Box Hill Hike A demanding eight mile circular walk. The ground is rough in places and includes steep slopes, slippery paths and many steps ...
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Box Hill Hike
A demanding eight mile circular walk. The ground is rough in places
and includes steep slopes, slippery paths and many steps.
What to look out for Stane Street Self guided trails
The Roman Road ‘Stane Street’ was built
The Donkey Green in the first century, linking Regnum If you’ve enjoyed this walk, pick up or
and Viewpoint (now called Chichester) and Londinium download one of our other self guided
Box Hill has been welcoming visitors trails. Or try one of our themed down-
(London). These were very important
for hundreds of years. Victorian and loadable walks from our web pages
cities in Roman England and this road
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/box-hill
Edwardian Londoners were encouraged would have carried lots of military and
to leave town to take the air and admire civilian traffic.
the views for their health and wellbeing.
Box Hill still welcomes people for Headley Heath
these things today. In the past, children Headley Heath is an unusual mosaic
enjoyed donkey rides, giving the Donkey of different habitats, including acidic
Green its name. heathland, alkaline chalk downland and
mixed woodland. It is one of the few
The viewpoint commemorates Leopold
places where alkaline or chalk-loving
Salomons. He gave the original 93ha (230
plants (like Beech trees and Cowslips)
acres) of Box Hill to the National Trust in
and acidic or chalk-hating plants (like
1914 to ensure it would be preserved for
Gorse and Heather) can be found
the nation, ‘forever, for everyone.’
growing together. The mix of acid and
The view from Lodge Hill alkaline geology leads to a great diversity
The view from Lodge Hill easily rivals of plants and insects, which creates a rich
the viewpoint. The slope directly below ecosystem.
is Lodge Hill, the slope in front of you Headley Heath is ‘commonland’ and
is the Burford Spur; the Zig Zag valleys has been important to local villagers
are in between. These slopes are home to (or ‘commoners’) for hundreds of years.
some of our rare chalk downland species. In the past commoners would have had
Behind the Spur you can see the town of rights to graze their animals and collect
Dorking and Denbies Vineyard. natural materials from the Heath. Some
The Tower or rights have curious old names, for
example, panage is the right to turn out
Discover Box Hill
Broadwood’s Folly To discover more about Box Hill,
pigs, estovers is the right to collect wood,
The Tower was built by Thomas Broadwood, explore the Discovery Zone, or visit
and turbury is the right to cut peat turf.
a member of the family that manufactured www.nationaltrust.org.uk/box-hill
Today Headley has just one commoner
quality pianos, including royal
left, who has the right to turn out geese.
commissions. Built around 1815 it stands
The area is now grazed by our Belted
above Juniper Hall, their family home.
Galloway cattle. Part funded by The Friends of Box Hill –
The tree now growing through the tower assisting in the conservation of the natural
During the Second World War, Headley
is an evergreen Holm Oak. This non- beauty of Box Hill and promoting the
Heath was used as an Army training
native species wasn’t planted in the tower, education of the public regarding Box Hill
ground. Evidence of their presence can and its ecology.
but probably grew from a seed dropped
still be seen in the landscape.
in by a passing bird.
Mickleham village Nature Conservation
Most of the land you walk over on this
This charming little village dates from
hike is made up of very special habitats.
Saxon times, when Mickleham meant
They were first influenced by prehistoric Part funded by The Surrey Hills LEADER
large homestead or hemmed-in land.
man clearing the slopes for his grazing Grant – a rural grant scheme for farmers,
The picturesque church has been largely
animals. They have been largely grazed foresters, rural businesses, rural enterprises
remodelled, first by the Normans and and rural communities in Surrey.
ever since. This has developed into a rich
then the Victorians. If you know what
habitat that has become dependent on
you are looking for, you can still find
grazing animals for its survival. Headley
bits of the older tenth century church.
Heath and Box Hill are designated as
Mickleham Gallops was used to exercise
European Special Areas of Conservation
the horses that ran at nearby Epsom
and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
races. The horses would have been
stabled at what is now the Running
Horses Pub.
For more information call 01306 885502 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/box-hillThe Box Hill Hike
This demanding circular hike is eight miles. It should take Climb up the steps on your right, just
before the cross-roads. Follow this
around four hours but allow extra time for rest stops and grassy track uphill. The track forks
lunch. Your route is marked by wooden posts and bronzes at the big trees, take the left fork and
continue along the wide grassy track.
with the walker illustration shown on the front of this
leaflet. It is strenuous; climbing steep hills and dropping 8 At the five-way cross roads,
take the second exit on your right.
down into deep valleys. The ground is rough in places Carry straight on at the next cross
and includes steep slopes, slippery paths and many steps. roads. You’ll emerge onto a cross
roads, continue straight on, heading
Please don’t start this walk without suitable clothing, downhill. The track dips into the
footwear and provisions. valley, then curves uphill. Ignore the
path joining on your left. The path
1 From the Box Hill walks start 4 Go through the waymarked forks, take the left and follow the
point, cross the road and walk double gate and cross the churchyard. track to the gate. Go through gate 23
straight across the car park. Head to Follow the track with the wooden onto the surfaced road and turn left.
the woods on the left of the Donkey fence on your left. Cross the road Almost immediately the road forks,
Green (directly opposite the view). and take the path straight in front take the right hand fork (Headley
Take the left fork at the edge of the of you. At the corner of the field, turn Heath Approach). Continue to the
woods. Continue through the woods right. Carry on; you’ll see the park on main road.
along this track. Eventually you’ll your right. Follow the surfaced path;
reach Lodge Hill and a view opens up passing St Michael’s School on your 9 Cross Box Hill Road and take
on your left. right. At the T-junction (with the the footpath in front of you. Continue
white wall in front of you) turn right, as the path takes you downhill,
2 Continue to the tower, heading uphill. ignoring paths on your left to
Broadwood’s Folly, and take the path Brockham Lime Works. Turn right
on your right. When the path clearly 5 Immediately after the pub, climb up the set of steps with a hand rail. At
forks, take the right fork. Follow the up the steps. Go straight across the the top of the steps take the left fork.
path as it turns to the left and heads cross roads and continue steeply Continue along this path. Cross the
downhill. Walk down the steps to the uphill. At the fork, take the right stile into Dukes Meadow and follow
track at the valley bottom. Turn left hand path. Go straight across the old the track (Brodies Drive) along the
onto the track and continue along it Roman road of Stane Street. bottom of the meadow.
to Whitehill car park.
6 You’ll emerge onto a grassy open 10 Pass through the gate and
3 Cross the car park and road. area, Mickleham Gallops. Continue on continue along the track. The path
Climb the steps up to Mickleham the path and turn left onto the gallops, takes a left just before the metal gate;
Downs. Continue as the track curves passing the information board. When follow it between the hedge and
to the right, and then to the left. As you come to the end of the grassy fence. Turn left at the cross roads of
the path forks, head left. Go straight track continue on the chalky path past surfaced roads. Almost immediately,
across the cross roads, heading the information board. Take the right take the path on your right, heading
steeply downhill. At the T-junction, hand turn off the main path, heading uphill. At the fork; take the left and
turn left and continue downhill. downhill. It is steep as it descends into go through the gate. Just through the
Cross the stile and continue along the valley below. gate, the path forks again, take the
this surfaced path. The churchyard right heading uphill. Pass through
is on your right. At this point you 7 At the bottom of the valley, cross the gate and continue up the path.
can explore Mickleham Church the road. Take the track to the left of On your right is a grassy path, follow
and village, or stop for a rest at the the cottage, heading uphill. Continue it straight up the hill. As the path
Running Horses Pub. When you are straight up. You’ll see an old wall curves to the left, you start to see
ready, return to the churchyard to to your right. Continue straight on, the stone viewpoint. Head up to
continue your walk. ignoring gate 27 on your left. Enter it. A surfaced track runs above the
Headley Heath through gate 26 and viewpoint. Follow it uphill to return
follow the track. Turn left at the to the Box Hill centre.
T-junction, continue along this track.5 0 The
Box
A24 to
Leatherhead
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Hike
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A24 to
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