Event Details

Date:	10th October 1999, Start Time 2:15pm
Location:	The Bleak House, Horsell Common, near Woking, Surrey
Organisers:	Ken White, Mavis Harriott, Martin & Karen Gardner
Walk Distance:	3½ miles (5½ Km)

Directions

Nat Grid Ref: TQ016608

The Bleak House is on the A320 (Chertsey Road). From roundabout at Junction 11 of M25 (Chertsey) turn west along A317 (St Peters Way). Follow main road over two more roundabouts towards Woking, after newly made roundabout Pub is about 1/3rd mile on left. Car parking for several cars at side and back.

Location Map:

Route & Question Sheet

ORGANISER'S NOTES:
The early part of this route is across Horsell Common across which many paths criss-cross. Although the directions here are as good as can be given, it was not always easy to provide written clear instructions to identify the path to follow and, on the day, much much chalk was used to mark the route.

This walk was themed on the second world war, the outbreak of which was 60 years ago.

A contrived attack on a Polish Radio Station on the pretext of protecting German emigrants required Great Britain to invoke an old treaty and declare war on Nazi Germany on 3rd September, 1939. What followed was 6 years of harrowing incidents, austerity, bravery, blithe community spirit, epic escapes, sadness, death, misery, disasters, incompetence, great victories and sometimes happiness.

STARTERS 
[“Take me to your Leader”. H.G.Wells or was it N. Chamberlain?]
Clues can be found across front of pub and down its side past out buildings to gate.

1.	Austerity; was a factor felt at home, before, with rationing, during and after the second world war.
2.	Hop farm evacuees gathered round a flaming Spitfire?
3.	Lowest common denominator; first entry into the Army, perhaps?

STAGE I
[B.E.F. forced to retreat in face of ‘Blitzkrieg’ by Panzers.]
Cross main road carefully. Go to right of pub and at ANTHONYS proceed down gravel track to footpath between poles into woods. At wide track turn left. Follow this, through metal gate, after 300 yards on left is the crater, which inspired H. G. Wells to use as the landing place for the Martians in “War of the Worlds”, adjoining marshy land. After 150 yards past a largish lake on left, by a right turn, stage ends.

4.	Surrounded by appeasers Churchill, our new leader, saw a tunnel of light. His order was ‘Go and fight this war.
5.	It seems the gun is loaded with shell or…shot, which the usual rabble followed to get their lot.
6.	Unbroken balustrades, must be unlucky for some, one it appears is no good for the Boche to tie their horses here in arrears.

STAGE II
[After Dunkirk, defence and digging in for victory]
Turn right into woods, keep to main path, (It’s fairly straight!). Ignore track forking right, continue down narrow path slightly left, cross over tracks and continue with hedge & trees left, gorse/heather right. After while small pond will appear on right, bear left here. After fair distance enter woods, pole in path centre where unmade road. Turn left, quickly come to farm entrance on right [April Embers, Young Stroat Farm etc.] Turn at right angles and ‘backtrack’ down left fork. At House on right, (Horse & bull on plaque over door) before crossing culvert bridge to left STAGE ends.

7.	These aren’t the end, they may not even be the beginning of the end, but they might be the ends of the beginning? {Organisers thank Churchill for allowing poetic licence from extract of Tobruk victory speech
8.	Guess her sob changes her life, when telegram is sent to wife?
9.	Is he a G.I.? No, he’s not. Is he beaten? No! Just off it at this point, waiting to go.

STAGE III
[Defence of this ‘Sceptred Isle’ by Hurricanes and Spitfires by the FEW. With the “BLITZ" becoming a daily and nightly horror in the South-East, London and the Midlands].
Veer left over culvert & stream, keeping hedgerow on right, follow path straight ahead. Eventually, come to bridge. STAGE ENDS over bridge.

10.	French Resistance resurrect ‘Thou seek them here, Thou seek them there, It’s in there twice somewhere!
11.	Mulberry harbour departures?
12.	Norwegian wood once a year in Trafalgar Square, a gift for liberating their country, ‘twas only fair.

STAGE IV
[Propaganda machine has us winning. NAZI news gives them the edge. Who’s right?]
From bridge, proceed along twin tracks, over a second bridge. Soon come to warning signs for FAIROAKS AERODROME’S runway. Continue across end of runway, right side. [Shortly, on right, behind conifers, over stream, you will see some dark wooden huts with benches and a picket fence & old fashioned water butt outside. This is the LTFC (London Transport Flying Club). The first & oldest such in Britain.] Keep on path, past buildings onto airport access road. Prior to main road, go right along perimeter road, past workshops. At metal gateway, turn right across car park to “The Prop Coffee Shop” (Halfway stop. Toilets & refreshments until 4.00 p.m.), STAGE ENDS.

13.	Suspenders?
14.	No Sherman this! Not in a Panzer division either.
15.	The Dambusters, 633 Squadron & Twelve o’clock high, Battle of Britain, Memphis Belle and Tora, Tora, Tora nigh.
16.	Ground war? However in the air & at sea it’s obviously turning.

STAGE V
[Singapore falls, Pearl Harbour brings the “Yanks” into conflict].
Leave Coffee Shop and cross car park towards new access road, which is main entrance to airport. Turn right along main road. Turn right into Bonsey’s Lane and continue until Berwin Park on left where STAGE ENDS.

17.	S.A.S. kit?
18.	A Commission bears further examination, you’ve just passed with ‘em.
19.	Churchill’s famous sign added to code …another way to send notes.

STAGE VI
[U-Boats hit Allied convoys Spain, Switzerland & Sweden shelter our S-caped P.O.W.’s]
Continue straight onto woodland path by Berwin Park. Soon you are other end of Runway. Continue through bramble patch to bridge over weir, at newly made gravel path follow line of conifers on left. STAGE ENDS where new fencing begins.

20.	Dangerous directional flow chart, hopefully fanned Pilots with hot feet need these, at least, to land.
21.	“Dirty Dozen”? No! Twice if you’ve seen Approach with care with hearing very keen.
22.	The bells toll for the dog watch in the Navy Pitch mode taking in song madly to keep cave.

STAGE VII
[Normandy landings, upsurge of Resistance activity. Battle of the Bulge. Nearing The end with Italy now overtaken. The German army is moving back from a pincer].
Follow fencing arcing, cross rough road into fenced track. Path widens before house on right. Turn left at unmade road and turn right at end onto gravel road, continue round past Broom Cottage to Main Road where STAGE ENDS. Pub is over road to right.

23.	British Army Doctor attached to Gestapo squad (Stirling stuff? It ends in extracting a S.A.S. bod).
24.	They can come in threes? In the Blitz, one, so we’ve heard say. If lucky, might have taken you alongside Daddy’s way.
25.	Snake angry? Close to 20 feet? Think about it!

Young Walkers Questions

The route and stages are the same as the adult route.

STARTER

STARTER
a.	How many stakes are in front of the pub entrance?
b.	How many Lanterns are there? Hanging on the pub, and where?

STAGE I

c.	This would’ve helped the princess who pricked her finger. Living here she would not have slept for 100 years.
d.	Into big oak trees these grow. Bring some back, for the organisers, to show.
e.	We’ll want what Fir trees sometimes drop to the ground Another lot we’ll want to see in your hand, we’ll be bound

STAGE II

f.	What is underfoot embedded in the sandy footpath?
g.	What’s on the weather vane over the house with the horse and bull over the front door. At end of stage.

STAGE III

h.	What’s on the triangular road sign near runway?
i.	Balloons? What a gas! A lot of hot air if you ask us. The name of one of them will do for us.

STAGE IV

j.	It rhymes with ringa de bell?
k.	What number is on the runway at this end?

STAGE V

l.	Stakes are low. Over the fence give us their two colours.
m.	Sitting on the fence singing, not Michael, nor his brothers. Perhaps a relative built it?

STAGE VI
(Last one for you lot – nearly back at the pub now)

n.	It’s creepy in these woods. Funny things happen. Spooky Pushee Babee to and fro under the trees. In what? Lookee.
o.	Does the wicked witch live here?

Answers

1. THE BLEAK HOUSE.

2. FAMILY BEER GARDEN AND BARBEQUE.

3. ‘PRIVATE’ ON GATE AT REAR OF PUB. DOWN THE SIDE.

4. GREEN NUMBER ONE IN A YELLOW SURROUND ON CONCRETE LAMPPOST.

5. HORSELL (Anagram of SHELL OR) COMMON (Usual rabble)

6. 14 HITCHING RAILS, OR BARRIERS OVERLOOKING CRATER & LAKE,
ONE IS BROKEN LEAVING 13 LEFT STANDING (HENCE “UNLUCKY FOR SOME)

7. ROOTS (They’re either the beginning or the end of a tree or plant.)

8. GORSE BUSHES (Anagram of GUESS HER SOB).

9. PRIVATE TRACK on right of gate to “April Embers” etc.

10. HOUSE(S) ON LEFT (t HOU SE ek written insert twice)

11. DOCK LEAVES on either side of footpath.

12. NORDIC stamped on right hand wooden support rail of first proper footbridge.

13. HANGARS.

14. Green Oil TANK on left hand verge at end of warehouse building before airport access road.

15. FLYING PICTURES on wall of building turning right into airport carpark.

16. THE PROP COFFEE SHOP (Propellers turn on planes & ships – coffee is ground)

17. SPECIALIST AIRBORNE SURVEILLANCE on portacabin building on left as leaving café.

18. FLYING COLOURS just before you come to the new access road.

19. V is the famous sign when added to an anagram of TO CODE makes DOVE-COT, which is in garden of BERWIN PARK on left.

20. RED or ORANGE WINDSOCK at either end of aerodrome.

21. 24 (12 X 2) in white on runway at landing or on a plate, facing you, just before the runway.

22. HMP DOG SECTION – (Anagram of PITCH MODE & SONG)
Training area for guard dogs. Whole phrase required. (Hidden in brambles on left.)

23. M.O.(Army Doctor) S.S.(Gestapo) Stirling (Founder of S.A.S.) Moss. S.A.S. with A taken out.

24. Two padlocks on double gate exit by portaloo & cabin: ABUS on one – PAPAIZ on other.

25. ASP (snake) IRATE (angry). Hydrant plaque on “St. Agnes” with H & underneath 19ft.