Surrey dog walks - Foxley Woods in Purley

As the years pass by (faster and faster the older you get), you tend to keep making New Year’s resolutions and breaking them just as fast. This year, however, I am determined to keep my resolution of touching base with all the friends that I have not seen for ages – and what better way to do it than with a dog walk, as it gives you plenty of time to catch up on the missing years?

Luckily, I didn’t have to try very hard for the first instalment, as the three of us were invited to walk in Foxley Woods by old family friends, John and Beryl Furniss, and their six-month-old golden retriever puppy, Sebastian III.

Foxley Woods is a 19-acre site squeezed between the A22 and the A23 to the south of Purley. Once part of a great estate, thankfully the woods are now owned by the London Borough of Croydon and managed as part of the Green Belt Scheme, so have been safeguarded for future generations.
John and Beryl are lucky enough to live adjacent to one of the entrances to the woods and have been exercising their dogs there for years. Sebastian III, as his name implies, is their third golden retriever and has been tasked with keeping them on their toes and active.

I parked at their house in Woodland Way, which is reached off Higher Drive. The entrance to the wood is on the left-hand side before the first bend in the road. We walked with John, and as we entered the woods, he explained that they are managed by a team of volunteers, The Friends of Foxley Woods.

We set off along the upper path to the right of the entrance, which leads through a heavily wooded area. The path takes you along the back of the houses in Woodland Way, with the land sloping sharply to the left. This kept the dogs busy as most of our walks are normally on the flat!

Views over the valley...

As part of their work, The Friends of Foxley Woods have created trail markers that lead you through the woods; John explained that there are three main paths: top, middle and bottom. We had started on the top path, which led to an area of grassland on the left that rewarded us with views over the surrounding valley. 

A little further on, and up some steps to the right, we reached the recreation ground – a super open space that was just perfect for Benson and Sebastian to play tag. They say that golden retrievers never grow up and I am delighted that mine hasn’t proved the theory wrong yet.
Walking across the recreation ground, following the tree line, we re-entered the woods further along the path that we had left earlier and headed off downhill. It always makes me laugh watching dogs run downhill as they simply weren’t designed for it and very soon we had our first casualty as Meggie somersaulted past us; the excitement of all the new smells causing her to throw caution to the wind. There was no harm done.

At the bottom of the hill, we emerged adjacent to one of the other entrances to Foxley Woods, where a new gate displayed the time and place of the next volunteers activity day. What a great way to get involved in your local community.

Going through the gate, we started following the bottom path back towards John’s house. He had purposefully brought me this way as halfway along the path is a magnificent old beech tree; a destination of many family walks during the past 40 or so years!

Over time, its tangled roots have formed natural bowls that when filled with rainwater make a perfect dog watering hole! Sadly, like so many things these days, someone had decided to decorate it with spray paint. I do hope that The Friends of Foxley Woods will be able to restore it.

Passing the tree, we made our way through a clearing in the woods, which, it is hoped, will be naturalised by the abundance of wild flowers that are to be found in the wood. In one corner, a bench has been created out of fallen wood; simply a splendid place for a moment’s quiet contemplation or a picnic.

Following the path out of the clearing behind the bench, we headed uphill, passing the route of the old railway line which used to service the quarry that was in the woods, and finally back to the top path. This last area of the woods is overgrown with rhododendrons, which are the only evidence left of the great estate that these woods used to belong to.

The path brought us back out to the entrance, therefore completing our circular route around the woods. Then it was a quick walk back to John’s house, water for the dogs and a well deserved glass of wine for the walkers.
Meanwhile, Benson was so taken with Sebastian, he has invited him on a return walk and promised to teach him to swim..

The Dog Facts
Things you need to know

Going: Quite steep in places
Ground: Could get muddy if wet
Contact: www.friendsoffoxley.co.uk
Parking: Street parking
Special Interest: Trees and woodlands; wild flowers

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