Exploring Ripley

Enjoy this one-hour easy walk around one of Surrey’s best ‘foodie’ villages, featuring four historic pubs, a 16th century coaching inn, lots of award-winning cafes and restaurants and the famous Ripley Farmers' Market. A really great walk for families, buggy friendly and flat, with a large playground and possibly the largest village green in England. At the end of the walk there is a variety of food and drink options in the village centre to choose from, two general stores for picnic supplies, through to high end dining and several independent café.  A foodie’s delight! This walk is funded by the UK government through the by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  

Distance:  2 miles (3.2kms).  Allow 1 hour
Start and End: Ripley Village Green Car Park  - Postcode for Sat Nav: GU23 6AN

Click here for PDF of the route.

1. Once you have arrived on the Green take the tarmac access track past the playground on your left and football pitches on your right, to the back of the Green. Continue ahead on the rough track until you reach Dunsborough House. The first mention of a house on the site is in the Manorial Court record of 1539. 

2. Turn left and follow the footpath running along the back of the Green. The skate park and play park will now be on your left. Continue on, skirting the edge of Ripley Common, until you have walked the entire length and come up to a road (Newark Lane).

3. Turn left and follow the pavement. Pass Ebenezer Strict Baptist Chapel on your right and attractive Georgian and Victorian cottages on your left and right, until you reach the junction with Ripley High Street. 

4. Turn right on the pavement, admiring the attractive historic houses that line the street, especially Manor House (and Cottage), which is a Grade II Listed, mid-16th century core behind re-fronting of c.1650. 

5. Pass a small Co-op supermarket before reaching Ripley Village Hall with Send and Ripley Museum behind it. This little building used to reside further down the High Street and was originally the NatWest Bank building. Cross over the road and turn back left along the pavement towards the centre of Ripley and St Mary Magdalen Church.

6. Turn into the main Churchyard entrance and then take the small grassy path to the left-hand side of the Church, around to the back of the churchyard. Continue on to the corner of the graveyard, which ends at a narrow alleyway and gate.  This is a registered footpath and is marked so on the wooden gate. Go through the gate onto a gravel drive beside Chapel Farmhouse. This Grade II Listed house dates from c1500 and was built as an open hall. 

7. Follow the gravel drive around to the left and out onto the road. Opposite, just to the right is the Arts & Crafts designed British Legion Social Club and attractive WWI memorial plaque. Turn left and walk on the pavement towards the T-junction with the main High Street. On the right is No 17 Cherry Tree Cottage. This is probably the oldest secular building in Ripley. It is a 15th century hall house, which has a 16th century extension to the right at the rear and a late 19th century house (No.19) in front of this facing the street. This road, called Rose Lane is also the location of N&M Ward traditional Cobbler’s shop - a are very rare sight these days. 

8. At the T-junction Beirut Café (serving authentic Lebanese food) is on your left.  Turn right and continue along the High Street taking in various interesting independent shops including Ferma Farm shop and Bistro. Further on is furnishing shop Lolapalooza, which used to be a pharmacy run by Kenneth White. He was the first pharmacist to make penicillin for civilians during WWII. Continue on until you reach Pear Tree Cottage.

9. Cross over to the small green triangle of grass, signposted Ripley Green, just before ‘Florence House’. Continue up the gravel track/footpath past the historic Ryde House to the small car park behind.  

10. Turn left along a footpath that takes you back to the main Ripley Green and the start of the walk. 

Local Facts: 

• Ripley has been in existence at least since at least Norman times. It is located on the main A3 route approximately half way between London and Portsmouth. It was a popular coaching halt and there are still several inns and half-timber houses dating from Tudor times. Lord Nelson was said to have met his mistress, Elizabeth Hamilton here, on his way to Portsmouth to join the fleet. 
• The village has always been popular with cyclist since Victorian times and The Anchor Pub has gone down in cycling mythology as a pub that welcomed cyclists, in the days when some pubs did not do so.  It is still a ‘must go’ to location for modern cyclists to visit too.
• The chancel of the church of St. Mary Magdalen shows construction around 1160. It is Grade II Listed. 
• There are many historic restaurants and pubs to enjoy in Ripley. The Talbot Inn, dates back to 1453.  The Anchor Pub has 2 AA rosettes and is listed as a Michelin Guide Restaurant. The other pubs in the village are the Jovial Sailor on the western outskirts, The Ship Inn, The Seven Stars and The Half Moon.
• Ripley has a monthly Farmers' Market on the second Saturday of each month, from 9am until 1pm. The market consists of, on average, 45 stalls. 
• There are over 20 listed buildings and cottages in the village, including Pinnocks Café, the Ship Inn and Ye Old Sweet Shoppe, J Hartley Antiques, Sage Antiques (Green Cottage), the Clock House and the Old Pharmacy.  This last building is a historical place of interest with a Blue Plaque located outside commemorating the production of penicillin for the first time in the UK and possibly the world, for civilian use, by Kenneth White in 1944. 
• The village is featured in H. G. Wells' novels ‘The War of the Worlds’ and ‘The Wheels of Chance’. The Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes short story ‘The Naval Treaty’ includes a setting in Ripley. More recently it has been the birthplace of guitarist, Eric Clapton and the long-term home of musician, Paul Weller, who also runs a local recording studio (Black Barn Studios) from there. 

Footnotes:

Start:  Ripley Village Green Car Park 

Postcode for Sat Nav: GU23 6AN

Parking: Free car park, plus timed on street parking

Public Toilets: On Ripley Green 

Grid ref:  TQ 052570

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Length of walk: 

 2 miles (3.2kms).  Allow 1 hour, but you could make a whole day of it if you timed it to attend the Farmer’s Market, a visit to the Museum, and a pub lunch. 

Public Transport: Regular bus service from Guildford. No train station.

Food and Drink:  Apart from a choice of four pubs, there are several cafes and restaurants to choose from.

While you are there:  

Enjoy the playground, skate board park, foot ball pitches and cricket ground.  Visit Send and Ripley Museum  

Visit Dunsborough Park, famous for its tulip displays in April/May and Dahlias in September. Private residence which offers open days. Check website https://dunsboroughpark.com/