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 (15 mins in)

Windsor (4h30 in)

3 lunch spots: the King And Castle (15 mins in), Savill Garden Visitor Centre Cafe (2h30 in), or 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)

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.

Recommended: Hills and woodland.

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

Woodland: half under tree cover.

Box Hill Café & Visitor Centre (National Trust; 1h45 in)

3 lunch spots: Mickleham (45 mins in) — the King William IV (excellent; reservations recommended), or the Running Horses; plus Box Hill Café & Visitor Centre (1h45 in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: Ryka's Café, or the Stepping Stones

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

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)

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.

Claremont Landscape Garden: This grade 1 listed garden created by the great landscape designers of the 18th century charts the evolution of the English Landscape Garden (National Trust; 1h15 in; 2h to visit).

1 lunch spot: Claremont Landscape Garden café (1h15 in)

Source: Trains2Green.

Osterley Park and House: A Georgian country estate in west London (National Trust; 1h45 in; 3h to visit).

2 lunch spots: the Bridge Over the Canal and The Fox Pub (1h in), or Osterley Park and House café (1h45 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).

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

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

1 lunch spot: Polesden Lacey café

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.

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: Dramatic and stunning chalk escarpment with panoramic views (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.

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: Hidden woods with ancient trees and flower-sprinkled grasslands, just off the North Downs and Pilgrims Ways (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.

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.

Warnings: Hilly, multiple ascents.

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