Sheet Walk on 18th October 2023

The plan was to have our Annual General Meeting at The Half Moon in Sheet after a short 4 mile walk led by Denis, based on his local knowledge. The route had also been pre-walked by other members and coincidentally, by a Hash Harriers group who had left piles of sawdust at convenient points.

Everything went to plan as we assembled in The Half Moon pub car park, fastened ourselves into our showerproof gear and headed up Mill Lane, taking time to look at the diminutive River Rother. The footpath off the lane took us across freshly mown fields, past a swing that we felt obliged to try out and having passed the stress test allowed us to move on across more fields beside the hedgerows and over the Portsmouth to London railway line. After crossing a busy golf course we reached Farnham Lane and walked under the A3 and at this point we turned off the road, taking the footpath down to Ashford Stream. We then looped back onto Shipwrights Way, up to Downgate Farm, through a copse, crossed Ashford Stream, passed Steep Farm, skirted Northfield Wood where we had a coffee break, and then onto Church Road.

Turning off past All Saints Church onto Hangers Way we walked along the boundary of Bedales School where we learned of some of the alumni before recrossing the A3. Tilmore Road and Reservoir Lane took us back to the railway and a level crossing (some walkers who had got ahead of themselves went to cross the line before being called back!) so we could walk along Long Road and use the level crossing on School Lane. Passing The Church of Saint Mary Magdalen and The Queens Head we turned into the Recreation ground as a short cut back to the rear of The Half Moon for our AGM and buffet lunch.