The most outstandingly beautiful places to walk near London #1

the most outstandingly beautifil places to walk near London Surrey Hills

When you need to escape the city, where do you head to?

You want to walk somewhere REALLY beautiful.

Somewhere that really makes you feel like you’re in the heart of a unique landscape.

The answer?

Try an official ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.

There are eight close to London, possible to visit within a day. Wouldn’t it make a great challenge to visit each of them?

Over an occasional series of blog posts, I’ll be showcasing each one!

Starting today with…

No. 1: The Surrey Hills AONB

Here’s a taster of what to expect from this Area, and four ‘must do’ walks.

Get there by train from:
Clapham Junction

1. Here you can climb to the highest point in south-east England, on Leith Hill:

The View from Leith Hill Tower
[The view from Leith Hill Tower by Donald Macauley (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)]

Best walk:
Leith Hill: Time Out Book of Country Walks Vol 1 Walk 42: Holmwood to Gomshall

2. Or, climb to one of the most famous viewpoints south of London: Box Hill

Box Hill
[View from Box Hill by Amanda Slater (licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)]

Best walk:
Box Hill: North Downs Way: Westhumble to Merstham (10 miles)
Further Reading
Focus on Box Hill

3. Another ‘must see’ is the Devil’s Punch Bowl, a spectacular beauty spot:

Viewpoint Overlooking The Devil's Punch Bowl
[Viewpoint overlooking the Devil’s Punch Bowl by Tim Sheerman-Chase (licensed under CC BY 2.0)]

The Devil’s Punch Bowl’s sandy meandering paths are a delight to wander:

Devil's Punch Bowl 1
[Devil’s Punch Bowl by Leimenide (licensed under CC BY 2.0)]

Best walk:
Devil’s Punch Bowl: Time Out Book of Country Walks Vol 1 Walk 27: Milford to Haslemere

4. Yet another lovely spot to visit is St Martha’s Hill, outside Guildford.

View from St. Martha's Hill
[View from St Martha’s Hil by Alistair Young (licensed under CC BY 2.0)]

Best walk:
Box Hill: North Downs Way: Guildford to Westhumble (10 miles)

Find out more on the official website:
www.surreyhills.org

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Welcome! Do you live in London and love walking? I help frustrated London-based hikers to get out on the hills by providing inspiration, ideas, practical advice and encouragement. Satisfy your hill walking cravings! Read more here

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