Definitely on - Sunday Outdoor's in Haslemere, Surrey

Our second outing - Haslemere

After our great first outing to the Darrent Valley in Kent, I am pleased to announce that the May meeting will take us to Haslemere.

Welcome to you all & hope you enjoy yourself.

Meet at Waterloo Railway St Railway station - 10:00am

The Walk

We will be doing the Haslemere round walk that takes us through beautiful national trust land. It will be a gentle 8 miles with a lunchtime stop & time for afternoon tea before we head back to London.

There will be a pub where we can stop for a drink stop at lunchtime, but to be on the safe side it is advisable to bring a packed lunch with you in case food is not available. If needs be then you can get somehting at Waterloo on Sunday morning before we set off.

We should arrive back in London around 6-7pm in the evening.

Haslemere

The earliest recorded mention of Haslemere was in 1221 (when it was spelt Haselmere). The name describes hazel trees standing beside a lake. The lake does not exist today, but there is a natural spring in West Street which is likely to have provided its source.

Haslemere became an important market town in the Middle Ages, having been granted a charter by Richard II in 1394. This right was confirmed by a new charter issued by Elizabeth I in 1596. Today, this special status is celebrated with the Charter Fair, held once every two years in the High Street. There is a bust of Elizabeth I in the newly developed Charter Walk, linking West street with the car park of Somerfield.

The town was one of the rotten boroughs, but recovered with the construction of the Portsmouth Direct Line, which connected Haslemere with London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour railway station. The town became a fashionable place to live and continues to be a popular commuter town, still served by Haslemere railway station.

St Bartholomew's Church was originally built in the 14th century, but rebuilt in 1871. It contains memorials to many of the most prominent local residents, including Alfred Lord Tennyson, who lived in nearby Lurgashall and is commemorated in one of the stained glass windows, featuring Sir Galahad and the Holy Grail.

Haslemere museum is at the northern end of the High Street. It was established by eminent surgeon Sir Jonathan Hutchinson in 1888 to provide educational opportunities to local people, and moved to its present location in 1926 ? a house with a Georgian façade, but partly dating back to the 16th century. The museum has a permanent natural history collection as well as hosting talks from both local and national figures of interest.