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Haslemere |
Introduction
Once described as the 'fashionable capital of the beautiful Surrey Highlands', Haslemere is an attractive market town perched where three counties meet (Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire). It is a gateway to some magnificent Surrey Hills countryside, which has helped to inspire many great artists and authors. Add this to the quirky cafes, country pubs and specialist shops and you’ve got something of the flavour of the place.
Suggested Day Out
Our suggested day out allows you to walk around the historic market town with its timbered and tile-hung houses and cottages and enjoy a trip out to the surrounding countryside, much of which is land owned and managed by The National Trust: Black Down, the highest point in Sussex; Hindhead and Marley Commons; and the Devil’s Punch Bowl, the largest spring-formed feature in Britain.
- Morning
 Start your morning with a visit to Haslemere Educational Museum (Open Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 am to 5.00 pm). Founded over 100 years ago, the Museum is noted for its geology, archaeology and natural history exhibits. It also provides a useful library and information service and has a museum shop. Magnificent specimens from the animal kingdom, fossils, plants and insects, artefacts from Ancient Civilisations and Stone Age Britain, are exhibited with old favourites such as Arthur the Bear and an Egyptian Mummy. Exhibitions, lectures and workshops are run throughout the year. Admission is by donation.
Stay and make the most of your time here, as the grounds are perfect for a picnic after a visit to the Museum or to enjoy on a warm sunny day. The gardens overlook National Trust land and include ponds and a gazebo.
Opposite the Museum is Town House. General Oglethorpe, founder of the American colony of Georgia, once owned this house with its Queen Anne facade. He was also the Member of Parliament from 1722 – 1754.
Continuing around the town, you could walk from here to St Bartholomew’s Church which was rebuilt in 1870 on the site of a much older building dating back to at least the 13th century. The imposing interior includes a memorial window to Alfred Lord Tennyson, the poet laureate who lived on Black Down near Haslemere for nearly 30 years.
Other sights to see whilst walking around the town centre include the Penfold Post Box. This type of green letter box was in use in 1866 and was designed by local architect, John Penfold.
Opposite and south of the Town Hall, which was built in 1814 and originally had open arches on the ground floor for market stallholders, is Half Moon House. This is one of the town’s oldest buildings, dating back to the 15th century. Like many other houses in the town, it is built in typical vernacular style with tile-hung cladding to walls, a clay tile roof and tall brick chimneys.
Finally, Tudor House in Lower Street is a cottage built of local stone, formerly called Sheepskin House where skinning and curing of hides took place. Tanners Lane nearby is a reminder of the local tanning activity.
- Lunch
Why not finish your morning by exploring the range of independent shops the town centre has to offer before stopping for lunch in a cafe, pub or restaurant.
- Afternoon
The afternoon could be spent enjoying the great outdoors and the walks detailed below are of varying lengths and can be enjoyed either in part or as a whole.
Swan Barn Walk, a short 30 – 60 minute walk, is accessible from Haslemere town centre, from the end of Well Lane off the High Street. Take a detour via the Old Town Well through field, farm and wood to see ancient, now restored orchards, ponds, streams and hedgerows full of wildlife. Leaflets are available from the Visitor Information Centre.
If you have arrived by train it is possible to enjoy the 8.3 mile Hills and Heather walk which starts and finishes at the train station and will take approximately four hours.
Alternatively, many circular walks start in Haslemere, as does the Greensand Way, and the Sussex Border Path runs through Lynchmere and Camelsdale to the south of Haslemere. For cyclists there are a few locally recommended routes on the beautiful and winding country lanes in and around Haslemere and the many miles of bridleway offer some excellent horse riding and mountain biking. Visit Rural Ways for more information.
A short drive away, is the Devil’s Punch Bowl, a large heather filled basin formed naturally by the action of many springs where the Hythe Beds of Greensand meet Atherfield Clay. This National Trust land is farmed and different breeds of cattle adapted to this countryside are seen meandering through the heathland. Leaflets of a walk are available from the Visitor Information Centre.
Links
Further ideas for activities around Haslemere
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