Best Places to Visit in the Surrey Hills: Things to Do in the Surrey Hills AONB
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Friends occasionally ask me where are the best places to visit in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This AONB stretches roughly from Tilford in the West to Tatsfield in the east, and includes a significant segment of the North Downs Way National Trail. The Devil’s Punch Bowl, Newlands Corner, and Box Hill are all beauty spots that fall within the Surrey Hills AONB, and Leith Hill sits at the heart of the area.
Below are some of the best beauty spots, stately homes, gardens, and ruins. I’ve also included long-distance trails, Iron Age hillforts, and other hidden gems in the Surrey Hills.
Best beauty spots in the Surrey Hills
Box Hill
This is a National Trust property that’s full of footpaths that could keep you entertained for days on end. There are several parking spots around the property, the most popular of which is located near the memorial viewpoint, where you can enjoy views of Dorking and the surrounding area.
Denbies Hillside
One of my favorite places to visit! There’s a gorgeous viewpoint, and plenty of trails to enjoy. The North Downs Way goes right through here. And if you’ve read my book If Trees Could Talk, you can even visit one of the trees: Ranmore Oak.
Devil’s Punch Bowl
This is one site that I’ve gone back to time and time again. The Milford to Haslemere walk is one of my favorites, and it takes in the Devil’s Punch Bowl. This is a National Trust site, so if you’re a member you can park for free.
St Martha’s Hill
Located just off the North Downs Way, this gorgeous viewpoint sits alongside St Martha’s Church, which has plenty of benches for you to enjoy the view. You can walk here from Guildford along the North Downs Way, or you can park at one of two nearby carparks (info in the link below).
Newlands Corner
One of my favorite places to visit for a run or a walk, this viewpoint is located right on the North Downs Way. Parking is once again free. It’s also full of old-growth yew trees, and if you’ve read my book If Trees Could Talk, you may remember the Newlands Corner yew.
Gardens to visit in the Surrey Hills
Leith Hill Rhododendron Wood
The Rhododendron Wood was created in the late 1800s by Caroline Wedgwood of the well-known Wedgwood pottery, who lived at nearby Leith Hill Place. This is one of my favorite places to take people when they’re visiting the area, as it’s absolutely stunning when the rhododendrons are in bloom. It’s lovely all year round, though. This garden is tucked away on a tiny country lane and you’d miss it if you didn’t know it was there.
Winkworth Arboretum
Winkworth Arboretum was created in the early 20th Century by Dr Wilfrid Fox, a local doctor who wanted to preserve the wooded hillside near his home. It was bequeathed to the National Trust. It’s worth a visit any time of the year, but it’s especially gorgeous in the autumn, when the leaves are changing color.
Best Surrey Hills villages to visit
Abinger
This is actually a collection of picturesque three villages: Abinger Hammer, Abinger Common, and Abinger Bottom. There are plenty of walking trails in the area, and the village green is a popular weekend picnic spot, as it has a stream running through it.
Brockham
Located just outside Dorking, this little village is accessed by a gorgeous little bridge. There isn’t much to do here but have lunch at one of the little pubs or have a picnic on the village green. There are plenty of footpaths in the area if you’re up for a walk.
Shere
This is definitely my favorite little village in the Surrey Hills, and it’s clearly a popular one, as it fills up with visitors on the weekends. Parking can be hard to find in the little village carpark. There are lovely little pubs, including The Bray, which has plenty of outdoor seating. Remember to save some room for an ice cream at Shere Delights, in the center of the village.
Stately homes in the Surrey Hills
Loseley Park
Loseley House is situated in 1,400 acres of Surrey Hills, just 3 miles south of Guildford in Surrey. There is a farm shop, and there are plenty of walking trails around the area.
Polesden Lacey
A National Trust property consisting of a 1,500-acre estate with gardens and an Edwardian house that you can visit. It’s located near Dorking, and a visit to Polesden can easily be combined with other sites in the area.
Long-distance trails in the Surrey Hills
Downs Link
The Downs Link is a 37-mile (59.5 km) trail running from St Martha’s Hill in the north to Shoreham-by-Sea in the south. It runs along the old route of what is now known as the Hundred Years Railway, which is what makes most of the trail so flat and easy to walk.
Greensand Way
This trail runs 108 miles (174 km) from Haslemere in Surrey to Hamstreet in Kent, and much of it passes through the Surrey Hills AONB. It’s an absolutely gorgeous route that you can enjoy portions of on a day walk.
North Downs Way National Trail
This 153 mi (246 km) trail runs from Farnham in the west to Dover in the east, passing through two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs. You can walk portions of it as a day hike. Some of my favorite sections are: Farnham to Guildford, Guildford to Dorking, and Dorking to Merstham (this last one is the most challenging).
Wey-South Path
The Wey-South Path is a 35-mile (56.3 km) footpath that was created in the early 1970s, connecting the North Downs Way and the South Downs Way, and running mostly along the old towpaths for the Wey & Arun Canal. It starts in Guildford on the North Downs and ends in Amberley, in West Sussex on the South Downs.
Surrey Hills ruins
Betchworth castle
This is a hidden gem located just outside of Dorking, and near the village of Betchworth. Betchworth Castle is an ancient structure with remains dating back to 1379. There were many modifications made over the years. It was eventually purchased by Henry Hope, who demolished large parts of the castle and left it in ruins, which you can view today.
Deepdene Trail
The Deepdene Trail is centered around the historical Deepdene Estate, located on the south-eastern edge of Dorking. This originally included an Italianate garden and a stately home built in the late 18th century, which was sadly demolished in 1969. Today, the grounds of the estate have been turned into a walking route. You can explore the terrace garden, the temple, and the mausoleum.
Surrey Hills hidden gems
Albury Saxon church
This is another of my favorite places to take people. Hidden within the Albury Estate in between the villages of Shere and Albury, the St Peter & St Paul’s Church is well worth a visit. I recently took some friends to visit in the early evening, and we saw a deer bounding through the churchyard as we explored the grounds.
Chilworth Gunpowder Mills
Built over 300 years ago by the East India Company, the Chilworth Gunpowder Mills was a thriving gunpowder mill. It’s situated just off the Downs Link trail, and you can enjoy a picnic alongside the nearby Tillinbourne River. This site can be easily combined with a visit to St Martha’s Hill if you’re up for a hike.
Lovelace Bridges
The Lovelace Bridges were built in the 1860s by William King, 1st Earl of Lovelace (1805-1893) on his estate at East Horsley. There were originally 15 bridges; 10 remain today. You can explore these historic bridges by walking a 9.8-km loop trail near Shere, which should take just over three hours to complete.
Iron Age Hillforts in the Surrey Hills
Anstiebury Camp
Anstiebury Camp is a medium-sized bivallate hillfort. Located near the village of Coldharbour and the National Trust property of Leith Hill, you might not notice this hillfort unless you went looking for it. Just head down the little footpath to the right of the pub and follow it around through the hillfort.
Felday Hillfort
This is a large univallate Iron Age located near Abinger.
Hascombe Hill
This is an Iron Age multivallate hill fort. Full of lovely walking trails, this is a great place to visit. You can also pay a visit to the modern stone circle at Hascombe.
Holmbury Camp
This is a small Iron Age multivallate hillfort withdouble ramparts and ditches.
Other places to visit in the Surrey Hills
Denbies Wine Estate
Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking is one of England’s largest single estate vineyards, with 265 acres currently in production. The dates back to 1986, when the first vines were planted. You can tour the vineyard and taste the wines, or you can have a leisurely stroll amongst the vines. The North Downs Way passes through the vineyard, as does the Leith Hill Greenway trail.
Silent Pool
If you like gin, you’ll love Silent Pool. Hidden up in the hills near Shere and Albury, you can visit the gin distillery and go on a tasting tour. You can also visit Sherbourne Pond, home to ghostly legends.
Watts Gallery and Chapel
Located near Guildford and just off the North Downs Way, this gallery, tearoom, chapel, and cemetery is well worth a visit. If you’re pressed for time, be sure to check out the Grade I listed Arts & Crafts chapel just down the road from the main buildings. See if you can find the tombstone for author and Nobel Prize nominee Aldous Huxley, who was buried here.
Suggested Guildford area day trip itinerary
- Watts Gallery and Chapel
- Albury Saxon Church
- Newlands Corner
Suggested Dorking area day trip itinerary
- Box Hill or Denbies Wine Estate
- Betchworth Castle
- Shere
Read the stories from the Surrey trees in If Trees Could Talk: Life Lessons from the Wisdom of the Woods. I’ve spent the last few years talking to trees – the birches, the oaks, the beeches and the sycamores. In this book, they tell their tales.
This book will encourage you to get back to Nature and turn to the magic and the wisdom of the trees. By reconnecting to Nature, you can improve your relationship with yourself, which will help you make better, more aligned choices in your life.