Guildford Walkfest Well Under Way – Come And Join in!

Published on: 22 Sep, 2016
Updated on: 22 Sep, 2016

Guildford Walkfest 2016 is well under way with plenty of great walks everyone can enjoy and take part in for free.

Now in its tenth year, the annual festival (that runs until October 2) hosts led walks throughout the borough sponsored by Guildford Borough Council, Experience Guildford and Bevan Wilson Physiotherapy.

The Mayor of Guildford, Gordon Jackson, enjoyed a walk led by the council’s countryside team, and Guildford Dragon NEWS writer and local historian David Rose led walks on Saturday and Sunday (September 17 and 18) as part of his role as co-ordinator of the Joining In! project in Guildford’s Westborough ward.

The walkers who enjoyed a walk led by David Rose (fourth from left) on Saturday, September 17. They are pictured by a piece of public art at the entrance to the University of Surrey’s Manor Farm campus. Picture by Lewis Broughton.

On Saturday, he led a group from the Park Barn Social Centre on a circular walk titled Tracing A Medieval Deer Park. It went to the University of Surrey’s Manor Park campus where, not far from the Surrey Sports Park, there is the remains of a moat that once surrounded a manor house, where, in medieval times, royalty came to hunt deer.

The whole area that now includes Onslow Village, Westborough, Park Barn and parts of Stoughton and was once an enclosed deer park. Of some 1,600 acres, it was once surrounded by a ditch and a large made-made earth bank with pallisade fencing on top. Wild deer were enticed in through gaps in the fence, but were unable to get out.

Checking some historical details on the walk led by David Rose that included the site of a medieval manor house. Picture by Lewis Broughton.

On the walk David explained the deer park and how when it became disused in later centuries parcels of land were sold off to replaced by farms, and following them the areas of housing here today.

He was joined by his friend Chris Quinn, who took part in an archaelogical dig of the manor house site in the 1970s (now a scheduled ancient monument). Chris gave details of the dig and pointed out the remains of the moat that can be glimpsed through the trees from the public footpath.

David Rose (left) and Chris Quinn give details of the medieval royal deer park. Picture by Lewis Broughton.

The walk also went around the Surrey Research Park before returning back to the starting point.

The walkers on Saturday at one of the two lakes on the Surrey Research Park. It is full of carp! Picture by Lewis Broughton.

On Sunday, David led an extra walk to Walkfest by popular demand, titled In the Footsteps of the Romans. Again starting from the Park Barn Social Centre, this circular walk went across Broadstreet Common where archaeologists have found remains of a Roman villa and farm.

The group who went on Daviud walk on Sunday, September 18, that focused on the Roman settlement on Broadstreet Common. Picture by David Rose.

The walk continued through Park Barn and Westborough and over ‘reservoir hill’ with some great views looking northwards, where, on clear days the London skyline can be seen.

David will be repeating the ‘Roman’ walk this Friday, September 23, starting at the Park Barn Social Centre, off Park Barn Drive, GU2 8EN, at 10.30am – all welcome to attend. It is about three miles in length.

On Thursday, September 29, he will be leading a one-mile circular walk around the Westborough Trim Trail, also starting from the Park Barn Social Centre, this time at 2pm. Lots of local history details will be given.

David said: “The history that can be found in this part of Guildford is amazing. And even more so as so many people don’t know much about it.

“Academic archaeologists seem to pass off the Roman settlement on Broadstreet Common as not that important. To me, it’s a very important part of Guildford’s history, as is the medieval deer park. Today’s housing in this part of Guildford is right on the footprint of that royal park. I continue to spread the word about it and I find people are fascinated by it.

“And the great thing about these walks is that people come together, some not knowing each other. And as they walk they soon start chatting to one another – it’s lovely to hear their conversations, making them great social events.”

David also has also produced free self-guided walks leaflets of the three walks. See previous story in which you can download the leaflets.

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