Get Ready For Guildford Walkfest This September

Published on: 12 Aug, 2021
Updated on: 14 Aug, 2021

This September sees the return of Guildford Walkfest, the annual celebration of walking in and around our beautiful borough.

With more than 50 organised walks across the borough, this year’s festival has been branded Walking for Wellbeing, with the accent firmly on the positive benefits of walking for mental and physical health.

The month-long series runs throughout September with walks led by experienced members of local clubs and associations including Guildford Rambling Club, the Town Guides, Guildford Ramblers and Walking for Health.

Let’s go walking this September.

All ages and abilities have been considered and many of the walks are both family and dog friendly, but it is always best to check before starting and details of every walk are available on the Walkfest website www.guildfordwalkfest.co.uk

Examples include, a walk to discover the birdlife at the Riverside Nature Reserve near Burpham, on Thursday, September 2, led by Margot Scott of the Guildford & District branch of the RSPB.

Walk leader and guide David Rose.

On Friday, September 17, local historian and writer David Rose is leading a walk from Guildford town centre taking in a visit to The Spike Heritage Centre in Charlotteville, and on to Pewley Down, The Chantries, Shalford Park and back. The focus is on those casual workers and vagrants who once tramped through the countryside from town to town staying for a night at what were the casual wards of local workhouses.

Further afield, there is an easy four-mile circular walk from Pirbright to Sheets Heath incorporating part of the Basingstoke Canal, on Wednesday, September 22, hosted and led by the Surrey Hills Society.

Starting in the centre of Pirbright, there will be a brief look at the military cemetery before heading down to Basingstoke Canal and then across to Sheets Heath, than back along the canal before returning along quiet lanes and fields visiting the churchyard of St Michael’s and All Angels Pirbright, the resting place of the explorer Henry Morton Stanley.

Guildford ramblers will be leading an 11-mile walk around Albury, Blackheath and Chilworth on Saturday, September 25.

The Muddy Boots group invites people to join them on an easy flat walk enjoying the woodland, grasslands, ponds and open heath of Whitmoor Common, Worplesdon, on Monday, September 20.

And the Guildford Town Guides are leading a number of walks with themes including Fake or Fortune on Tuesday, September 7; Guildford Story, Saturday, September 11; Military History, Tuesday, September 14; Leading Lights Wednesday, September 15; Guildford Markets, Friday, September 17; Kings, Worthies & Scoundrels, Sunday, September 19; Made in Guildford, Tuesday, September 28.

The programme of walks and much of the organisation has once again this year been the work of stalwarts of the walking community, all bringing their experience and knowledge of the local area, its history and of course beautiful sights and sounds.

Among those contributing to the various blogs and articles to be found on the Walkfest website are Amanda Thoden van Velzen, the highly respected owner of Calmer Thoughts, a business dedicated to helping people to reduce stress and enjoy life.

Once again this year, James Avery, managing director of Bevan Wilson Physiotherapy, will be lending his expertise and know-how to proceedings with handy tips and advice about all things physical.

James treats many elite athletes and is a familiar face to hundreds of clients at Bevan Wilson clinics across Guildford and the villages.

Other supporters include Experience Guildford and The Guildford Dragon NEWS, with a number of shops including Moffats, Fitstuff and Rohan, offering discount to walkers throughout September.

Enjoying the countryside with Guildford Walkfest 2021.

Walkest director Christine Howard is looking forward to welcoming everyone to this year’s event. She said: “Walking is such fabulous exercise for people of all ages and abilities, to be able to get outside and enjoy the wonderful area that we are lucky to live in is a real privilege and I can’t wait to see old friends and hopefully, meet some new ones.”

Walk details can be found at the Walkfest website, booking is essential as numbers on walks are limited and will fill up quickly.