Box Hill and Denbies Wine Estate, Surrey
A country walk to Box Hill and Denbies Wine Estate
Though perhaps less dramatic than their southerly cousins, the North Downs have their moments: and Box Hill is one of them. This circular walk celebrates this elevated landmark twice, first by hiking to its peak and then rounding off with a panorama of it from across the scenic Mole Gap. The route in between weaves its way through the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and essentially offers two walks in one, with a shorter version that's perfect for the limited daylight of winter and an extension via Denbies Wine Estate for summertime quaffing of made-on-site bubbles.
Start/end point: Box Hill & Westhumble, Surrey (50 minutes from London by train)
Distance: 9½ miles (or 5½ miles should you choose not to do the Denbies extension), 3-5 hours
When to go: all year, though the vineyard is at its best in late summer when the grapes are ready for harvesting and clouds of butterflies decorate the Downs
Difficulty: There are some very steep climbs and descents on this walk, so wear shoes with decent grip. Also take care when crossing the A24 at Mickleham - especially after a couple of pints!
See the map for this walk here: https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/hiking-route/wkndr-box-hill-and-denbies/204220285/
You’ll need to create an outdooractive profile to view the route, then hit ‘Open in App’ on your mobile phone to follow the route using GPS.
Directions: Leave the station, turn right down the road and take the underpass beneath the A24 dual carriageway. Turn left and then immediately right into the National Trust's Burford Meadow, a nature reserve on the River Mole's floodplain. Follow the well-trodden path beneath the steep, wooded flanks of Box Hill to your left, then cross the wooden bridge at the field's far end: it's easier (though arguably less fun) than using the stepping stones just round the bend.
Go straight ahead and bear left on the path ahead (or make a quick detour to the right if you fancy seeing the stepping stones), then commence your ascent of Box Hill. The reward for this heart-pounding climb up a series of 275 steps is the view across Dorking, the North Downs and beyond to the Weald. At the viewpoint, walk up the last bit of hill, cross the road and continue through the grassy clearing, aiming for the way-marker on the other side marked Box Hill Hike. Stay on this path and follow the Box Hill Hike sign to the left, which gently descends though a woodland of oak, beech and evergreen holly and yew.
At the ruined, flint tower (a folly built to draw the eye from Juniper Hall, the grand house in the valley), stay on the Box Hill Hike by following it to the right and on down a steep set of steps to the valley. At the bottom, turn left and stay on this track until it reaches a country lane. Cross it and (I know, I'm sorry) head up another steep flight of steps. At a fork in the path at the top, stay left on Box Hill Hike, which heads downhill. Cross a track (an actual Roman road) and continue down a very steep slope to the bottom, where it passes a churchyard in the pretty village of Mickleham.
At the road, turn right and pause for lunch or a pint at The Running Horses. When you're done, carry on to the end of the road and cross back over the A24. Take the footbridge over the river, then go left at a metal gate onto a bridleway. Where it forks, take the lower trail on the left. Follow this along the flank of wooded ridge carved by the Mole, passing over the railway line en route. Keep going straight and bear left where the path joins a wider track through the woods. This eventually leads to a fork at which you bear right up the slope to reach a paved track with a country lane off to the left.
If you're doing the shorter walk, turn left on the lane and amble the half mile back to the station. Otherwise, turn right up the lane to where it dead-ends at a pair of lonely cottages. Take the footpath to the right of the flint cottage dead ahead, then continue around it on the footpath to the left, which skirts round an open meadow. On entering the woods, bear right and keep going straight along this path, ignoring any turnings until you reach an obvious fork where this path meets another. Take the downhill option (to the left) and cross through a paddock, then over a country lane.
The track ahead leads onto the National Trust's Polesden Lacey estate. Follow it and stay straight ahead where it begins to climb an incline. Stay on this path all the way up the hill until it eventually reaches the road beneath the spire of a Gothic Revival church. Turn left and walk along the road to where it turns sharp left, at which point cross over and take the paved track straight ahead, then turn right onto the North Downs Way. Follow it to the left at the next crossroads and pass through a gate into Denbies Wine Estate. Further ahead, the view opens up to the right over a vine-filled valley and the rooftops of Dorking. The real money-shot view though lies just further on, where the track veers to the left through another gate to reveal Box Hill looming over the landscape.
Keep going until a crossroads in the path, at which point turn right and descend into the vineyard. Head round to the front of the Wine Centre to The Hatch, where you can celebrate (almost) the end of your walk by splashing out on some Denbies sparkling by the bottle or the glass. When you've drained those glasses, retrace your steps to the vineyard and turn right on the public footpath just past the Vineyard Hotel. Follow this past the vines into a paddock and beyond between the gardens of Westhumble village. The footpath ends at a road, where a right turn will have you back at the station before you've come down from your sparkling wine high.
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