Box Hill

Be happy

Fly a kite, walk the dog or roll in the long grass, whatever makes you happy. With miles of walks and trails, as well as fabulous sunny spots for picnics, there's always something for everyone to do at Box Hill.

Timeless landscapes

Visit Box Hill and experience a stunning landscape with unique appeal. The timeless beauty of nature’s tapestry is encapsulated within its rolling hills and semi-natural woodlands. Immerse yourself in one of the National Trust’s most important nature conservation sites and experience a link to your own past.

© Matthew Banner

Wonderful woodlands

Marvel at the Whites, which hold 40 percent of the UK’s wild box trees. Walk along Happy Valley and see the climax yew woodland; one of the finest examples of this habitat in the UK. Stroll beneath the towering oak and beech canopies, and enjoy the peaceful tranquillity within these ancient woodlands.

© Matthew Banner

Diverse downlands

Take a stroll along the south facing scarp slopes of Box Hill. Experience the wonderful views of the rolling hills to the south. Enjoy the wonderful colours and scents of the many beautiful chalk grassland flowers, contrasted with the shades of green within the surrounding woodland.

© Matthew Banner

Exquisite orchids

To spot some of the more unusual flowering plants, visit Box Hill during the summer months. Our favourites include the varied and exotic-looking species of orchid found growing in the chalk downland.

© Matthew Banner

Interesting insects

See if you can spot the wide variety of butterflies that emerge during the spring and summer months within the woodland glades and grasslands. Keep an eye out for Box Hill's other interesting insects all through the year.

© Matthew Banner

A window to the past

Visit the remains of Neolithic burial mounds, left behind by the first human inhabitants of Box Hill. Pass Swiss Cottage, home of John Logie Baird, the inventor of television. He carried out his initial experiments by sending a TV signal from here to the valley below.

© Matthew Banner

People of Box Hill’s past

Discover Major Peter Labellière’s grave, an eccentric resident of Dorking, who was buried upside down. Stroll down the Burford Spur to Flint Cottage and see where the poet George Meredith lived. Pass by the Old Fort, a 19th-century collection of concrete ramparts and trenches where infantry could fight from.

© National Trust

Down by the river

Enjoy the tranquillity of the Stepping Stones and Burford Meadow; both popular spots for families. Take a walk along the meandering river banks and look for the pill boxes, built during the Second World War. Whilst walking, see if you can spot the brilliant metallic blue flash of a kingfisher darting by.

Our woolly lawnmowers

Whilst exploring Box Hill, see if you can spot our black Welsh Mountain sheep and Bellted Galloway cattle busily grazing the slopes. Stop, watch and enjoy these naturally curious animals.

© Matthew Banner