Walks from Dorking

Highly recommended: Vineyard, wooded hills, chalk downland, open grassland. Very beautiful. Magnificent views at Box Hill. Begins fairly quiet, but anticipate a constant Londoner horde near Box Hill itself.

Hilly: two fifths on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Woodland: half under tree cover.

Salomons Memorial Viewpoint (3h45 in)

Box Hill Café & Visitor Centre (National Trust; 3h45 in)

3 lunch spots: Mickleham (2h15 in) — the King William IV (excellent; reservations recommended), or the Running Horses; plus Box Hill Café & Visitor Centre (3h45 in)

1 end-of-walk reward: the Stepping Stones

Warnings: Relatively busy. Can be muddy.

Source: Trains2Green.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Polesden Lacey: A 1,600-acre estate with elegant gardens, Edwardian house and plenty of room to play (National Trust; 2h in; 3h30 to visit).

1 lunch spot: Polesden Lacey café (2h in)

Source: Trains2Green.

Restored landscaped gardens, rhododendron woods, surfaced parkland paths, open fields with Downs views, wooded valley trails, village green and town centre.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

North Downs chalk escarpment, Greensand Hills, wooded ridges, open downland, river valleys, semi-natural woodland reserve and ponds.

Denbies Hillside: Dramatic and stunning chalk escarpment with panoramic views (National Trust).

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Mainly level riverside path, sandstone Greensand Way, picturesque Surrey villages and parkland grounds.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

River Mole beneath Box Hill, the villages of Pixham and Brockham, and St Michael's Church at Betchworth (seen in Four Weddings and a Funeral).

Box Hill: An iconic chalk hill rising above the River Mole, renowned for its views and woodland (National Trust).

St Michael's Church, Betchworth: A historic village church that featured in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Lunch: Royal Oak, Brockham.

Walk details: Surrey Hills National Landscape (turn-by-turn directions).

North Downs Way along the chalk ridge with stunning views, orchids and butterflies in season, and WWII pillboxes.

The North Downs Way: A National Trail following the chalk ridge of the North Downs with panoramic views.

Warnings: No toilets at either station.

Walk details: Surrey Hills National Landscape (turn-by-turn directions).

River Mole through the Mole Gap in the North Downs, the grounds of Thorncroft Manor, Norbury Park woodland and the Denbies Wine Estate (England's largest vineyard).

Norbury Park: A country estate of woodland and downland between Leatherhead and Dorking.

Denbies Wine Estate: England's largest vineyard, spread across the chalk slopes near Dorking.

Lunch: Running Horse, Leatherhead.

Walk details: Surrey Hills National Landscape (turn-by-turn directions).

Greensand Ridge, heathland, hilltop moorland, woodland trails, suburban streets and a high street.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Similar walk: Blackwater Valley Nature Walks.

Recommended: A lovely lowland walk through Abinger Roughs. A direct, fairly flat lowland walk through quiet fields at the foot of the North Downs and mostly on good sandy/greensand surfaces and partly on the National Cycle Network. Some gentle hills but nothing steep; gates but no stiles; largely avoids winter mud. Largely follows National Cycle Route 22. Both ends have stations (roughly one train an hour between them).

Woodland: a third under tree cover.

Abinger Roughs and Netley Park: Hidden woods with ancient trees and flower-sprinkled grasslands, just off the North Downs and Pilgrims Ways (National Trust).

1 lunch spot: the Gomshall Mill

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A good view of the chalk hills of the North Downs. A mostly flat, pleasant route through farmland and past historic spots, with only two minor hills and some cheeky steep footpaths leaving Dorking. There are lots of stiles, some in poor repair and hidden in hedgerows, a couple of fields of cows and plus muddy patches in places. A nicer approach into Horley than the original via the River Mole. The start point is about a 20-minute walk from Dorking Station. Passes livestock fields with sheep, cows, horses and a llama near Tamworth Cottage, and views of the River Mole near Horley.

2 lunch spots: the Seven Stars, or the Plough

1 end-of-walk reward: Ye Olde Six Bells

Warnings: Short sections of road walking with sporadic but very fast traffic, though verges are wide. A very overgrown and inaccessible path just past Brittleware Farm. Many stiles, some in poor repair and hidden in hedgerows; livestock fields with cows and the potential for a bull; an electric fence to cross near Horley.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Varied with good views; Really lovely walk. Mostly follows the Greensand Way over Cretaceous sandstone, whose sandy soils leave few puddles and little mud even after rain. Steep in places at the Dorking end with some long inclines, then easier walking. Varied and with good views; includes woodland sections and many stiles. Mainly follows the Greensand Way. Can be split or supplied at Brockham and Betchworth, which have shops and public transport.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Lunch: Pubs in Brockham, Betchworth and Skimmington make useful refreshment stops.

Warnings: Watch navigation where Sandy Lane meets Old Road near Wonham, to avoid turning up a private road by mistake.

Walk details: Slow Ways.