Walks you can reach from Vauxhall by train

Beginner-friendly: A gigantic well-signposted park. It’s completely fine to deviate from the suggested route — explore as you like! The lunch stop is a simple café, so no messing around with booking a table in advance.

Windsor Great Park

Windsor Castle (15m in)

Windsor (4h30 in)

Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)

3 lunch spots: Windsor Great Park (2h30 in) — the King And Castle, or Savill Garden Visitor Centre Cafe; plus Water Lilies at Windsor Great Park (2h45 in)

3 end-of-walk rewards: the Two Brewers Pub, the Prince Harry, or the Royal Windsor

Source: Trains2Green.

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)

Time: 6h (4h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

2 lunch spots: Mickleham (2h15 in) — the King William IV (excellent; reservations recommended), or the Running Horses

2 end-of-walk rewards: Box Hill Café & Visitor Centre, or the Stepping Stones

Warnings: Relatively busy. Can be muddy.

Source: Trains2Green.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Recommended: Hills and woodland.

Hilly: a third on high ground, rising above the surrounding land.

Woodland: half under tree cover.

Box Hill Café (National Trust; 1h45 in)

Time: 4h (2h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

2 lunch spots: Mickleham (45m in) — the King William IV (excellent; reservations recommended), or the Running Horses

3 end-of-walk rewards: Box Hill Café, Ryka's Café, or the Stepping Stones

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

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

Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)

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

Hidden valleys, pretty woodland, gentle pasture, North Downs escarpment with extensive views and vineyard.

Polesden Lacey (National Trust)

Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and 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.

Time: 4h (2h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Lunch: Running Horse, Leatherhead.

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

Pine forest, North Downs views and bluebell woods, past Old Simm's Copse, Ranmore Common and the Denbies Wine Estate.

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

Woodland: three fifths under tree cover.

Denbies Hillside (National Trust; 3h in)

Old Simm's Copse: A tucked-away North Downs woodland renowned for its spring bluebell display.

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

Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Bluebell woods, pine forest and North Downs views, past Old Simm's Copse, West Horsley Place and Effingham Forest.

Woodland: two thirds under tree cover.

Abinger Roughs and Netley Park (National Trust; 3h15 in)

Old Simm's Copse: A tucked-away North Downs woodland renowned for its spring bluebell display.

West Horsley Place: A historic country house and cultural venue used as Button House in the BBC comedy Ghosts.

Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Warnings: Best in April to early May; steep descent to Abinger Roughs.

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

North Downs ridge, wooded escarpment, open hilltops, undulating ridge paths, rural farmland, parkland and golf course.

Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Warnings: Hilly, multiple ascents.

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

Vineyard, peaceful woodland and a folly with a view; Denbies Vineyard, Ranmore Common, Leith Hill Tower.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Denbies Hillside (National Trust)

Denbies Vineyard: A large English vineyard on the slopes below Ranmore Common.

Leith Hill: The highest point in South East England, crowned by an 18th-century folly tower.

Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)

Warnings: Steep descents on steps and paths to Ockley.

Walk details: Walking Post (tips, photos and local insights).

Steep chalk hills, open downland, yew and box woodland, grassy ridges with panoramic views, gentle river valley fields and historic parkland.

Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Warnings: Steep descents, can be slippery.

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

Parkland, lake shores, ornamental gardens, light woodland, deer park, tree-lined avenue and historic town streets.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Windsor Great Park (3h30 in)

Windsor Castle

Windsor (3h30 in)

Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

1 lunch spot: Savill Garden Visitor Centre Cafe (1h45 in)

4 end-of-walk rewards: the Prince Harry, the Carpenters Arms, the Royal Windsor, or the Boatman

Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.