Walking Class Hero: The ‘Recce’

Welcome to Walking Class Hero a regular blog about walking and the walking environment. Whether you like walking on your own, with friends or in an organised group this blog will cover it. It’ll embrace walking in cities and towns and villages. Walking in the countryside and along the coast and up hills and down dales. Walking through parks and by rivers and across heath and down and moor. It’ll comment on public rights of way, access to open country, permissive paths, public urban space and countryside protection. Basically if you can walk there it’ll be in this blog.
 

The ‘recce’ (Sunday 17 May 2009)

From the noun reconnaissance [rik-kon-iss-anss]
1. the process of obtaining information about the position and movements of an enemy
2. a preliminary inspection

A mission undertaken to obtain, by visual observation or other detection methods, information about the activities and resources of an enemy or potential enemy, or to secure data concerning the meteorological, hydrographic, or geographic characteristics of a particular area.

One of the joys of walking is the impromptu ‘let’s go for a walk’. You just grab your boots (or trainers) and head for the outdoors. It’s not quite so simple if you’re leading a group walk though. You need to set a date and publicize it. You also have to work out where you’re going for the walk, how people will get there, how long the walk will be, what sort of terrain it will cover, if it’s possible to get from A to B (not too mention C, D E, etc), where you stop for lunch and how people will get home at the end. Some of this stuff you can do from the comfort of your home with maps, guide books or a PC but much of it needs to be done on the ground. One essential component is the ‘recce’ or ‘walk out’ – a dress rehearsal if you like. It can be done on your own but is, like a lot of things, better with a friend.

Looking at the above definition I have to say that despite the hostility of some landowners to walkers I’ve never once encountered an ‘enemy’ when out on a ‘recce’. But sticking with this militaristic theme Clare and I were ‘oscar mike’ (On the Move) at 10.30 am last Sunday morning heading for Dorking, deep in leafy, stockbroker-belt Surrey.

The walk Clare had devised was an 8-miler from Dorking to Leatherhead via Box Hill and then along the river Mole. Public transport at the start and end are essential requirements of all walks hosted by London Ramblers groups. It was a grey old day, either raining or threatening to rain, accompanied by a constant dance of waterproofs on, waterproofs off. Leaving Dorking station you cross a main road and you’re straight into the countryside. Well actually you’re almost immediately at Denbies winery. (Winery might suit some Californian locations but I’m telling you it sounds pretty stupid in Dorking.) Denbies Wine Estate (just as poncy sounding if you ask me) is England’s largest vineyard (now that’s much better) representing 10% of all English plantings. It also has an inordinate number of ‘private’ and ’keep out’ signs. (Although in fairness its footpaths are wide, well marked and completely unobstructed.)

About 40 minutes later we were at the base of Box Hill. Named after the many box trees found growing wild here this National Trust property is a well known beauty spot on the North Downs. The climb is quite steep but the hill is just 172 metres (564 feet) high. Just before the top is a trig point – which of course is a fixed surveying station for geodetic surveying. There are nearly 7500 triangulation pillars in Britain and some people want to ‘bag’ them all. At the summit I celebrated with an ice cream. (Magnum watch – Almond. There are 8 Magnum ice creams worldwide and some people want to eat them all.)

For this walk the top of Box Hill provides the ideal spot for lunch – benches, views – but we pushed on eating as we went. The last part of the descent goes past Box Hill School which confusingly is actually in Mickleham. Now it was a case of finding the River Mole and walking along the valley to Leatherhead. Another task for the ‘recce’ is assessing road crossings and road walking. It’s one thing for 2 of you to negotiate these things but another thing entirely if you think you’ll be leading over 30 people. Along this part of the walk we saw plenty of distinctive silver arrows. These mark the route from Leatherhead to Dorking of the 6 mile Mole Gap Trail.

Leatherhead is mostly famous for being found in the centre of the county and marks the junction of ancient east – west, north – south transport routes and these days as the headquarters of Unilever UK (makers of the aforementioned Magnum).  In 2002 its high street was voted one of the worst in the country but I thought its graffiti was above average. Its transport links are pretty good however, with trains to both Waterloo and Victoria. The walk was exactly 8 miles through very pleasant countryside. If you’d like to go on the real thing just pitch up at 11 am at Dorking station with a packed lunch on Sunday 9 August 2009 and ask for Clare.

More information:

OS Map used – Explorer 146 Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate
Pay less when you order this map here: http://www.ramblers.org.uk/fundraising/shop/anquet-map.htm

Useful links:
o The Ramblers     http://www.ramblers.org.uk/
o Ordnance Survey   http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/
o Dorking    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorking
o Denbies    http://www.denbiesvineyard.co.uk/
o Box Hill    http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-boxhill.htm
o Trig pointing    http://www.trigpointinguk.com/
o Magnum Ice Creams   http://www.mymagnum.co.uk/
o Box Hill School   http://www.boxhillschool.com/
o Mole Gap Trail    http://www.ruralways.org.uk/walking/routes/detail/164
o Leatherhead    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherhead  

Listen to:
http://www.last.fm/music/Ben+Watt/_/On+Box+Hill