10 beautiful walks close to London list
Leave the Seven Sisters and the Margate to Ramsgate walks behind! Let’s come off the beaten tracks and try something new and less mainstream. In this article, I will be taking you on 10 beautiful walks close to London that are not talked about, ranged by location. Hush, it’s a secret!
Greater London
1 – Orpington to Knockholt
We intend to forget it yet Orpington is actually in Greater London, meaning it’s accessible using your Oyster card … no train tickets needed. And believe it or not, I have made the mistake myself so, I prefer to mention it. It is a fairly easy walk, mainly on concrete paths, ideal to do on a Sunday morning. I would recommend that you go for a Sunday Roast at the Bo-Peep in Knockholt at the end.
Logistic for the Orpington to Knockholt walk
- Distance: 10.5 miles (16.9 km)
- Ascent: 286 m
- Walking Estimate: 3 hours and 45 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- How to get there: Train from and to London Bridge
- What to pack: Comfortable clothing, pair of trainers as you would be walking on tarmac paths a lot, water (2 litres recommended)
Highlights of the Orpington to Knockholt walk
- Orpington
- Woodlands and valley
- Chelsfield Golf Club
- Eat at the Bo-peep
2 – Epping Green Circular
With the lockdown restrictions lifted, we can finally get back to hiking. But if you are still not ready to wander excessively far from London, I have selected 3 loops in Epping Green that you can mix and match as it pleases you to make it a shorter or a longer walk. Whether you live locally or you are a Londoner looking to escape to the countryside after three months of lockdown, this walk is for you.
Logistic for the Epping circular walks
- Distance: 10.12 miles (16.3 km) – you can shorten it, depending on how many loops you want to do
- Ascent: 108 m
- Walking estimate: 3 hours and and 45 minutes for the three loops back-to-back
- How to get there: Central Line to Epping Station (last stop). Then you can either walk an extra 4 miles (6.43 km) or 8 miles (12.8km) if you walk it on the way back too, to get to Epping Green. Alternatively, you can order an Uber (approximately £10 each way)
- What to bring: comfortable clothing and footwear (no trainers recommended), gaiters (especially if it has been raining during the week) snack for the break, water (2 litres recommended)
Kent
3 – Sole Street Circular
No need to go far for a walk in the countryside: Kent is right on London’s doorstep and offers a variety of hikes from a stroll to something more challenging. In this case, I have selected for you an easy walk around Sole Street which ends at the Leather Bottle pub for a nice meal. And it is not any pub; it was Charles Dickens’ favourite alehouse in Kent!
Logistic for the Sole Street Circular walk
- Distance: 11.09 miles (17.84km)
- Ascent: 277m
- Walking estimate: 4 hours and 40 minutes
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- How to get there: Train for London Victoria
- What to pack: Suitable clothing and footwear, water (ideally 2 litres)
Highlights of the Sole Street Circular walk
- Kent countryside
- North Downs
- Darnley Mausoleum
- Eat at the Leather Bottle
4 – Cuxton to Otford
Let’s go to the North Downs with its endless golden fields and evergreen woodlands for a walk from Cuxton to Otford. It is a fairly long walk with a few hills offering breathtaking views over the valley. It also has a picnic area ideally located halfway through the hike, which is the perfect spot to stop for lunch and avoid having to sit on the cold ground. A really nice day out!
Logistic for Cuxton to Otford walk
- Distance: 14.88 miles (23.9km)
- Ascent: 215 m
- Walking estimate: 7 hours
- Difficulty: intermediate
- How to get there: Trains from London St Pancras and back to London Victoria. There is no possibility to buy a day return ticket for this walk as Cuxton and Otford are not on the same line
- What to pack: Comfortable clothing and footwear, water (2 litres recommended)
Highlights of the Cuxton to Otford walk
- North Downs
- Trosley Country Park
- Otford
5 – Otford to Eynsford
Looking for a nice morning walk ending with a traditional Sunday roast? I’ve got you covered with a walk from Otford to Eynsford in Kent. We start the hike in Otford in the North Downs and are going down to the Darent Valley. During this walk, you will be passing by places of interest such as the Lullingston Castle. I have planed for you a mid-hike drink at the King’s Arms in Shoreham and a Sunday roast at the Castle Hotel. Now you just need to dust off your hiking boots and hit the trail!
Logistic for the Otford to Eynsford walk
- Distance: 9.61 miles (15.46km)
- Ascent: 137 m
- Walking estimate: 4 hours and a half
- Difficulty: intermediate
- How to get there: Trains from London Victoria. The plus side of this walk is that Otford and Eynsford are on the same line so you can buy a day return to Otford
- What to pack: Comfortable clothing and footwear, snack (you will need one as it is quite a long walk before reaching the pub at the end), water (2 litres recommended)
Highlights of the Otford to Eynsford walk
- Otford village
- Shoreham White Cross
- Shoreham village
- Drink at the King’s Arms
- Lavender fields & shop
- Lullingstone Castle
- Eynsford Viaduct
- Eynsford village
- Eat at the Castle Hotel
Surrey
6 – Guilford Circular
We continue our list of the 10 walks close to London and move to Surrey. This region is well-known for the Surrey Hills site which is classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As you may have guessed, this is a hilly walk but you will be rewarded by the incredible views the site has to offer. So if you are looking to mix challenge and beauty, this is for you!
Logistic for the Guilford circular walk
- Distance: 13.4 miles (21.7km)
- Ascent: 395m
- Walking Estimate: 7 hours 15 minutes
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- How to get there: Day return ticket from London Waterloo. The journey takes in between 30 to 40 minutes depending on which train you take
- What to pack: Comfortable clothing and footwear, water (2 litres recommended)
Highlights of the Guildford circular walk
- Guildford
- St Martha’s Hill
- Blackheath
- Chilworth Gunpowder Factory
Sussex
7 – East Grinstead Circular
I cannot turn water into wine but I can definitely take you on a walk from a reservoir to a vineyard in the East Grinstead area. And that is still a cool power to have! In this walk, the beauty of the High Weald, this Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty stretching across Surrey and Sussex, unravels before your eyes. There is a pub stop at the Cat Inn halfway through the hike and the visit of a vineyard at the end. It’s all about mixing effort and pleasure!
Logistic for the East Grinstead Circular walk
- Distance: 12 miles (19 km)
- Ascent: 360 m
- Walking Estimate: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- How to get there: Trains from London Victoria
- What to pack: Comfortable clothing and footwear, water (2 litres recommended)
Highlights of the East Grinstead Circular walk
- East Grinstead town centre
- The Weird Wood Reservoir
- Eat/drink at the Cat Inn
- The Gravitye Manor
- The Kingscote Estate
- Eat at the Railway Tavern
Buckinghamshire
8 – Marlow Circular
Perfectly located between the hills of the Chilterns and the river Thames, Marlow has a lot to offer for hikers and walkers at all levels. This intermediate walk will take you from rolling hills to woodlands and ends at the Marlow Donkey for diner. However, if you are looking to do an easier walk near Marlow, click here.
Logistic for the Marlow Loop
- Distance: 15.76 miles (25.36km)
- Ascent: 1438 feet (438 m)
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Walking estimate: 5 hours and a half to 6 hours depending on pace
- How to get there: There are no direct trains from London to Marlow. You would have to get a train from Paddington Station to Maidenhead Station and change in Maidenhead for a train to Marlow
- What to bring: comfortable clothing and shoes as you will be climbing hills, snack, packed lunch, water (2 litres recommended)
- Additional information: There are no toilets on this walk
Highlights of the Marlow loop
- Marlow
- Marlow Bottom
- High Wycombe
- Eat at the Marlow Donkey
9 – Wendover Circular
Located in the heart of the Chiltern Hills, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Wendover circular is perfect for any hiker or walker looking for something a bit more challenging. You will be passing through old villages and places of interest, adding some site seeing to the beauty of this walk.
Logistic for Wendover walk
- Distance: 17 miles (27km)
- Ascent: 460 m
- Walking estimate: 7 hours and 45 minutes
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- How to get there: Trains from Marylebone Station
- What to pack: Comfortable clothing and footwear, waterproof jacket and over-trouser, water (2 litres recommended)
Highlights of the Wendover walk
- Chilterns Hills
- Wendover village
- Ellesborough village
- Hampden House
- Great Missenden village
Hertfordshire
10 – Berkhamstead Circular
For our last one of the 10 beautiful walks close to London, I kept for you the most difficult hike of all. Challenging and picturesque, this walk takes you through steep hills, lush green fields, woodlands and an undulating canal. The Berkhamsted circular walk has it all. Are you ready for the challenge?
Logistic for the Berkhamsted Circular Walk
- Distance: 23.93 miles (38.5 km)
- Ascent: 633m
- Walking estimate: 9 hours and 40 minutes at the average speed of 2.48 miles/hour (4km/hour)
- Difficulty: Challenging
- How do to get there: Direct trains from Euston Station. The journey takes 30 minutes. However, the train tickets can be a bit expensive and you need to count around £20.00 for an off-peak day return ticket. This is why, if you live towards North/West London I would advise that you take the direct train from Harrow & Wealdstone Station. The journey takes 20 minutes and it would cost you half the price (£10.30 for an off-peak day return at the time of writing this article)
- What to bring with you: Comfortable clothes and footwear as you will be climbing hills, waterproof jacket and overtrousers as the majority of the walk is on open lands so you will be exposed to rain and wind if you are going on a bad weather day, headcover and gloves as it is really windy at the top of the Ivinghoe Beacon Hill, snack, packed lunch, water (2 litres recommended). I would likewise advise that you carry gaiters with you if it has been raining during the week as the path could get muddy
Highlights of the Berkhamsted Circular Wak
- Berkhamsted
- Berkhamstead Castle
- Great Gaddesden
- St John the Baptist Church
- Ivinghoe Beacon Hill
- The Grand Union Canal
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed finding out about the selection of 10 not so well-known beautiful walks you can do close to London. If you know of some walks that could be added to the list, please drop me a note in the comment section below. I would love to hear about your adventures.
Enjoyed reading about the 10 beautiful walks close to London and want to discover some more? Why not check these articles?
Shere To Dorking: Walk In The North Downs
Otford to Oxted: Another North Downs Walk
Farnham Circular: A Walk In The Past
Circular walk in Kent: Oxted via Chartwell
Walk In Berkshire: The Goring & Streatley Circular
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