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Denbies Hillside
Dramatic and stunning chalk escarpment with panoramic views
Ranmore Common Road, near Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6SR
Car park
Denbies car park: NT members: please scan your card for your free ticket. Pay and display:Paybyphone - area code 803454 (0330 060 4037) - £1.50 per hour for first 2 hours; £4 for up-to 4 hours; £6 for 5 hours and above.
Dogs
Well-controlled dogs are welcome. Please keep dogs on leads where livestock are grazing. Dog waste bins are located just outside Denbies Hillside car park.
Level parking at Denbies Hillside and Ranmore West car parks. Naturally uneven paths. Steep ascents/descents with stiles and gates.
Steps/uneven terrain
Well maintained but naturally uneven paths which may become muddy and slippery after wet weather. Some steep ascents and descents with several stiles and gates.
By road
Exit M25 at J9 (Leatherhead) and take the A24 south towards Dorking. Turn west at the traffic lights, near Dorking railway station, along the A2003 Ashcombe Road. At the mini roundabout continue ahead and then turn right up onto Ranmore Common Road. Carry on up the hill until the road levels out. The National Trust car park will be on your left
On foot
All the Denbies Hillside sites can be accessed from nearby towns and villages. Ranmore Common is opposite Denbies Hillside, on the northern side of the Ranmore Common Road, and White Down and Hackhurst Downs are west of Denbies Hillside. For Denbies Hillside, join the footpath north of St Martin's School (near Dorking West railway station) and continue 1/12 miles along a narrow, steep track (The Carriage Road) to Denbies Hillside. From Westcott Village it is a 35 minute walk to Denbies Hillside. Take footpaths north, near the Post Office, or follow Bailey Road up the hill. For Ranmore Common, pick up a map from the National Trust's Polesden Lacey and take the 1/12 mile cross country walk, via footpaths, to Ranmore Common and then onto Denbies Hillside. You can also join the Greensand Way, a long-distance path, on the eastern side of Westcott village and head north
By train
Dorking West station, Guildford to Redhill service. 1/12 miles from Denbies Hillside. Dorking Town station, from London Victoria or Waterloo stations. Limited disabled access. Buses and taxis available outside station. Dorking Deepdene station. No disabled access
By bus
Carlone 533, Ewhurst to Ranmore, via Dorking railway station (bus stop A on London Road). Tuesday only (one bus per day). Alight Ranmore Common. Arriva 21 and 22, Dorking to Guildford, daily except Sundays and public holidays. Alight Westcott village. Arriva 32, Redhill to Guildford, daily except Sundays and public holidays. Alight Westcott village.
By bicycle
Join the Surrey Cycleway at Westhumble railway station, near Dorking, to Ranmore Common. A free map is available from Surrey County Council, telephone 08456 009009. Visit www.sustrans.org.uk for more info. Surrey Hills North Cycle Route passes through part of Ranmore Common.
Planning your visit
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Highlights
Countryside
Named after John Denby, a 17th-century farmer, this chalk hillside is home to a great variety of plants and animals.
Pill boxes
Several concrete pill boxes can be seen along the North Downs Way. They were built in 1940 to defend London.
Things to see and do
Article
Things to see and do at Denbies Hillside
Denbies Hillside is a great place to explore the great outdoors. Enjoy peaceful countryside walks, slopes covered in wildflowers and panoramic views.
Top trails
Trail
Ranmore West to The Wotton Hatch pub walk
This picturesque walk offers memorable views of the chalk grasslands of Denbies Hillside and neighbouring Ranmore Common, and stops at a welcoming country pub stop en route.
Trail
Denbies Hillside nature walk
Enjoy this bracing walk across grassy chalk downland, through dappled woods, and along part of the North Downs Way National Trail, discovering an array of wildlife along the way.
Places to stay
Polesden Garden Cottage
You’ll find gorgeous views over the Polesden Lacey estate and elegant interiors in this Regency-style villa.
About Denbies Hillside
With views towards Leith Hill, the highest point in south east England, Denbies Hillside is a great spot for wildlife-watching.
Named after John Denby, a 17th-century farmer, the hillside is home to a great variety of plants and animals, including adonis blue and chalkhill blue butterflies.
The chalk downland at White Down offers yet more spectacular views. It also hides several Second World War pill boxes, built to defend against a Nazi invasion.
To the west of Denbies Hillside is Hackhurst Downs, where you can savour the vista looking towards the Tillingbourne Valley.
Our work
Article
Our work at Denbies Hillside
Our volunteer carpenters at Denbies Hillside have earned a great reputation for their joinery. Learn more about what they do and how you can get involved.