During our visit to Dorking Surrey over Christmas it is still a daily event to give our dog Digby his daily outing. My usual route when there is to follow the footpaths which border the Pipp Brook until I reach the Pixham Mill House and the main road.
Imagine my surprise when I saw how the Pipp Brook had oveflowed its banks due to the heavy rain and flowed across my path into the Pixham Mill House Gardens. I, maybe foolishly, decided to carry Digby and wade through the flow to find out if the path became available further down. Th cross flow was not that strong so I decided to proceed.
I could see the Mill House ahead in the distance with yet more of the path under water. There was clear path ahead so my plan was to see if the Mill area was flooded or not.
Looking back along the path.
When I reached the footbridge at the Mill House there was no flooding there, only a torrent of wild water running over the sluce gate that used to be used to divert water to the now defunct Mill Stream.
If you care to watch the video with the volume up full you will get an idea what the 'power of wild water' sounds like.
The mill cottage behind the Mill Stream
Box Hill National Trust area
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/box-hill/
Pipp Brook taken from the other side of the stream.
On Boxing Day we joined many of the local residents and made the trip to the top of Box Hill
The view over Dorking from the Box Hill Veiwpoint
Below to the right is the Dorking Cricket Club where I often walk Digby when in Dorking.
At the Viewpoint there is a plaque laid in remembrance of Leopold Salomon who donated the whole of the Box Hill area to the National Trust.
Still to be discovered on the Box Hill Trail is a Napoleonic Fort and the grave of Major Peter Labelliere who was buried Head Downwards there on the basis that the world was in such turmoil in 1800 that he would eventually end up the right way up.
To all of my readers
Please Have a Happy New Year in 2013
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