Box Hill | - Click on the image above to view gallery
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 Denbies Vineyard Today we went a bit further afield for a walk, driving about 80 miles to Surrey for a walk around Box Hill. It’s somewhere I’ve wanted to go for a while, as it’s probably the most well-known point on the North Downs, and is a good viewpoint across the Weald as far as the South Downs. Box Hill is also a well-known destination for cyclists, who enjoy the steep roads, including The Zig Zag, a steep minor road with hairpin bends that runs through the middle of the area, which is now managed by the National Trust. When we arrived in the middle of this sunny Sunday morning, the area around the café and shop was crowded with cyclists, as well as people out for a walk like us.
After a drink and a very nice flapjack from the café we set out on the short walk described in one of the NT’s leaflets. This walk was described as a good introduction to the area, and it didn’t disappoint. It started at the main viewpoint area. Because the day was quite hazy our eyes were drawn towards the town of Dorking and the River Mole directly below us and also across to the nearby Greensand Hills, including Leith Hill, which is the highest point in southern England at 960 ft.  Stepping stones across the River Mole  Autumnal colours
We walked along the edge of the escarpment, following the North Downs Way National Trail, to a junction in the path where we decided to vary the route, going steeply downhill through woodland to the river. Here, on the outskirts of Dorking there is a set of stepping stones across the River Mole. Taking pictures here was a real challenge because of the contrast between the riverbank in bright sunshine and the stepping stones under deep shade. The challenge was minor compared to the steep climb back up onto Box Hill though!
Once we’d reached the top of the slope we rejoined the main path and were soon at Peter Labellière’s Stone, the burial site of a local eccentric who, on his own instructions, was buried upside down here in 1800. Shortly afterwards we reached the top of the wooded cliff called The Whites and decided to stop for lunch. There were lovely views across The Zig Zag to the wooded slopes behind and also over Dorking to the Denbies Vineyard.
After lunch we enjoyed the rest of the route back to the shop and café, in particular trying to capture the autumn colours of the trees. Unfortunately the overall effect wasn’t that impressive as a lot of trees had already lost their leaves before others had started to change colour.
 Sunset over Dorking At the end of the walk we decided to follow another route, this time a nature trail through the woodland on the opposite side of Box Hill from our earlier route. This led to Broadwood’s Folly, a tower built on a viewpoint overlooking Juniper Hall, which used to belong to the piano manufacturer Thomas Broadwood.
As the light was fading we returned to the main viewpoint to watch the sunset. Although there was a fair amount of cloud about, and it started raining before we got back to the car, there were a few minutes when the setting sun peeped between the clouds and the horizon. A nice end to an enjoyable exploration of the area.
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As always Jill, lovely pictures, thank you