The Fox Way
Have you ever wondered how the trails we use so frequently in our gorgeous countryside came about, who thought of them, how did they create them?
We are extremely lucky to get a first hand story from non other then Richard Fox – the founder of The Fox Way and inspiration for The Fox Ultra
The birth of the walk by Richard Fox
I’m frequently asked questions like what caused you to create The Fox Way? Here are some of the reasons together with how the walk was created.
- I noticed in walking magazines that long distance paths were being created in other parts of the country but there was nothing in Surrey.
- The countryside around Guildford is varied and beautiful. We have the North Downs with long distance views north east to London and south to the South Downs. Further south we have a band of greensand across the county. To the north we have loam. These different soils influence the type of trees and flowers that grow and the different bird species we enjoy.
- We enjoy the beautiful River Wey and the Wey Navigation Canal which flow through Guildford on their way to the Thames.
- From my teens in the Scouts and throughout my adult life I have enjoyed creating and leading walks.
One winter’s day I sat down at the kitchen table with my Ordnance Survey 145 map and worked out a circuit around Guildford, which could be walked in easy stages.
I was keen to maximise the use of public footpaths and bridleways and keep road walking to the absolute minimum.
I wanted people to be able to get to the start and end points of the walk by using public transport. I arranged the circuit so that it passed our four local stations: Clandon, Godalming, Wanborough and Worplesdon. I checked that walkers could get to and from other start and end points by bus.
The next step was to walk the route, put up special waymark discs, take photos and notes to assist other walkers. Two friends, Win and Bob King kindly agreed to test out the route with my wife, Sandi and me. Bob and Win designed The Fox Way waymark and had 100 of these discs printed. The design is of a fox’s head wearing a King’s crown. Win also did hand drawn maps of each of the seven stages of the circuit and created a booklet. We had 1,000 booklets printed on laminated paper so that the booklets would stand up to being used in rainy and muddy conditions.
There were two official launches of the circuit. First, with the Mayor of Guildford Cllr. Tamsin Baker we walked part of the route along the Wey Navigation from Sutton Green to Ripley. Then with the Mayor of Godalming, Cllr Peter Martin and Mrs Rachel Martin, we did a stretch of the walk through central Godalming.
One thing that surprised me was that people from all over England purchased the booklet. Some buyers were very keen walkers who enjoyed trying out new walks. Others had family members in the Guildford area and wanted to do part of The Fox Way each time they visited Guildford.
Within two years we sold all the booklets. Instead of reprinting the booklet we put it as a pdf on the www.thefoxway.com website.
We were pleasantly surprised when the Ordnance Survey said they would like to show the whole route of The Fox Way on their Explorer and Landranger maps.
I still receive encouraging letters from people who have completed the whole circuit. Some have walked the route again, this time in an anti-clockwise direction.
Currently, the eleven geocache boxes are being refreshed. I have also designed eight short, circular walks which touch on The Fox Way. These are being test walked by friends before they are added to www.thefoxway.com
Richard Fox
September 2021