Join Together

ROUTE 1066 – Day 13: Saturday 14 November 2026 – KINGSTON-UPON-THAMES to DORKING (15 + 2 miles)

From London Bridge to Hogsmill Bridge in 24 Hours

Yesterday we followed William south from London Bridge, as he turned away from London in a new strategy to cut off the supply lines to the capital and ransack the countryside in a bid to force a surrender. There is some evidence to suggest that his army marched as far south of London as Dorking in Surrey, and that here he was met with reinforcements from Normandy. These supplemental forces are thought to have landed just east of Selsey Bill, near Bognor Regis – so a fair way further to the west of Pevensey Bay, where William had landed several weeks earlier. It has surprised me, reading some of the accounts, how quickly messages could be transferred amongst the forces on both sides: the Normans had skilled seamen who could cross the channel in half a day and were familiar with the coastline of southern England from years of trading experience. Also, it appears that there was information exchanged fairly regularly between the invaders and the Anglo-Saxons in London – negotiators cannot have had a safe life, but it seems that there is some value in the phrase ‘don’t shoot the messenger’. With the reinforcements in place William prepared to march on westward from Dorking, towards Guildford.

My walk today took me southward, first along Hogsmill Nature Reserve, then through the towns of Ewell and Epsom, before leaving the built-up areas . . .

. . . on the long and straight Stane Street Roman Road, before climbing onto the North Downs and Box Hill, and then a steep descent into Dorking

Today is also the day when I enter the second half of my ROUTE 1066 challenge. I have so far covered just under 200 miles on the trail itself, plus around 20 miles in ‘extras’ – and so, as ever, my distances on the ground are exceeding the ‘straight-line, no wrong turnings’ calculated by the OS App plots: I usually allow for 10-15% above schedule, so this trek has been fairly typical in that regard. Anyway, as for today’s ramble, I departed from my plan a couple of times and found some remarkable ‘green corridors’ through the outskirts of Greater London – so only about a third of today’s walk was on pavements and lanes. The Hogsmill (River) Nature Reserve was a real find, taking me out from Tolworth past Ewell and into Epsom on a green route, whilst the old Roman Road of Stane Street, now a bridleway, provided a beautifully straight and beautifully-set wooded corridor for several miles (and in-so-doing crossing the M25 via a dedicated footbridge). And to finish I had the delights of the Mickleham Downs and Box Hill on, often steep, wooded paths that continued right up to the outskirts of Dorking. Here are the pictures of my day.

The ‘Wild Tolworth’ entrance sign is a little tired . . .

. . . but the Hogsmill Nature Reserve just inside made for a super start to my day’s walk

. . . and not a bad place for a Saturday morning dog walk

These are not bonfires, just piles of grass cuttings composting!

A local told me that there are kingfishers visit the Hogsmill pond – but, sadly, nothing doing today

. . . as the sun burnt through the frost

The greenery continued through the residential areas of Ewell . . .

. . . and even the road from Ewell to Epsom made for a nice walk . . .

. . . but no water in the town’s duck pond

. . . caused me a bit more road walking, past the RAC Club . . .

Lots of horses up on the North Downs . . .

Fine views to the west, across the golf course

A steep descent was followed by a gentle climb up Juniper Bottom . . .

. . . to the woods near the top of Box Hill

. . . and the High Street – at the end of another great day of walking

This evening I have a room in a private house on a residential street in Dorking. I am staying in tonight, quite tired, and having taken a tumble on a hidden tree root under some fallen leaves, that required some medical attention! Nothing too bad, and certainly no ‘structural’ issues that might jeopardise my ROUTE 1066 progress, but I now have steri-strips on my left eyebrow and my upper lip – though the kind nurse who treated my wounds told me that I will have my good looks back in a few days. The perils of long-distance walking!

Thank you for following my ROUTE 1066 journey – re-tracing the steps of William the Conqueror in 1066 on his 360-mile campaign trail from Pevensey Bay, via Berkhamsted, and on to Westminster Abbey. If you are following my Blog, enjoying the ramble, and would like to help us to SAVE CASTLE FIELDS for future generations by pledging £39 to sponsor a 3×3-metre square of the land, then please click on this link:

‘Sponsor A Square’ on the SAVE CASTLE FIELDS Website

THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING MY ROUTE 1066 WALK, AND FOR HELPING TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF CASTLE FIELDS

The Blog heading that I have adopted today, ‘Join Together’, is the title of a 1972 non-album single by UK rock group The Who. The song is a suitably upbeat number, penned by the band’s Pete Townshend, that reached the Top 20 on both sides of The Pond and has been a staple in The Who’s live acts over the years. And – in case you are wondering – my choice of ‘Join Together’ as today’s heading is with reference to William’s military reinforcements – and not to my steri-strips!