Friday Street Car Park to Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill Walk

A scenic circular Surrey Hills walk starting at Friday Street Car Park, climbing to Leith Hill (highest point in Surrey at 313m), continuing across woodland and heath to Holmbury Hill (261m, Surrey's fourth highest summit and is the site of an Iron Age Camp), then looping back through quiet tracks and valleys to Friday Street.

## At a glance

• Date and Time: Saturday, 26th September for a prompt 9:00 start
• Start and finish: We will meet at Friday Street Car Park, near Abinger Common. It is free and has plenty of space.
• What3words: ///models.then.brave.
• Duration: Around 4–4½ hours at a steady pace, allowing time for stops at both viewpoints.
• Distance: Approximately 9 1/2 miles / 15 km.
• Cost: £15
• Booking: On WalkTalkSurrey website link - Book Guided Walks

## Trail Notes & Tips

• Difficulty: Moderate to energetic, with sustained woodland walking, several climbs and descents, and sections that can be muddy after rain.
• Refreshments: Teas/coffees at Leith Hill Tower café, Abinger Hatch Pub.
• Dogs welcome. This route is dog friendly with no difficult gates or stiles. Unlikely to meet any sheep, but still please bring a short leash in case. May need to keep an eye out for cyclist and horses en route.

## Historical highlights along the route

• Friday Street’s hammer pond: The pond beside the hamlet is a reminder of the Wealden iron industry, when water-powered hammer ponds helped drive machinery for working iron using local ore and charcoal.
• Leith Hill Tower: Built in the 1760s by Richard Hull of Leith Hill Place, the tower was intended as a public viewpoint so visitors could enjoy the surrounding countryside.
• A musical and scientific connection: Leith Hill Place is associated with composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.
• Holmbury Hill Fort: The summit earthworks are the remains of an Iron Age hillfort, with ramparts and ditches that once enclosed a prominent lookout point over the Weald.
• There are traces of military history nearby. The area contains evidence of First World War trenches, dugouts and even the remains of a civilian internment prisoner-of-war camp around Felday

## Ready to join us? Lace up your walking boots, bring some water and a sense of adventure, and meet us at Friday Street Car Park for a prompt 9:00 start. This is a rewarding Surrey Hills circular route with big views, woodland trails and plenty of history along the way — we’d love to see you there.