Guildford Walkfest Is Back And It’s Bigger Than Ever!

Published on: 19 Aug, 2017
Updated on: 22 Aug, 2017

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

Guildford Walkfest offers walks for all ages and abilities.

More than 60 organised walks will take place this year and for the first time ever the event has been expanded for the entire month to meet an ever increasing demand from people of all ages keen to explore the town, villages and countryside on our doorstep.

Walks range from the energetic to the quirky, the 12-mile North Downs Way walk on Friday, September 29, to the rather less strenuous Challengers Netwalking ‘Jabber-Walky’ stroll exploring the Town’s links with Lewis Carroll on the Thursday, September 28.

The month long series begins on Saturday, September 2, with a fivemile walk around Worplesdon and Rickford Commons waved off by the Mayor of Guildford, Nigel Manning and concludes on the Sunday, October 1, with three walks on the same day.

Walks are led by experienced members of local clubs and associations including Guildford Rambling Club, the Town Guides, Guildford Ramblers and Walking for Health.

Local historian and Guildford Dragon NEWS writer David Rose will be leading four history walks – three in the Park Barn and Westborough area and one from Bellfields taking in Stringers Common.

Walkers pictured on Westborough’s ‘reservoir hill’ during a walk led by David Rose in September 2016.

David said: “Once again I will be leading walks I have devised that look at the Roman history on Broadstreet Common, Guildford’s Medieval royal deer park and the development of today’s housing to the north-west of Guildford and the University of Surrey’s Manor Park Campus and the Surrey Research Park. Plus, I have added a new walk that will give people an insight into what is today’s Bellfields estate and the little-known Stringers Common that borders it.”

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.

The programme of walks and much of the organisation has once again this year been the work of stalwarts of the walking community.

The event is once again sponsored by Bevan Wilson Physiotherapy, The Guildford Dragon NEWS, Experience Guildford and Guildford Borough Council with many shops in the area, including Food For Thought, Rohan, Mountain Warehouse, Fitstuff and Field & Trek offering discounts of up to 20% throughout the month for walkers.

They’re ready to lead you and go on some great healthy and interesting walks this September!

Cllr Iseult Roche, lead councillor for Project Aspire, health, safeguarding and sport said: “It’s really exciting that Walkfest will now be a whole month long, due to so much interest from the public and walk leaders.

“This year a real effort has been made to make the walks as inclusive as possible. We want people to get out and enjoy the beautiful area that we are lucky enough to live in, and enjoy the undoubted physical and mental health benefits of walking.”