Waggoners Wells
Children will enjoy feeding the ducks, splashing in the stream, climbing tree trunks and discovering a wishing well on this walk.
The Basics
Time: 1 hour
Distance: 1.4 km
Terrain: Uneven woodland paths with some steps
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Should only swim in the first, top pond
Refreshments: None on the walk but Grayshott is only a short drive away where you will find The Fox and Pelican
Toilets: None
Parking: National Trust car park at the end of Waggoners Wells Lane, free (Postcode: GU26 6DT - W3W: cave/replying/parkway)
A stone’s throw from the A3 near Grayshott, The National Trust care for three interconnected ponds called Waggoners Wells. A walk around the ponds is really easy to navigate and you will spot ducks, fish and herons as you go. There is no play area, but our children often spend hours here climbing the fallen trees, making dens among the roots and playing in the streams.
The Route
Begin the walk by going down the steps at the end of the car park and turning left. You will pass a noticeboard on your left. Stay on the same path as it leads you down one side of the top pond. Continue and pass the second pond to your right.
After the third pond, look for a fork in the path and go right, leading to a slope down to a stream and a wooden footbridge. This is a nice place to play in the water and a little upstream is a fallen tree that makes a fun bridge to climb over.
Turn right on the other side of the bridge and follow the path up the opposite side of the ponds. They should now be in view to your right the whole way. Along this side, you will find the wishing well and a tree with an exposed root system, which makes another fun place to play.
Between the top and middle ponds, look for the pathway on your right which will connect you back to where you started from. Alternatively, continue to the end of the top pond, where you will meet Waggoners Wells Lane. Turn right here, cross the ford and return to the car park.
Did you know?
The three ponds are actually man made, being thought to have been made as hammer ponds for the iron industry.
It is said that Alfred Lord Tennyson composed 'The Flower in the Crannied Wall' at the wishing well in 1863.