Colley Hill (14 miles)

In the days when Normans were dividing up England among friends and family, the Conqueror's cousin William de Warenne became Earl of Surrey, building as part of an impressive property portfolio, a sturdy castle at Reigate.

When his great-granddaughter Isabel married King Stephen's second son William of Blois in 1148, she might have become Queen, before the Anarchy intervened, passing succession from Stephen to Matilda. Still, after disease did for William away in Toulouse this day in 1159, Isabel married Hamelin, half-brother of Matilda's son, the new King Henry II. Making Hamelin the new Earl of Surrey, and keeping Isabel in the Royal circle.

After a visit with due fealty and liege to the castle, more weddings will be associated with the pretty village of Betchworth, location of opening scenes of Four Weddings & a Funeral. Opposite the church the 17th-C Dolphin offers rest before Colley Hill, 722ft on Reigate Hill, ninth highest point in Surrey and a renowned viewpoint in the Surrey Hills.

You won't want to be late and turn up at Betchworth like Hugh Grant😀
Four Weddings and a Funeral (intro)

TRAVEL:
Take the 10 am from London Bridge arrives at REIGATE at 10.54 (change trains at Redhill). Buy an Off peak day return to REIGATE which is £10.50 with a Network card or Groupsave ticket.

The organizer will be standing in front of the ticket office in the centre of London Bridge from 9.40 am to act as a focal point for people arranging group tickets. Wearing yellow & blue - De Warenne colours.

WALK DETAILS:
10.55 AM from Reigate rail station. Village and summit stops. Bring a packed lunch. Walk ends at MERSTHAM.

How to join?

• The walk is entirely free of charge;
• You only arrange for your own travel and pub expenses;
• Understand our terms and conditions below (the "IMPORTANT" part);
• Understand how to stay safe outdoors, as you will be responsible for yourself. See our quick safety tips:
  https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

What to bring

• Plenty of water, 1-2 litres recommended
• Enough snacks and packed lunch to keep you energized along the walk
• Extra snacks and an extra packed lunch just in case
• Rainproof (ideally waterproof) clothing, sturdy shoes/boots you don't mind getting muddy
• Spare socks
• Walking poles and/or an umbrella :-)
• Yourself...
• ...and your camera!
• Cash for train ticket
• Cash for pub at the end of the walk?

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!

IMPORTANT
Please bear in mind this is a free of charge, self-guided trip with a hobby group. It is not organized by a business nor any entity with commercial purposes.
Any trip details, travel advice, route planning, instructions and other content in our group merely represent our shared personal knowledge, research and suggestions as outdoor enthusiasts. As this is no business, there is no "product", "service" or "package" and also no "tour guide", "operator" or "walk leader".
Each participant is responsible for their own safety. Even if some of us are very experienced walking outdoors, nobody assumes responsibility for any kind of injury, damage or loss that may happen.
Despite this, we take extreme precautions and all trips we plan are very safe, fun, highly educational and popular. Our experienced members volunteer their time and effort to shape a pleasant and quality adventure for everyone :-)
By participating you acknowledge and agree with this disclaimer.

Here are our tips on staying safe during outdoor trips:
https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, INSURANCE
Although we provide detailed suggestions, each participant is expected to arrange their own travel and (if required) accommodation - this gives everyone the freedom and choice to join from wherever they want and stay wherever they want. Anyone interested in travel or outdoor insurance should also arrange this on their own. As mentioned above we always take extreme precautions, but some people may still feel safer if covered.
We advise not to buy tickets until the day. People getting tickets from the same station are encouraged to meet early on the day to benefit from discounts such as GroupSave.