Surrey

Ranmore West to The Wotton Hatch pub walk

Denbies Hillside and neighbouring Ranmore Common are some of the richest chalk grasslands in south east England. This walk takes in the downs, which tumble towards to the pretty village of Westcott with beautiful views in all directions, plus a lovely country pub en route.

Near to

Denbies Hillside

Start point

Ranmore West car park, RH5 6SY

Trail information

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Difficulty*

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 5.3 (km: 8.48)

Duration2 hours 30 mins

Dog friendly

*Some steep ascents and descents, with several gates. For further details, please see Terrain section.

Address
Ranmore West car park, RH5 6SY
Directions via Google Maps
By train
Dorking West station, Guildford to Redhill service, 1.75 miles from Ranmore Common; Dorking Town station, from London Victoria or Waterloo stations, limited disabled access, buses and taxis available outside station. Dorking Deepdene station, no disabled access
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 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 1.5 miles along a narrow, steep track (Carriage Road) to Denbies Hillside. From Westcott Village it is a 35-min 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 1.5 mile cross-country walk, via footpaths, to the 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 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.
Cycling
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. Surrey Hills North Cycle Route passes through part of Ranmore Common.
See Sustrans for more info
By road
Exit M25 at J9 (Leatherhead) and take A24 south towards Dorking. Turn west at the traffic lights, near Dorking railway station, along A2003 Ashcombe Road. At the mini roundabout continue ahead and then turn right onto Ranmore Common Road. Carry on uphill until road levels out. The National Trust car park will be on your right.
Total stages: 9
Total stages: 9
Start point
Ranmore West car park, RH5 6SY
Stage 1
Leave the car park by the track just to the right of the noticeboard and swing further right once it gets into open space. You'll soon enter the woods and head due south. Here the path swings slightly left and rises as it goes south through dense woodland of mainly silver birch. Walk straight on at the first cross path where the path begins to slope downwards.
Stage 2
Follow the track onwards and soon you'll reach a cross path again. You'll see a signpost (remember this for your return journey) where you need to turn right (west) onto the North Downs Way. Continue in a westerly direction along this way; in some places trees have fallen down across the track.
Stage 3
Just after the North Downs Way begins to head downhill, you reach a pillbox dating to the Second World War. Close to the pillbox is a gate – go through this and take the left fork down the hill. You'll leave the North Downs Way at this point. The track you're walking along here leaves the woods and slopes further downhill – on the left is a magnificent view over Dorking and Box Hill and if you look hard left one can see the spire of St Barnabas church on Ranmore Common. About 100m down the slope there is a seat on the right, known as 'God's seat'. At the bottom of the hill swing right on the track which then falls quite steeply and then swings left where you'll come to a gate. Go through it and walk along the left-hand side of the field and over the railway bridge. This is the Reading to Dorking line and is occasionally used by steam trains. Keep to the left-hand side of the fields and to your left on the horizon you'll see the spire of St Barnabas church again.
Stage 4
At the end of the fields you reach a crossroads by a large house – here you leave the track and go half left (45 degrees) on a footpath going uphill across the field, signed by a disc. At the far side of the field keep on the path through the gate onto the fenced path going uphill until you reach St John the Evangelist church. Stay on the path around the right of the church and you will come to a gate onto a hard surfaced road where you turn right then walk up the towards the A25 and the Wotton Hatch pub.
Stage 5
On leaving the pub, cross the main road and walk back down the small road that you came up. Follow this for about 100m then turn off right into the field at the public footpath sign. Follow the fence down the right-hand side of the field and go past the two ponds where the path is quite narrow.
Stage 6
Continue downhill, ignoring the path that goes off to the right, and at the bottom of the hill there is a house on the right-hand side and a cottage straight in front of you. At this point turn right onto the surfaced road (this is marked as a public footpath) and continue straight on for 400m. At the start of this section there is an open field to your right and woods to your left – at the end of the first open field on your left, turn left onto an unmade road.
Stage 7
Walk along this unmade road almost due north towards the downs until you pass Coombe Farm and a pond on your right where you reach 'The Empty Box Company'. At this point swing right then left followed by, in about 100m, another right turn and then left turn under the railway bridge. As you emerge look right and you will see the spire of St Barnabas church again. On the far side of the railway, walk along the track at the left-hand side of the field until you reach a gate – go through it (where you will see the National Trust sign) and then turn right onto a stretch called the 'Carriage Way'. This was built in the mid-1800s by the Cubbitt family who at that time owned the Denbies estate – they used this stretch to show their guests the surrounding countryside. Walk along the Carriage Way at the bottom of the scarp slope – the hill you can see in front of you is called Colley Hill.
Stage 8
Go through the first gate and first set of woods, ignoring the bridle path. When you reach a 'five ways' take the second left track which goes up the hill. The hollow on your left is a disused lime kiln. Shortly after turning off the main track the path you are on splits – take the right fork (marked 'The Denbies Nature Trail') where it climbs quite steeply through some woods then passes through a gate into open hillside. The path cuts diagonally across the open downland. The buildings below you are Landbarn Farm, owned and managed by the National Trust. Due south from here, if you look closely, you can see Leith Hill Tower on the horizon through a gap in the trees. At the fence line at the top of the downs turn left along the grassy path close by the fence. From this section the view to the left is arguably one of the finest of this part of Surrey (and some of Sussex).
Stage 9
Continue on this path, which rises gradually, until you reach the top left corner of the field, where you will need to climb over a stile and turn left (ignoring the path that goes down the slope). You are now back on the North Downs Way, heading west. After about 700m you will reach the signpost that you saw at the start of your walk. Turn right here, head up the hill and the car park is about 500m along this track.
End point
Ranmore West car park, RH5 6SY
Trail map
Ranmore West to Wotton Hatch walk map | © Ordnance Survey
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