Box Hill Walks

2.5 miles (4 km)

This park is run by the National Trust and has a number of splendid walking trails to enjoy. There are panoramic views of the western Weald and a riverside stroll along the River Mole. There are also excellent facilities with the Box Tree cafe and shop which sells local produce. Box Hill is located just north of Dorking in Surrey.
This circular walk visits some of the highlights of the park including the popular Stepping Stones, Broadwood's Tower and lovely woodland of the Happy Valley.
The walk starts from the visitor centre near to Box Hill Fort. This scheduled ancient monument is a relic from the 1890s, when a chain of such sites were built to defend London in case of invasion by France�or Russia. Follow the waymarked trails south and then west past the Swiss Cottage, the former home of John Logie Baird, the inventor of television. One of his earliest transmissions was from the top of Box Hill.
After passing the cottage you pick up a riverside trail along the River Mole. This will pass the stepping stones which are a popular beauty spot in the park.
The walk then heads east to explore the Happy Valley area of the park. Here you'll find a series of nice woodland trails with some moderate climbs to Flint Hill. There's lovely views of the Surrey Hills from the high points which climb to a height of over 500ft. This includes the Salomons memorial viewpoint which is probably the most well known spot in the park, attracting almost 1 million visitors each year. It's named after Leopold Salomons, who gave 230 acres of Box Hill land to the National Trust in 1914. The views over the lush green fields, rolling hills and expansive woodland below are simply wonderful. Atfer taking in the views the walk descends back to the car park and visitor centre where you can enjoy refreshments at the cafe.
If you would like to continue your walking in the area then you could follow the North Downs Way a few miles west to Ranmore Common. Here you will find miles of great walking and cycling trails through woodland and open download with great views of the Surrey Hills. Just to the east of the park you'll find Headley Heath. It's easily walkable from the car park and contains attractive heathland with yellow gorse, bluebell woods and purple heathers in the warmer months.
You're also very close to Westhumble where you can visit Norbury Park. There's woodland, chalk grassland and farmland to explore here.
Our Dorking Circular Walk starts from the town and visits the park and the nearby Denbies Hillside.

Postcode

KT20 7LB - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

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Box Hill Country Park Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Box Hill Country Park Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Box Hill Country Park OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Box Hill Country Park Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The King William IV pub is a fine place for refreshments after your exercise. The main draw here is a wonderful garden terrace where you can enjoy your meal with�panoramic views of the Mole Valley. On colder days you can sit inside next to the crackling log fire. You can find the pub at Byttom Hill, Mickleham with a postcode of RH5 6EL for your sat navs.

Dog Walking

The heathland, woodland and hills of the area are ideal for dog walking so you will probably see plenty of other owners with their pets on a fine day. Most of the area is fine for off lead although it's best to keep them on leads around car parks, visitor areas and livestock. The King William IV pub mentioned above is also dog friendly.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

For a longer walk try our Box Hill Circular Walk which visits Norbury Park, Mickleham Downs, Headley Heath and Box Hill village. It runs for about 8 miles with some more moderate hill climbing.
Just to the south there's the village of Betchworth where you can visit the ruined Betchworth Castle which sits next to the River Mole. There's also the adjacent village of Brockham where you can explore the Brockham Quarry Nature Reserve. The interesting site was once the site of chalk extraction and the lime making industry during the Victorian Era.
Box Hill and Westhumble train station is located just west of the park. The station is a good access point for the walk if you were coming by public transport. It's reachable from�London Victoria�via�Sutton, London Waterloo�via�Wimbledon and Dorking. Westhumble also includes the noteworthy ruins of a 12th century chapel and the Stepping Stones public house.