What a tremendous turnout for our annual Walk off Your Christmas Puddings walk!  About 55 people congregated at the March Hare in Guildford.

After all the rain we have had recently, there was inevitably a little bit of mud to negotiate, but overall the walk was remarkably dry. It was great to see some new faces, and several people I spoke to said that they just hadn’t realised that there was such beautiful countryside, a few minutes walk from the centre of Guildford.

From the Chantries, our walk leader, Pete Lambert, led us towards Pewley Down through pleasant green fields below Halfpenny Lane where we admired some very impressive houses in the distance .

With so many people joining us, we met quite a few walkers, who wanted to know who we were. It was great that so many immediately knew of the Surrey Hills Society and recognised the work that the Society does for our precious landscape.

On the top of Pewley Down we drank in further wonderful views and we were able to see some of the work that is being done by the Pewley Down Volunteers, who clear areas to protect the habitat of the small blue butterfly, by encouraging the growth of kidney vetch that is essential food for its caterpillars.

From here it was a short walk back to Guildford and a well deserved mulled wine at the Keep Pub. By the end we all felt we had at least done something towards counteracting our Christmas feasting and we really couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy a mild Christmas morning out walking in our special Surrey Hills

.

Thank you to all the volunteers, who assisted with the organisation of our last walk of the year.

A very Happy New Year to everyone.

Gordon Jackson, Chairman

Volunteer leaders Chris Howard and Charlotte Choi led the group, while Jeff Holliday and Ken Bare kept the mulled punch and mince pies flowing. Chris said ” we had such a range of people come from a mum and 7 month old baby, to a mum with three grown up daughters who come every year to our wreath making.  It is one of their  family’s little treats over the festive season.”

Chris also explained that with all the talk about Climate change and habitat loss, it was important to cherish our wonderful native plants like holly and ivy.  The prickly holly makes a great hiding place for small birds, and the berries a natural food source. The ivy flowers late in the autumn so is a great source of nectar for insects, as well as great nesting sites for birds in the summer. Chris added “I encourage the participants to plant holly, ivy and yew in their gardens, so not only can they decorate their houses festively and cheaply at Christmas time, but they are also helping to sustain this counties wildlife all year round.

The next event in our festive season line up is a walk around Guildford on 27th December, called “Walk off your Christmas Pudding” led by Pete Lambert. 

Getting into the festive spirit in the Surrey Hills

For the 11^th consecutive year, the Surrey Hills Society have walked from Belmont School to Holmbury Hill, near Dorking, as part of their festive season celebrations. Originally designed as one off event for the charity’s members, it was requested again the following year and then again, until it became a regular festive date in our packed events calendar.

All proceeds from the walk go to support the work of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which covers about a quarter of our county. Over the years the event has raised well over £1,000 for our charity, thanks to the generosity of Belmont School, who have hosted the mulled wine and mince pies at the end of the walk.  The main building of the school is a Victorian Arts and Crafts designed house, created for Edwin Waterhouse – one of the founders of Waterhouse Coopers, the internationally known business consultancy firm. The house, originally called Feldemore, contains beautiful elements, including a tapestry by William Morris and De Morgan tiles.

Chairman of the Society, Gordon Jackson commented that “it is always such a pleasure to come to Belmont School and see the beautiful Arts and Crafts designs in this building, as well as see how the children have decorated their school each December.

The Surrey Hills Society has an eclectic mix of events and activities throughout the year which showcase all aspects of the Surrey Hills AONB, from its wildlife and conservation work, to its interesting architecture, music and cultural activities which includes walks, talks, visits and practical volunteering.

New members are always welcome – why not make 2020 your year to get out and about learning more about our wonderful county?  See surreyhillssociety.org for more details.