After our usual morning prayers, we walked to St. Joseph Church in Dorking to attend Sunday Mass. The church was founded in 1872, and rebuilt in 1895 with the help of funding from Henry Fitzalan-Howard, the Catholic 15th Duke of Norfolk.
(1) Left: Our hotel in Dorking, The White Horse. (2) Right: St. Joseph Church, Dorking.
We then had breakfast at the hotel and were back on the trail at 10am. We crossed the River Mole by way of the Stepping Stones, with full packs on and some trepidation, but we all made it across without falling in the river.
Crossing the Stepping Stones over the River Mole near Box Hill, Surrey.
At this point, we were supposed to follow the trail up Box Hill (a summit on the North Downs range), but after seeing its sheer elevation, we decided to “Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome” by changing our walking route. Harry replotted the route several times in the Outdoor Active App and finally decided on a 17-mile hike to our destination due east.
Unfortunately, much of this hike was on a very busy highway, the A25. We walked through several small towns: Dorking, Pixham, Brookhaven, Betchworth, Buckland, Reigate, Red Hill, Nutfield, Bletchingley, Godstone, and finally into Tandridge. Here are some memories from along the way:
From left: (1) Leslie by "Leslie Road" in front of St. Mary's Church in Pixham. (2) Chalk hills east of Dorking. (3) Walking along the A25 east of Dorking.
Video at right: We visited St. Mary the Virgin Church in Buckland, and found them ringing their bells in preparation for announcing the new King of England. The bell tower is made from original 14th-century oak.
(1) Left: Old town clock, a Reigate landmark for almost 300 years. (2) Right: Beautiful vista in Redhill.
From left: (1) Water break with three more miles to go! (2) Beautiful vista near Tandridge. (3) Last hill of the day to Tandridge.
In Redhill, we came across a 'rural king's throne' carved out of a tree stump and all got a chance to sit on the throne! Chainsaw stump carving is popular in the UK.
When we arrived at our final destination of Tandridge, we made a quick stop to see St. Peter's Church and its very old yew trees. Then, we continued to the "Summer House" where we met our very pleasant hosts, Robin and Francine.
Glorious yew tree at St. Peter's Church in Tandridge.
(1) Left: Our very cute guesthouse in Tandridge. (2) Right: Picture with our hosts.
In the evening, we ate a superb dinner at The Barley Mow country pub and settled in for a good night sleep.
(1) Left: A hearty dinner at The Barley Mow in Tandridge. (2) Right: Harry and Leslie's cozy loft at the Summer House.
It’s just before 9:00 pm and we are so tired! We walked 18 miles today with a total walking time of 5 hours and 19 minutes. Quite an accomplishment!
Our greatest joy for the day: prayer and the practice of Detachment, especially from the noise and hazards of traffic. Our greatest surprise for today: our delightful hosts and the commemorative pealing of the bells at St. Mary's Church. But right now, it’s time for pleasant dreams!
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