No watering holes, no worries

Walking around Woldingham’s glorious Marden Park is challenging for the choir as it’s difficult to find watering holes in the required places. However a select group of four were not to be beaten as they left the William Garland pub in the centre of Caterham on May 27 for the short walk up to navigator Dave Bannister’s house. There they hopped into John Parker’s car for the short journey up to where the North Downs Way crossed the A22.

Three of the Woldingham Four (Photo John Parker)

The clear National Trail led up past Godstone Vineyard and South Lodge to a dramatic viewpoint overlooking the Weald. Then it meandered through woodland until it emerged at another dramatic spot which some of the party remembered from a notorious walk a year earlier. They reminisced about climbing the “Hill of Death” from Oxted far below. On the previous walk the group had sacrificed their hard-won height by following the NDW down steep steps above the railway tunnel.

The Hill of Death looms (photo John Parker)

This time we turned left and were soon at the North Downs Golf Club. This is the only welcoming refreshment stop in Woldingham since the closure of the Hop Pole in the 1890s, due to rowdy behaviour by railway workers.

The group of four were delighted to be greeted by John Marshall. An injury had restricted his walking range and he had made his own way to the club from the William Garland via Woldingham Station. The five-strong group enjoyed a beer and set off together for the return journey, pausing for a selfie beside the tiny St Agatha’s Church before John peeled off for his own route back. 

The four become five (selfie by John Parker)

The original four followed the woodland path down to and around Woldingham School before ascending into open fields overlooking the rolling downland of Marden Park. Caution was required as they shared these fields with numerous cows and their calves but the group arrived safely back at JP’s car. Shortly afterwards  they were reunited with John Marshall for the first outside dinner of the year at the William Garland.

Report by Dave Bannister