In 2020 Dorking NWR decided to walk the entire Surrey stretch of the Greensand Way, a long-distance footpath which passes through the town, and coincidentally is 60 miles long. This seemed a good way of celebrating NWR’s Diamond Jubilee.
The walk was divided into 10 sections which were to be done over 10 months. The first stage from Haselmere was started valiantly in February 2020 with several members of other groups joining in on a beautiful crisp winter’s day. The March expedition was literally a wash out with such torrential rain that only a few soggy yet hardy ladies completed it. Then came the pandemic which put a stop to everything. A linear walk inevitably means sharing lifts to get from the finish back to the cars at the start, so it was with some imaginative transport that between lockdowns we were still able to complete two local sections through Dorking, but no more.
Eventually in the summer of 2021, as the restrictions were relaxed and people began to feel more confident about sharing lifts, the challenge was restarted. It was decided to keep the group small for covid safety reasons, sadly without the wider invitation to other groups as was envisaged at the start, except for two determined ladies, from Godalming who have joined the Dorking walkers for most of the sections. Members walked in all weathers but mostly dry, they enjoyed beautiful scenery and views, great company and especially the lunch in a pub at the end. The final leg of the challenge to the border with Kent was completed in November 2021, with some regret, so a new challenge will now have to be found.