HILLY HIKE 17km Jane Austen's Box Hill, England's largest vineyard & North Downs

The beauty of Box Hill has inspired many great artists, writers and musicians for hundreds of years. Jane Austen based the picnic scene from ''Emma'' here, George Lambert's famous painting of Box Hill in 1733 (now in the Tate Gallery) and it's even had several songs written about it, the most recent being ''On Box Hill'' by Everything But the Girl. It also inspired the poet Keats and the writer G.K. Chesterton. Come and discover the magic of Box Hill for yourself and see why it’s attracted and inspired so many famous creatives for centuries.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Hike along the stunning Surrey Hills (422 km²) - a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which covers one quarter of the county of Surrey
• See the famous Box Hill viewpoint with far reaching views over Surrey and Sussex
• Enjoy breathtaking hiking through the woods and hills of the North Downs
• Visit Denbies - England's largest vineyard, which has won international wine awards
• See the twisting hill roads of the 2012 Olympics cycle race where the cyclists did 9 laps of this spectacular section

HIKE DESCRIPTION

Box Hill is located on the North Downs and lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is also part of the Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment Site of Special Scientific Interest. As well as its natural beauty, Box Hill also plays host to a more recent fort built in the 1890s to help defend England from a possible French invasion and a semi derelict folly tower from 1815.

This is a diverse hike through the captivating Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty taking in woodland, rolling downs, Norbury Park, and the River Mole. Let’s not forget the icing on the cake - Box Hill itself and the unique Salomons Memorial offering some stunning views across the Weald to Devils Dyke by the South Coast. We also cross the famous Stepping Stones over the River Mole and we hike through Denbies - England's largest Vineyard that won Gold in the IWC best Rose wine in the world in 2010.

MEETING POINT

Victoria station 8:15am, leave at 8:25am for the 8:41am train. Meet between WHSmith (no 34) and Nero Express (no 29) - MAP
Planned arrival time back into London is 5:45pm (you are committed until then)

GUIDE - LYUBAVA 07883 405294 (only for use during the hike) ABOUT US

FOOD - Bring a packed lunch, we usually visit a pub after the hike for drinks

DISTANCE & DIFFICULTY

Distance: 11 miles (17km)
Grading: Intermediate
Ascent: 485m
Hiking time: 4 to 4.5 hours

COST & PAYMENT

£31 including the guided hike and return train travel, click “Attend” to join.
Payments are non-refundable and non-transferable but we have a process to release your space for RESALE, if your space sells you will be refunded.

WHAT TO BRING

• Hiking clothes & footwear - ideally hiking boots. Hat & gloves if cold, waterproof jacket & trousers KIT LINK
• Water (2 litres)
• Lunch
• We arrange train tickets and logistics, so just turn up and have a great day 😁

SAFETY - Your guide is a trained hike leader and Outdoor Activity First Aider

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