Uplifting Wellness Walk

A young woman and her dog taking in the beautiful landscape at Polesden Lacey — Drinking in the beautiful landscape at Polesden Lacey

Soak up the peace and beauty of the Polesden Lacey landscape and the Surrey Hills beyond, as you enjoy precious time to yourself. At each viewpoint, stop and read the inspirational quote or extract of poetry beneath the door on the natural wooden plaque. Each has been specially chosen to help further awaken your senses and complement the surrounding landscape.

This is a mildly challenging but hugely rewarding 5.5km (3.4 mile) walk that will take approximately two hours.

Some of the paths will be muddy and possibly wet at the moment, please do wear appropriate footwear for a muddy walk through woods.

Please consider taking some water along with you especially if the weather is unseasonally hot.

Pick up a map from Visitor Reception, or download the web page to your phone, as there may not be mobile phone reception along the walk.

Start from Visitor Reception.

1. Walk along the tarmac road bearing left. At the park gates follow the roadway to the right
through the line of lime trees and onto the stone pathway.

Step 1 of Polesden Lacey's Wellness Walk — Line of lime trees on Polesden Lacey's Wellness Walk

2. Bear left with the path leaving the mansion behind you. Pass the open air theatre and play area and continue past Romanesque columns on your right until you reach three benches in a semi-circle next to a large tree stump.

You have reached viewpoint 1.

Len's View looking out over Ha-Ha Field at Polesden Lacey.

3. Carry on along the pathway to a bridge. Continue along this path bearing to the right passing the charcoaling kiln. Follow the path bearing left until you reach a bench on the left hand side of the path.

You have reached viewpoint 2.

View over Bagden Down on Polesden Lacey's Wellness Walk

4. Continue along this path until you reach a metal gate at the end where it joins the road. Go through the right hand gate and walk through the field keeping the hedge and wall tight to your left.

There is a farmyard on your left. Go through the gate and turn right to walk along the valley with the fence to your right until you reach another paired set of gates. Go through these and turn left.

Gates at the end of Bagden Valley on Polesden Lacey's Wellness Walk.

5. You will pass the Youth Hostel and campsite. At the hostel’s gate on your right, walk straight on into the woods.

The entrance to the woods after Tanners Hatch. — Entrance to woods after Tanners Hatch.

Follow the path uphill until you reach an open field to your right and a bench to your left.

You have reached viewpoint 3.

View on Polesden Lacey's Wellness Walk overlooking Home Field. — View overlooking Home Field at Polesden Lacey.

6. Continue along this rough path down then uphill steeply. At the top of the hill you come to a path ‘T’ junction with a finger-post direction sign. Turn right and in 10 metres there is a gate. Turn left at finger-post to ‘viewpoint’ and follow the fence until you come to a pair of benches.

You have reached viewpoint 4.

View of the house at Polesden Lacey from viewpoint on the Wellness Walk. — View of the house at Polesden Lacey.

Go back on yourself, passing the path you came up on the left and continue into the woods. Stay on this path until you reach a pinch-point with post and rail fencing. Immediately turn right.

Just past the second section of fencing, turn right onto the stoney track. After 400 metres on the right is a bench in front of a rail fence.

You have reached viewpoint 5.

View overlooking Prospect Field on Wellness Walk. — View overlooking Prospect Field at Polesden Lacey.

7. Continue along this track. In 200 metres you'll find another bench on your left.

You have reached viewpoint 6.

Continue until you find farm buildings on your right and a pedestrian gate straight ahead of you into a field.

8. Go into the field keeping the hedge on your right. Walk through the next gate into a large field towards the pedestrian gate in the valley. Continue up the steep climb on the other side,
towards a field gate. Immediately you’re through the field gate turn right along a stony path to a bench.

You have reached viewpoint 7.

Final viewpoint overlooking Hop Garden and Yew Tree Down. — Viewpoint overlooking Hop Garden and Yew Tree Down.

9. Continue along the path going through a pedestrian gate and bear left uphill. Follow this uphill under two bridges. At the top of the hill continue along the road passing a gate on the right with a ‘Home Farm House’ sign on it. Immediately after this is a set of gates on the right, leading into the car park.