The Surrey Hills encompass a truly stunning set of landscapes and special habitats; these have maintained their unique unspoilt character for hundreds of years and thanks to a number of European and national statutory designations (i.e. Surrey Hills AONB, Headley Heath and Box Hill SAC and SSSI), they have managed to withstand urban encroachment in the densely populated south-eastern region of England.
Therefore, it's quite unsurprising that +Shawn Moore and I choose to escape here on a regular basis. This is the sort of place where one can combine his/her love of nature with a number of outdoor activities. Thanks to a series of steep inclines, hiking or cycling in the Hills can add up to a gruelling cardiovascular workout for which you'll be generously rewarded with stunning panoramic views.
Box Hill is definitely among my top five hikes in Surrey Hills, and that's where we were headed last week - to try out the +National Trust's Box Hill Hike route.
Box Hill, covered in box woods on its south side (hence the name), has been a much sought-after North Down beauty spot for centuries. The 17th-century writer and diarist John Evelyn, a resident of nearby village of Wotton, praised its yews and box trees for making "the place extremely agreeable". Moreover, the celebrated romantic poet John Keats wrote the last 500 lines of
Endymion after a moonlit stroll on the hill in December 1817. It also became the setting of Jane Austen's picnic scene in
Emma (Austen's fourth novel, published in 1815). So, let it inspire you, too.
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| Upon crossing the River Mole, the steep climb up to Box Hill begins... © Veronika Moore |
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| The Viewpoint © Veronika Moore |
Box Hill is most famous for the panoramic far-reaching view to the south. The stone structure on the viewpoint is known as Salomons Memorial. It was built to commemorate Leopold Salomons, who gave the original 93ha (230 acres) of Box Hill to the National Trust in 1914.
From here you can see for more than 25 miles; with Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex stretching out beneath you. On a clear day you can see the South Downs in the far distance. Between Box Hill and the South Downs lies the Weald (an old Saxon word meaning woodland). From the viewpoint you can see the River Mole, flowing below Box Hill on its way to the Thames.
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| View from Lodge Hill © Veronika Moore |
The view from Lodge Hill easily rivals the viewpoint. The slope directly below is Lodge Hill, the slope in front of you is the Burford Spur; the Zig Zag valleys are in between.
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| The stunning Mickleham Church (recorded in the Domesday Book 1086) © Veronika Moore |
The village of Mickleham dates from Saxon times, when Mickleham meant large homestead or hemmed-in land. The picturesque church has been largely remodelled, first by the Normans and then the Victorians. If you know what you are looking for, you can still find bits of the older tenth century church.
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| Mickleham Gallops © Veronika Moore |
Mickleham Gallops was once used to exercise the horses that ran at nearby Epsom races. The horses would have been stabled at what is now the Running Horses Pub.
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| Headley Heath © Veronika Moore |
Headley Heath is an unusual mosaic of different habitats, including acidic heathland, alkaline chalk downland and mixed woodland. It is one of the few places where alkaline or chalk-loving plants (like Beech trees and Cowslips) and acidic or chalk-hating plants (like Gorse and Heather) can be found growing together. The mix of acid and alkaline geology leads to a great diversity of plants and insects, creating a rich ecosystem.
Headley Heath is ‘commonland’ and has been important to local villagers (or ‘commoners’) for hundreds of years. In the past commoners would have had rights to graze their animals and collect natural materials from the Heath. Some rights have curious old names, for example, panage is the right to turn out pigs, estovers is the right to collect wood, and turbury is the right to cut peat turf. Today Headley has just one commoner left, who has the right to turn out geese. The area is now grazed by Belted Galloway cattle, one of the most visually distinctive and hardy breeds of cattle in the UK.
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| Dukes Meadow (on the way back to the Viewpoint) © Veronika Moore |
Walking routes in Surrey Hills: - Box Hill walks (designed by the National Trust)
- Surrey Hills AONB
- North Downs Way National Trail (circular walks)
- Greensand Way (linear walks)
And remember that...- While your smartphone app is a useful tool for navigation, you shouldn't rely on it completely. Possessing a set of rudimentary navigation skills makes long-distance hillwalking more enjoyable and safer. It's wise to have a map handy, such as the OS Explorer Map 146 (Dorking, Box Hill and Reigate), a compass and be properly equipped for all weathers.
- Check out the Ordnance Survey website for a guide (as well as videos) on using a compass and map reading.
Enjoy the great outdoors!
