, the signs are stainless steel embedded in posts, bridges and even the road tarmac, very nice but hard to spot sometimes. Through livestock fields with livestock and mud. Then into a beautiful woodland on a hillside.
Here there is an mapping error, you have to go down a steep hill, over then under the rail line. The turning is marked in steel in the road tarmac, follow the sign not the map (see picture).
Keep following the Mole and the signs all the way to Leatherhead and cross the bridge to the town centre.
Lots of stiles, gates, kissing gates, mud and bridges, not suitable for wheels.
I agree with the previous reviewers a very nice varied walk with views and waterside paths.

I walked this on a warm overcast Saturday afternoon from Dorking to Leatherhead.
It's a delightful walk along the river Mole and through Denby's wine estate. There are quite a few stiles, but the route, although it has some steep parts, is easy enough. I am giving it 4 stars due to a little more town walking in Dorking that I was happy with.

Nice fairly steady walk. Only a couple of steeper parts but nothing unmanageable, plenty of scenic views. Picnic spot in the middle and a number of pubs near the route if you need a refreshment stop! Follows the Mole Gap Trail which is well signposted.

A lot of this route is through open fields, so in the winter/early spring might be quite muddy and slippery. Would recommend boots with good grip rather than trying to take alternatives. But there are some really nice parts to it that go through woodland and can offer some nice, open views. A lot of gates because it goes through grazing areas, so will not be accessible for those with prams and/or wheelchairs.

This route predominantly follows the “Mole Gap Trail”; a recreational route which follows the River Mole as it bisects the North Downs. Geography aficionados will be interested to see a number of features on route, including the floodplain, meanders, and the severed, dried up remains of an oxbow lake (see picture, though I cannot verify the extent to which this landform has been managed I.e. is it natural or artificial). There are a number of kissing gates which will limit accessibility for disabled users, but the terrain is unchallenging. While it should go without saying, I would advise all dog walkers to keep their dogs under close control, as the route skirts around and transits through a number of fields actively being used for grazing. Overall, a relatively easy, scenic route which links two significant towns in the Surrey Hills area and offers a nice alternative to the numerous transport links between them. Happy to verify.

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