The Ramblings of a Guildford Rambler – Round and About Puttenham

Published on: 15 Sep, 2014
Updated on: 24 Sep, 2014

Guildford ramblers

By Kay Hiatt

A country walk through beautiful Surrey countryside on a lovely day with good company. What more could you want?

It was a glorious September day and a large group of Guildford Ramblers, one of the many Rambling Association’s groups found in Surrey, assembled in the Tarn car park Cutmill, near Puttenham.

As on all our walks, the walk leader presented a short introduction about the route about to be taken.

The peaceful Tarn Pond was already being fished by a number of keen local fisherman, as was the Cutmill Pond nearby.

We soon found ourselves walking up quite a steep sandy path through a lovely wood, accompanied by birdsong and sunshine filtering through the leaves. This was followed by the spectacular North Downs Way and more lovely views.

Then a delicious lunch at The Good Intent pub in Puttenham. The walk was approx 5.5 miles (grid refence SU910455).

The fly agaric perhaps the classic toadstool spotted on our walk.

The fly agaric, the classic toadstool spotted on our walk.

The walks give us a good opportunity to do a bit of nature spotting. We saw a good specimen of the Fly Agaric fungi, the classic toadstool to many of us. It is a highly poisonous but easily recognisable with its bright red cap with fluffy white spots. The name derives from its use as a fly killer since medieval time! It was spotted in woods on the Hampton Estate near Puttenham.

Ivy in flower

This spectacular flowering Ivy was seen growing in a sunny hedge also on the Hampton Estate, near Puttenham. The flowers of the common place evergreen, sometimes a pest in gardens,

serve as an excellent source of nectar for insects.

Anyone in Guildford interested in joining The Ramblers should visit their website at http://www.guildfordramblers.org.uk.”

Kay Hiatt is the Publicity Officer for the Guildford Ramblers.