A Travel Guide for Walking or Biking The Saturn Trail Canal Path
3 Minute Read
This travel guide discusses information on The Saturn Trail including:
- What is it?
- Where Does it Start and Finish?
- How Long Does it Take?
- What is There to See?
- How to Get There?
See also:
Top 4 Best Surrey Hills Walks
How to Walk the River Wey in Surrey
Day Hiking Gear Essentials
1. What is it?
The Saturn Trail is a 15km bike and walking path that follows the Basingstoke Canal through Woking. It is situated in Surrey, UK. The route is a point to point walk beside a 200 year old waterway.
2. Where Does it Start and Finish?
The path starts just west of Brookwood train station at the bridge where the A324 crosses the canal.
And the path follows a mostly straight line east through Woking and out to West Byfleet train station. There are a few road crossings and some sections that head under a bridge, but at many of these sections you will find a sign indicating what way to go. In any case, the rule of thumb is to simply follow the canal and you can’t get lost!
3. How Long Does it Take?
The route itself is 15km, and is relatively flat with a good surface for the majority of the route. I walked it in 3 hours, and I’m a relatively fast walker. So for more of an amble with some snack breaks it can be walked in around 3 and a half hours.
See also:
10 Beginner’s Hiking Tips
Alternatively, you can cycle the route in no more than 30 minutes. The trail is good for both walkers and cyclists with plenty of space for cyclists to pass walkers on the path.
There is the option to extend the trail in both directions. To the South West you can follow the canal as far as Southampton and reach the Solent! To the East you can loop back south to Guildford or head North towards the Thames. There are many possibilities to add in different sections of the trail and to compose a route that suites you!
4. What is There to See?
House boats, old locks, and canal infrastructure to name a few. There is also the opportunity to admire the English forests and wildlife both in the trees and in the water.
There is a slightly busy and more built up section around Woking, but in general the route is secluded and rather peaceful. Take it at your own pace, admiring the water for darting fish, drifting house boats, and crafty herons looking for their next meal.
5. How to Get There?
As it’s a point to point trail, it lacks the luxury of a circular route where you can drive to the starting point and leave from the same place you began. You will need to sort out transport to the start and finish point of The Saturn Trail.
Luckily both are situated close to railway stations: Brookwood (start) and West Byfleet (finish) both operate National Rail trains. So you could take the train to Brookwood, walk the trail, then take the train home from West Byfleet.
If you’re lucky you can ask someone to drop you off at the start and pick you up three hours later at the end (this is what I did, thanks to my dad)! Or, you could do a combination and park your car at Brookwood then walk the trail and take the train or a taxi back to your car again.
Before You Go
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