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Limpsfield Common and Limpsfield Chart
Limpsfield Common and Limpsfield Chart
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"A pleasant, easy walk around Limpsfield Common, leading to the old village of Limpsfield Chart"
Walk directions
From the car park, with your back to the road, take the broad (unmarked) path from the far side descending into the woods. It narrows and continues downhill and meets a public bridleway coming from the right (waymarker is hidden by bushes). Bear left, go through a gate and head diagonally left across a field to go through a gate into woodland.
Go along the path and, after some 218yds (200m), reach a gate on the right. Do not go through the gate but take the path (the Vanguard Way) left uphill. Carry straight on at the next waymarker along the public bridleway through woodland. At the next waymarker bear right, following the blue arrow (public bridleway). The path emerges on to a track that leads across a grassy area with some houses to a road. Cross the road and continue ahead with a play area and cricket field to your left. Meet Stoneleigh Road and turn left, go past St Andrew’s Way and continue to the next road junction.
Keep right, walk past the small car park on the left and, after 25yds (23m), turn left, opposite Mill House, along a public footpath (the Greensand Way). Ignore the next path on the left and keep on to the next waymarker, where you bear left following signs for the Greensand Way. Ignore other tracks and continue straight on at other cross-tracks. After a while you will reach a junction of five tracks.
At this convergence of tracks turn sharp left along a path signed ‘Limpsfield Walk’ and ‘Greensand Way’. Continue on this path, following the blue arrows and a ‘Tandridge Border Path’ sign as the path descends to the bottom of a hill. Go straight on past a waymarker, following the blue arrow, and at the next waymarker with yellow arrows turn right. Follow this track until it reaches another waymarker on the right, at which point turn left uphill through trees. The path is signed ‘Tandridge Border Path’. At the top of the hill the course of the path is not clear, but continue ahead. Emerging from the woods meet a track coming from the right. Turn left and return to the car park, taking care when crossing the road.
Terrain
- Fairly wide paths, mostly through woodland
Landscape
- Woodland and some open fields
Dog friendliness
- Plenty of space for dogs to run
Parking
- Moorhouse Bank Car Park, Limpsfield Common
Toilets en route
- None on route, nearest at Ellice Road, Oxted
About the walk
Limpsfield Common is a very ancient area and stone has been quarried here since the times of the Domesday Book. Pottery was made around Limpsfield Chart since the 12th century. Villagers have grazed their animals on the common since the 14th century, which helped to keep the landscape as heathland.... In more recent times, however, grazing has ceased and woodland is increasingly taking over. Conservation efforts are being made to preserve as much open space as possible. The common also has connections with the early days of flying. Samuel Cody, who worked in Farnborough, was keen on the development of kites to help the Army with reconnaissance and some of his early experiments with kites took place on Limpsfield Common in the early 1900s. Cody went on to develop the first manned aircraft in Britain. Musical connections It is worth taking time after this short walk to explore the village of Limpsfield that lies across the other side of the M25 from Limpsfield Common and Limpsfield Chart. It is a beautiful old village with a large number of medieval houses and listed buildings so, not surprisingly, it is a designated conservation area. It is also a village with strong musical connections. Buried in Limpsfield’s 12th-century St Peter’s Church are Frederick Delius and his wife Jelka. Delius lived in France for much of his life, but is still regarded as typically ‘English’. When he died he asked to be buried in a country churchyard in the south of England. Although his body was initially interred in France, it was exhumed and, accompanied by his surviving wife, brought to St Peter’s Church. On the journey Jelka’s health failed and she sadly died just a few days after her husband’s burial. Jelka and Frederick Delius are buried in the same grave in the churchyard at Limpsfield. The burial service was attended by thousands of people and the music was provided by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Sir Thomas Beecham who was a great champion of Delius’s music is also buried in the churchyard and so is Beatrice Harrison, a cellist who worked with both of them. Another well-known person who lived in the village for many years was the cricketer Colin Cowdray.
"A pleasant, easy walk around Limpsfield Common, leading to the old village of Limpsfield Chart"
Walk details
1hr 30min
Difficulty:
Easy
Gradient:
Gentle
Distance:
2.4 miles (3.9kms)
Ascent:
100ft (30m)
Walk directions
From the car park, with your back to the road, take the broad (unmarked) path from the far side descending into the woods. It narrows and continues downhill and meets a public bridleway coming from the right (waymarker is hidden by bushes). Bear left, go through a gate and head diagonally left across a field to go through a gate into woodland.
1 of 4
Go along the path and, after some 218yds (200m), reach a gate on the right. Do not go through the gate but take the path (the Vanguard Way) left uphill. Carry straight on at the next waymarker along the public bridleway through woodland. At the next waymarker bear right, following the blue arrow (public bridleway). The path emerges on to a track that leads across a grassy area with some houses to a road. Cross the road and continue ahead with a play area and cricket field to your left. Meet Stoneleigh Road and turn left, go past St Andrew’s Way and continue to the next road junction.
2 of 4
Keep right, walk past the small car park on the left and, after 25yds (23m), turn left, opposite Mill House, along a public footpath (the Greensand Way). Ignore the next path on the left and keep on to the next waymarker, where you bear left following signs for the Greensand Way. Ignore other tracks and continue straight on at other cross-tracks. After a while you will reach a junction of five tracks.
3 of 4
At this convergence of tracks turn sharp left along a path signed ‘Limpsfield Walk’ and ‘Greensand Way’. Continue on this path, following the blue arrows and a ‘Tandridge Border Path’ sign as the path descends to the bottom of a hill. Go straight on past a waymarker, following the blue arrow, and at the next waymarker with yellow arrows turn right. Follow this track until it reaches another waymarker on the right, at which point turn left uphill through trees. The path is signed ‘Tandridge Border Path’. At the top of the hill the course of the path is not clear, but continue ahead. Emerging from the woods meet a track coming from the right. Turn left and return to the car park, taking care when crossing the road.
Terrain
- Fairly wide paths, mostly through woodland
Landscape
- Woodland and some open fields
Dog friendliness
- Plenty of space for dogs to run
Parking
- Moorhouse Bank Car Park, Limpsfield Common
Toilets en route
- None on route, nearest at Ellice Road, Oxted
About the walk
Limpsfield Common is a very ancient area and stone has been quarried here since the times of the Domesday Book. Pottery was made around Limpsfield Chart since the 12th century. Villagers have grazed their animals on the common since the 14th century, which helped to keep the landscape as heathland.... In more recent times, however, grazing has ceased and woodland is increasingly taking over. Conservation efforts are being made to preserve as much open space as possible. The common also has connections with the early days of flying. Samuel Cody, who worked in Farnborough, was keen on the development of kites to help the Army with reconnaissance and some of his early experiments with kites took place on Limpsfield Common in the early 1900s. Cody went on to develop the first manned aircraft in Britain. Musical connections It is worth taking time after this short walk to explore the village of Limpsfield that lies across the other side of the M25 from Limpsfield Common and Limpsfield Chart. It is a beautiful old village with a large number of medieval houses and listed buildings so, not surprisingly, it is a designated conservation area. It is also a village with strong musical connections. Buried in Limpsfield’s 12th-century St Peter’s Church are Frederick Delius and his wife Jelka. Delius lived in France for much of his life, but is still regarded as typically ‘English’. When he died he asked to be buried in a country churchyard in the south of England. Although his body was initially interred in France, it was exhumed and, accompanied by his surviving wife, brought to St Peter’s Church. On the journey Jelka’s health failed and she sadly died just a few days after her husband’s burial. Jelka and Frederick Delius are buried in the same grave in the churchyard at Limpsfield. The burial service was attended by thousands of people and the music was provided by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Sir Thomas Beecham who was a great champion of Delius’s music is also buried in the churchyard and so is Beatrice Harrison, a cellist who worked with both of them. Another well-known person who lived in the village for many years was the cricketer Colin Cowdray.
