Chessington Circular Short Walk

5.2 miles (8.4 km) with 300 feet (100 m) of ascent

Chessington South (Zone 6) is at the end of a line from Waterloo. 2 trains per hour, about 35 mins.

By car: Chessington: KT92JR does not have a CPZ, but parking is easier half way round the walk by the country park: KT198GW, or commons: KT187FB (both free).

The "Chessington Countryside Walk" is a local authority promoted walk which loops around Horton Country Park, Epsom and Ashtead Commons, and Winey Hill (viewpoint). A lovely summer walk close to London, its very muddy in winter.

Anti clockwise from Chessington station

• The walk quickly leaves Chessington along a lane and ascends through a small wood to the open top of Winey Hill (viewpoint, 75m, picnic spot, some road noise from the A3).
• Then down into woods (very muddy in winter), passing the Zoo's hedge-fence, then car park (use the car park to bypass a particularly muddy path) and entrance.
• The next stage is a path between hedges (muddy in winter), and a farmer's field (waterlogged in winter)
• You enter the north edge of Ashtead and Epsom Commons (all weather forest paths). You could extend the walk further into the Commons.
• You cross a road, passing a health centre, and another muddy stretch to Horton Country Park (all weather paths), a mix of open grassland and woods.
• Veer left across a field, then along a pretty raised path with nice views (picnic spot, muddy in winter) back to Chessington

The first third of the walk is almost impassable after wet weather in winter, with lots of muddy ground water. The remainder of the walk is mainly on all weather paths.

The walk passes a major attraction, Chessington World of Adventures (a Theme Park with a Zoo). Unfortunately no wild animals are visible from the footpaths as the zoo is surrounded by tall leylandii trees. There might be views from the north side of Winey Hill if you descend through the trees, but the animals are away on the far side, by the resort hotels.

Chessington North ending

At alternate ending, about 1km longer, that passes 2 pubs.

It passes Castle Hill Nature Reserve (marked on the OS map). Just a small wooded hill, no castle (it was a manor house anyway), only some earthworks remain.

I had hoped to be able to warn you, that while its illeagal to keep dangerous animals in fields with public footpaths, to use common sense and not walk between a lioness and her cubs. Alas, the animals are not visible from the walk or any public footpath. Your best hope is the outside tables at the Zafari bar and Grill in the Chessington Safari hotel (with resort hotel prices). Chessington is more about the rides nowadays than the zoo.

• The walk crosses the A243 road (by the zoo car park) near a Premier Inn with a Beefeater restaurant.
• Chessington Safari, one of the amusement park hotels (just north along the A243 main road) has a restaurant that overlooks the safari animal enclosure.
• The is a cafe on the road junction by Chessington station.
• There are 2 pubs on the Chessington North ending, The William Bourne (which has some outside seating) and the The Chessington Oak (by the roundabout, closer to the station), both family food orientated chain pubs.

Horton Country Park (wikipedia, Friends of) has a golf course and horse riding centre. Much of it is open land and left as a Nature Reserve. Part of it was the grounds of a former hospital with a (closed) railway line.

Ashtead Common (managed by the Corporation of London for all Londoners) and Epsom Common (a local Nature Reserve) together make a single large green space in south west London. Usually quiet, they are worth exploring further if you have extra time. Neither has much of a website.

After the walk, please leave a comment, it really helps. Thanks!

You can also upload photos to the SWC Group on Flickr (upload your photos) and videos to Youtube. This walk's tags are:

National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Aug-23 Andrew