Hill ox r B ve co Dis 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 If you’ve enjoyed this walk, pick up or The Donkey Green in the first century, linking Regnum download one of our other self guided and Viewpoint (now called Chichester) and Londinium trails. Or try one of our themed down- Box Hill has been welcoming visitors (London). These were very important loadable walks from our web pages for hundreds of years. Victorian and 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 The viewpoint commemorates Leopold mixed woodland. It is one of the few Salomons. He gave the original 93ha (230 places where alkaline or chalk-loving acres) of Box Hill to the National Trust in plants (like Beech trees and Cowslips) 1914 to ensure it would be preserved for and acidic or chalk-hating plants (like the nation, ‘forever, for everyone.’ Gorse and Heather) can be found 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 Discover Box Hill example, panage is the right to turn out 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 but probably grew from a seed dropped and its ecology. still be seen in the landscape. in by a passing bird. Nature Conservation Mickleham village 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 ever since. This has developed into a rich and rural communities in Surrey. 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-hill The Box Hill Hike This demanding circular hike is eight miles. It should take Climb up the steps on your right, just around four hours but allow extra time for rest stops and before the cross-roads. Follow this 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 with the walker illustration shown on the front of this continue along the wide grassy track. leaflet. It is strenuous; climbing steep hills and dropping 8 At the five-way cross roads, down into deep valleys. The ground is rough in places take the second exit on your right. Carry straight on at the next cross and includes steep slopes, slippery paths and many steps. roads. You’ll emerge onto a cross Please don’t start this walk without suitable clothing, roads, continue straight on, heading 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.