The Countryside of the Surrey Hills
The countryside around Dorking contains some of the best landscapes in England. Its beauty has inspired writers and artists and been enjoyed by generations of travellers and visitors. Huge tracts of the countryside around Dorking are owned and managed by conservation bodies, such as the National Trust, to ensure that its beauty and diversity is protected and that visitors have access to enjoy it. Many of these areas are within a short walk of the town centre and connected to it by an extensive network of well-maintained footpaths and bridleways.
What is equally remarkable is the variety of countryside available to visitors to the town: the chalk hills of the North Downs, the wooded farmland of the Low Weald, the delightful river landscape of the Mole Gap, the acid hills of the Greensand, the heathlands of Headley and the ancient woodlands of the London clay. They can provide some of the most majestic views that stretch from the skyline of London to the north to the ridge of the South Downs overlooking the coast.
For details of some of the places to visit, click on the types of open space listed on this page.
