Surrey Walks

Surrey may sit just a short hop from London, but step onto one of its footpaths and you’re suddenly in a different world entirely — rolling hills, ancient woodland and big wide skies stretching out across the North Downs. It’s a county built for walkers, with trails that weave through heather-draped commons, quiet valleys and wide, open viewpoints where the landscape spreads out far beyond what you’d expect this close to the capital. Whether you fancy a gentle family ramble, a woodland wander packed with wildlife, or a leg-burning climb up to a sweeping ridge, Surrey has a route for every kind of boot-wearer.

But the beauty of Surrey isn’t just natural — it’s soaked in history too. Many trails follow centuries-old tracks once used by drovers, monks and merchants, passing Iron Age hillforts, smugglers’ haunts and National Trust estates with stories baked into every brick. You’ll stumble across villages full of timbered pubs, hidden churchyards, and traces of the old London–Portsmouth Road — reminders of a time when travellers crossed these hills long before the motorway arrived. It’s that mix of wild space, deep history and easy access that makes Surrey a cracking place to lace up your boots and get exploring.

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  Hindhead Common & Devil’s Punch Bowl – The National Trust’s Highcombe Circular Hike, Surrey, South East England.
  This classic loop on Hindhead Common and the Devil’s Punch Bowl is the National Trust’s Highcombe Hike – a short but punchy circuit that packs in big views, deep woodland and a cracking bit of history. You start on open heath above the Punch Bowl, looking across one of Surrey’s wildest natural amphitheatres, then follow the rim left towards Gibbet Hill, a high point with huge views over the Weald and all the way to the South Downs.