Box Hill Walk – Complete Guide & Map

“Emma” the heroin of Jane Austen might have spent a disastrous day on Box Hill, but it does not mean you will encounter the same fate. With this complete guide and free GPS map of a Box Hill walk from Westhumble village to the Denbies Wine Estate, you are in good hands to have a wonderful day out to remember!

Box Hill walk is somewhere near the top of every London-based hiker wishlist, alongside Leith Hill, the Seven Sisters and Knole Park. These famous trails are the MUST DO of walkers and if you are new to hiking, you will soon hear these names from your fellow group members.

Disclaimer: Many hiking groups run walks around Box Hill following more or less similar trails as the one described in this walking guide. You can find more information about these groups here.

Logistics of the Box Hill Walk

Highlights of the Box Hill Walk

The Box Hill Walk

So now we covered the basics, let’s get to the walk!

Westhumble Village

We start our walk at Box Hill & Westhumble station, in the village of Westhumble, Surrey. The place is a point of interest as you find the two National Trust properties of Box Hill, where we are going on this walk and Polesden Lacey. Norbury Park, where we are also passing by on our walk, is located to the north of the village. Crossing through the park is the national trail of Mole Gap, linking Dorking to Letherhead following the River Mole.

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When you come out of the station, take left to get to Westhumble Street and then right in front of St Michael’s Chapel of Ease. Opposite the chapel, you find the entrance gate to a private property with a well-curated garden at the back.

You then enter fields from green lunch grass to golden meadows with cows grazing. At the end of the footpath, you arrive at a meadow with sheep resting in the sun (if you are lucky and it is sunny on the day you are doing this walk). This is where the climb of our first hill of this walk begins.

Norbury Park

We walk up the hill through Norbury Park woodland carpeted in wild garlic and then make a turn to join the Mole Gap trail.

Norbury Park has a rich history, from the discovery of Bronze Age relics to the presence of yew trees used by Druids during rituals. The estate is composed of woodlands, farmlands and a manor house built in 1774.

It had many owners over the years, the most remembered one being Thomas Grissel. He purchased the land in 1850 and as the railway line connecting Leatherhead to Dorking was passing through the estate, he ordered for every viaduct to be constructed in bright colours with cornices and parapets. After many requests from his side, a train station was built, which is the very same station we arrived at. He was also granted the right to stop any train he wanted when they were passing through the station.

Mickleham Village

You then arrive at the village of Mickleham, Surrey. The village is located on the old Roman road, Stane Lane, linking London to Chichester. It is also mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. One of the most popular mentions of the village is in Jane Austen’s novel, Emma, published in 1815.

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As you walk through the village, you pass in front of the Box Hill School, founded in 1959 in Dalewood House, an old Manor House dating from 1883.

You then leave Mickleham Village and start the climb of the second hill of this walk, rising at 482 feet (147 m) above sea level.

Broadwood’s Folly

Once you get to the top of the hill, don’t be a fool by thinking the worst is behind you: the descent is as steep and strenuous as the climb was, maybe even harder. Even though there are stairs to help you on your way down, hiking poles or just a stick from the woodlands are highly recommended to help you keep your balance.

Once you get to the bottom of the staircase, cross the road and walk through the car park in front of you. A National Trust informational board welcomes you to Lodge Hill. As the name indicates, you are about to walk up another hill.

When you arrive at the top of Lodge hill, you come face to face with the ruins of a tower perfectly aligned with a manor at the bottom of the hill. This is Broadwood’s Folly, also called the Broadwood’s Tower, not to be confused with the wine brand of the same name. Built around 1815 by Thomas Broadwood, heir of a piano manufacturing family, the tower used to have a spiral staircase inside to climb to the top, offering an impressive view of the Surrey Hills.

The manor at the bottom of the hill also used to belong to Thomas Broadwood, which he purchased in 1815. Nowadays, the house is leased by the National Trust to the FSC Field Centre for the purpose of science and geographical studies.

Come down from Lodge Hill and here starts the climb of the highlight of this walk: Box Hill.

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Box Hill

Walk up Box Hill and on your way to the top you arrive at a National Trust coffee shop. This is the perfect place for a break, enjoying a hot drink and a slice of cake on the picnic tables.

Don’t eat too much though because the climb is not over.

The presence of human activity on Box Hill dates back to the Bronze Age. Later the site was under Roman domination, its location near Stane Street, making it ideal for trade. Due to the chalk nature of the ground in the area, the soil is not fertile enough for agriculture, however, it was used for animal grazing in the middle ages, a practice which is still in place on the site nowadays.

The site becomes a public recreation ground after 1831, following the death of the owner Thomas Hope. His widow decided to give free access to the land to whoever wanted to enjoy the beauty of the hill. With the development of the railway in the nineteenth century, facilitating access to Box Hill, the place became a popular destination for day-trippers.

In 1913, Leopold Salomons purchased 95 ha (230 acres) of the estate, which he donated a year later to the National Trust. A memorial to commemorate his gesture was built on the top of the hill.

Nowadays, the National Trust owned 550 ha (1360 acres) of the Box Hill site which attracts around 850,000 visitors each year. The hill is often associated with the British novelist Jane Austen, where the picnic scene of her book Emma, is set on Box Hill.

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After the memorial, you start your descent towards the vineyards.

Denbies Wine Estate

As you thought you were done with difficulties, you arrive at the River Mole. What a surprise to discover that there is no bridge to get across the river but instead … a stepping stones walk!

Please note: based on the season you might not be able to walk safely across the stepping stones. This is the case when it is too cold and ice covers the stones making them too slippery to walk on or when it has been raining a lot and the water current is too strong for you to cross safely. In this case, you would need to find an alternative way to get to the bottom of the hill

We are getting to the end of our Box Hill walk. But before making our way back to London, let’s make a final stop at the Denbies Wine Estate for a rewarding glass of local wine.

The 265 acres of woodlands and farmlands were purchased in 1984 by the White family. In 1986, they planted the first vineyard. The estate has been in the family since, and under the leadership of the current CEO, Christopher White, it grew to become the largest single estate vineyard in England with the capacity to produce up to 1 million bottles per year.

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The estate is comprised of a restaurant, a gift shop, a bed and breakfast and a farm shop. You can rent the place for corporate and private events. They also offer wine-tasting experiences and outdoor tours of the vineyard.

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Wander around the gift and farm shops and why not try the wine while you are there? But don’t forget, there are nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) to walk to get to the train station!

Bon appetit!

Box Hill Walk Map

Do you want to do this walk? Simply download the GPS map by clicking on the link below. Check my step-by-step guide to learn how to upload the map onto your navigation app.

Final thoughts on the Box Hill Walk

Do you want to explore more of the Surrey Hills, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty? From the Silent Pool, the perfect spot for wild swimming, to the location the movie The Holidays was filmed, passing by the magnificent colours of the Winkworth Arboretum, there is so much to discover.

Happy walking!

And you, what is your favourite walk in Surrey? Let me know in the comments below.

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