For Good Friday: A Downland Rove with Shepherds' Drove and Druids' Grove

'When proud-pied April dress'd all in his trim / Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing'. (Sonnet 98)

A Downland Rove: A rambling route but symmetrical in elevation, ascending and descending Headley Downs and Headley Heath, crossing the River Mole, then ascending and descending Fetcham Downs. A Shepherds' Drove: Sweeping swathes of herb-rich chalk grassland fringed with beech woodland (the beech mast blanketed with bluebells if they're early) and thickets of holly, yew, juniper and box. A Druids' Grove: A mysterious clump of yew trees in the grounds of Norbury Park mansion. At 1500 years old, among the oldest trees in the land, and according to folklore the site of ancient rituals. Lunchtime will be split between Mickleham Downs for a picnic and Mickleham village for a pub stop.

The sights: 

Leatherhead: The name is from Leodridan meaning 'place where people can ride (across the river)', the river being the Mole. The High Street has been much improved recently after it was deemed 'Britain's worst' in a Radio 4 poll (this says more about Radio 4 listeners than it does about the high street). Neo-Georgian Town Hall of 1935. Handsome 14-arched bridge of 1782, widened in 1824. 

Nower Wood: Semi-open woodland on sandy soil with hazel and bluebell wood. Nower Wood is managed by the Woodland Trust.

Headley: A superb location high up on the North Downs behind Box Hill with views to London. A lot of character. 

Headley Heath: 'A wide network of tracks to explore, and stunning views to rival any of its neighbours - the perfect place to enjoy the countryside, whether walking, cycling or horseriding. The Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its rich, varied, and sometimes rare, wildlife, made up of a wonderful mosaic of open heath, chalk downland slopes and mixed woodland.' (From the National Trust website.)

White Hill: A variety of habitats on chalk: beech hanger, yew and juniper copse and open grassland, cared for by National Trust. 

Mickleham: In the Mole Valley in the Dorking Gap. Picturesque cottages staggering up a slight incline. St Michael's Church of early C12 with a massive restoration of 1871 giving it a weird side-tower. Lots of character. Weir Bridge over the River Mole is Grade II* listed and from 1840. Old House is superb, Dutch-gabled brick, of 1636. Box Hill School is neo-medieval, Victorian Cherkley Court, now a hotel called Beaverbrook, was the home of Baron Beaverbrook, press baron and Minister for Aircraft Production.

A24 Mickleham Bypass: A fine piece of road landscaping, using natural and planted vegetation and a true divide between carriageways; 1934. 

Norbury Park: A plain house of 1774 occupying a belvedere site overlooking the Dorking Gap. Rich grasslands and woodlands around, managed by Surrey Wildlife Trusts. The Druids' Grove may have been a pre-Christian meeting place, although 'druids' is fanciful. The yews are c1500 years old. 

The route (please click the link):

A route along roads and lanes ad tracks south out of Leatherhead will bring us to a crossing with the Leatherhead bypass and a long, straight track heading southeast to Cherkley Wood. We'll then pick up Langley Lane (a track) to Headley past Nower Wood, and do a loop around and behind the village. We'll enter Headley Heath and follow a bridleway to cross Lodgebottom Road and ascend White Hill for lunch. Descending Mickleham Downs we'll reach the village itself and go to the pub. Heading north out of the village and crossing the A24 and River Mole, we'll follow a bridleway and tracks heading in a loop west and south and north around Norbury Park and over Fetcham Downs. We'll then find a bridleway that will take us past Bockett's Farm and over Hawk's Hill to Thorncroft where a pleasant walk along the River Mole will bring us back to Leatherhead town centre.

Dogs:

Dogs are very welcome on all my walks and this is a very good dog walk, with plenty of woods and fields for them to run free, although there will be country lanes and livestock in some fields necessitating the dog going on a lead. A dog off the lead must be obedient. 

(Image credits: Bluebells, Nower Wood: Photo © Paul E Smith (cc-by-sa/2.0); St Michael's Church, Mickleham: Photo © Roger Miller (cc-by-sa/2.0); Mickleham, the Running Horses: Photo © Colin Smith (cc-by-sa/2.0); Mickleham, Box Hill School: Photo © Colin Smith (cc-by-sa/2.0); Leatherhead Bridge: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0). The images are copyrighted but are above credited to their copyright holders and all but the first two are licensed for further reuse under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0). The other pictures were taken by the leader on his survey.)