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Semaphore House, Pewley Hill

Semaphore House, Pewley Hill

Highlight • Historical Site

Semaphore House, Pewley Hill

Recommended by 10 hikers out of 11

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Location: Surrey, South East England, England, United Kingdom

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Best Hikes to Semaphore House, Pewley Hill

4.5

(6)

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1. The Scholar's Trail from Guildford — Surrey Hills

9.88km

02:41

140m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

4.4

(7)

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2. St Martha's Church – View of Albury from The Roughs loop from Guildford

14.3km

03:57

240m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

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3. Semaphore House, Pewley Hill – Guildford Castle and Gardens loop from Guildford

5.60km

01:35

120m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Tips

Mark Saunders

August 6, 2023

Semaphore House on Pewley Hill is the site of an Admiralty semaphore station that was once part of an important naval communication route.

The semaphore station at Pewley Hill was built in 1822 to form part of the London-Portsmouth semaphore line. This line was used to send messages and the 1 o'clock time signal between London and Portsmouth (the UK’s main channel naval port). The semaphore line comprised 13 stations each about five miles apart. Pewley received its signals from the tower on Chatley Heath which still stands today near the M25. Semaphore was much quicker than relying on messages being sent by a galloping horse!

The semaphore building on Pewley Hill remains but has a distinctive cupola that was added on top after the semaphore went out of use in 1847. The building is now a Grade II listed private home situated at the junction of Pewley Hill and - the appropriately named - Semaphore Road.

Seeing this historical site is inspiring and is a highlight of walking across Guildford. One can appreciate from the open views nearby why this elevated site was chosen for a semaphore station!

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Elevation 110 m

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Thursday 13 November

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Location: Surrey, South East England, England, United Kingdom

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Semaphore House, Pewley Hill

1. The Scholar's Trail from Guildford — Surrey Hills

2. St Martha's Church – View of Albury from The Roughs loop from Guildford

3. Semaphore House, Pewley Hill – Guildford Castle and Gardens loop from Guildford

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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