Shere and Albury

The village of Shere is one of the most picturesque in Surrey, with its charming old houses, the pretty River Tillingbourne, and the local shops and pubs. Not surprisingly, it has been used in many film settings, including Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), which featured the church. It is a pretty church, dating from the 12th century, with a Norman tower. But in the Middle Ages it was the home of Christine Carpenter, an anchoress. This is a person who withdraws from society in order to live a pure, religious, life, quite a widespread practice at the time. In 1329 she withdrew into a small cell in the wall of the church, whose door was then completely blocked up. She was still able to receive food but, otherwise, she lived as a hermit for three years. A plaque on the wall of the church records this episode. A lighter aspect of the church today is the attractive lych gate which was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1902.

Albury Estate

Bordering the edge of Shere is the Albury Estate. It is privately owned, but the footpath runs through the estate. The house itself can be glimpsed but is not open to the public. It has been beautifully restored and converted to 12 luxury homes by its current owners. However, it is a magnificent house, much used as a film location, and has lovely parkland. The grounds were originally laid out between 1655 and 1677 by John Evelyn, who was not only a diarist, but also a landscape gardener. At that time the house was owned by the Duke of Norfolk. Ninety years later, in 1760, the house hosted the coronation ball for George III. The estate was acquired in 1819 by Henry Drummond, who represented West Surrey in parliament, and he commissioned Augustus Pugin to redesign the exterior of the house. He created one of its outstanding features, an array of 63 chimneys, all of which have a different pattern. Politicians, such as Lord Palmerston and Lord Salisbury, were entertained here and, in 1845, Henry Drummond’s daughter married the Duke of Northumberland. After Henry Drummond died, the estate passed to the Duke’s family. It was eventually sold, however, to the present owners, who have developed the property for a variety of uses, one of which is as a film location. Parts of Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) were filmed here, as well as an episode of the popular ITV drama series Midsomer Murders.

From the car park face the road and take the path on the left side passing a notice board. On meeting tracks from the left go straight on, and at the next cross-tracks go left. Turn right at a T-junction and follow the blue arrows on the post, ignoring paths to right and left. Reach Park Road and turn left, following signs ‘Albury and Guildford’. Where the road bears left take the public footpath on the right, to the side of South Lodge. Go through a metal gate and continue straight ahead through Albury Estate. At the waymark in front of a large chestnut tree bear left, following the footpath. Keep straight on at the next cross-tracks and continue downhill, ignoring tracks to left and right. Towards the bottom of the hill the track bears right to a wooden kissing gate. (To visit the church cross the driveway on to the grass and walk straight ahead to the second driveway then turn right.)

Turn left and continue ahead when another driveway joins from the right. The River Tillingbourne can be seen down to the right. Pass to the side of a cattle grid and turn right along New Road. At the road junction turn right along the roadside footpath crossing the river. Cross the entrance road to a church (closed) and, by a postbox, turn right along a footpath. Go through a wooden kissing gate and follow the signed footpath up a field and, passing to the left of an enclosure, reach a metal kissing gate at the top of the field. Walk uphill through woodland to another metal kissing gate and into a field. Keep to the right-hand side of the field and cross a private driveway to Albury Park. Continue ahead through a metal kissing gate on a tree-lined path. Cross the road, Fox Way, following the waymark on the left, and walk ahead along the left side of a brick wall. On reaching The Old Rectory turn right, cross a ford, and follow the road to the left into Shere.

In the village turn right by The White Horse pub and pass The William Bray pub, then just past Dial Cottage, take the footpath on the right along Pilgrims Way. Follow this road round to the right, cross the driveway of several cottages and follow the footpath to the left at a yellow waymark. Turn left down the side of a cottage and, at a T-junction, turn right and then immediately left alongside a graveyard. At the next junction turn left and, after a long, slow uphill stretch, meet a public bridleway, where you turn right then left at a waymark post with a blue arrow. At the top of the incline, pass to the left of a gate and then a second one. At the road, cross with care and turn right. Take the track on the left to return to the car park.