At very short notice, a walk posting I had up my sleeve…
SWC Walk 64 Box Hill & Westhumble Circular Length: 15.1 km (9.4 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 624m; Net Walking Time: 4 ½ hours
Toughness: 7/10
Take the 10.31 Horsham train from Victoria (10.38 CJ), arrives Box Hill & Westhumble 11.21.
Off-Peak returns are only £8.90, so don’t use your Network Railcard (minimum mid-week fare: £13.00).
Return trains are on 15.59, 16.28, 17.03, 17.33, 17.58, 18.33 etc.
I’ve led this walk for The Ramblers at the beginning of the month, and was reminded of how nice this clockwise expedition is, avoiding the steep ascent to Box Hill, yet getting in quite a bit of exercise on a relatively short outing, and the walk has not been posted yet this year.
The Mole Valley, Norbury Park, Headley Heath and Box Hill, fine views from several viewpoints, two nice pubs and plenty of choice for tea stops (café, pub or winery). Optional finish in Dorking (described in the write-up), or via Denbies Vineyard (not described but easy to find for anyone familiar with the area).You can easily extend the walk by taking a longer route through Headley Heath (map required).
Lunch is after about a third of the distance,
in Mickleham, either at the recommended
King William IV with its nice garden, or at the
Running Horses.
For tea, there is a café inside the National Trust Visitor Centre at the top of Box Hill, plus a Servery offering hot and cold drinks, cakes and ice-creams. There is plenty of outdoor seating and more tables inside. The NT website occasionally offers a “£1 voucher if arriving by public transport”, so you could try showing your train ticket.
At Box Hill & Westhumble station the Old Booking Hall contains
Pilgrim Cycles (01306-886958), a bicycle shop with a convenient café; its posted closing time is 17.00, so you should have no problem getting there before it closes. It will also readily stay open later if called in advance.
There are pubs near the end of both walk options which are open all day: the
Stepping Stones (01306-889932) on Westhumble Street and the
Lincoln Arms (01306-882820) in Dorking's Station Approach. You will find more refreshment places in and around the High Street if you go past its stations into the town centre (see the webpage for details).
For
summary,
map,
height profile,
photos, walk directions/options and
gpx/kml files click
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