The Chantries woods sit just south of Guildford as you head towards Shalford and make for a delightful short walk out from the town centre, especially on a sunny day. From the Tourist Information Centre you turn right towards the Tunsgate Archway which you pass through to head to the Castle Grounds, you can cut across these whilst taking in the flower displays the exit is diagonally across by the ruins on the far side of the gardens. Follow Quarry Street down towards the Weyside pub and continue along the pathway heading towards Shalford, rather than crossing the bridge to the river path, another lovely route for another day to Godalming.
You will walk past the sports pitches and toilet facilities on your right before coming to a small turn off left down Pilgrims Way road and turn off by the Chantries Car Park, there are then several paths through the woods, but if you head towards the southern side of the woods there are some lovely open views and places for picnics, even a small, basic campsite if you wanted to stay for an evening of two, this does have to be booked ahead but comes at quite a reasonable rate.
One delightful feature of these woods is the Bluebells which shoot up around April/May each year, they carpet the forest floor and attract walkers from miles around to see the magical display in its full glory. On clear days you can see to the South Downs and coast and the town of Godalming, and the villages of Shalfordand Chilworth. The woods are about a mile long so there is about an hours’ worth of walking within the woods. If you are feeling adventurous you can continue on to St Martha’s Hill and Newlands Corner for further viewpoints: you can do the route in reverse via the Chantries car park or circle back via Pewley Down.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund Prospectus.
