The Best Walks from Haslemere (and Where to Recover Afterwards)
Duncan and Craig are both walkers. It was part of their decision to live here rather than somewhere else. The Surrey Hills have walking that rewards proper attention: not the decorative kind, where the path skirts a field and returns to the car park after twenty minutes, but walking where the landscape changes meaningfully with every mile and where you arrive at the end of a day with a genuine sense of having been somewhere.
Kingsley House sits within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the best walks Surrey Hills has to offer are within fifteen to forty minutes of the front door. Here is the guide they give guests, with the honest information rather than the promotional version.
From the Door: The Greensand Way
The Greensand Way long-distance trail passes close to Kingsley House, and the section heading south and west from Haslemere is some of the best of it. The route follows sandstone ridgelines through mature oak and beech woodland, with occasional open views north across the Surrey Hills or south toward the South Downs and is one of the best walks from Haslemere.
A circular walk using the Greensand Way heads south from Haslemere and returns via the lanes, taking between ninety minutes and two hours at a comfortable pace. This is the walk for a morning before the rest of the day commits to anything specific. The ground is reasonable in most conditions. No specialist kit required.
Hindhead: The Devil's Punch Bowl
The Devil's Punch Bowl at Hindhead is twelve minutes from Kingsley House by car and is one of the most dramatic natural features in the south of England that most people have never visited. The Bowl is a deep natural valley carved by springs into the greensand, managed by the National Trust and crossed by walking routes from thirty minutes to a half-day.
The walk that descends into the Bowl from the rim car park, crosses the valley floor and climbs back up through the birch and oak woodland on the far side takes around two hours and is good in any weather. In wet conditions it is atmospheric rather than miserable. In clear conditions, the views from the rim extend south to the South Downs. The National Trust cafe at the top serves reliable coffee, so if you're a coffee drinker, especially on a cold winter's day this makes it one of the best walks from Haslemere for you.
Black Down: The Highest Point
Black Down is West Sussex's highest point at 280 metres and, on a clear day, one of the most rewarding walks accessible from Haslemere. The National Trust car park at Quell Lane is twenty minutes by car and the walk to the summit ridge through pine and heather takes around forty-five minutes each way.
The summit ridge is open heathland with views west across the South Downs and north across the Surrey Hills. Tennyson lived near Black Down and wrote about it. The views he described are unchanged. The Tennyson Trail, a short circular route taking in his perspective across the Weald, is signposted from the car park and takes under an hour. This is the right length for an afternoon before dinner.
Frensham Common and the Great Pond
Frensham is twelve minutes west of Kingsley House and offers a completely different landscape from the wooded ridges to the south and east. The common is open heathland: flat, wide, brilliant when the heather flowers in August and September. The walking here is easy. The Great Pond is one of the best outdoor swimming spots in the south of England.
A walk around the pond and out across the common to the Little Pond takes about two hours and is good for an afternoon. The nightjars that breed on the common can be heard from late May into August: listen for the churring sound at dusk, carrying across the heather from the far side of the common.
Where to Recover Afterwards
The answer to this is obviously Kingsley House. We have a boot room for muddy returns. Duncan makes coffee or something stronger depending on the time of day. Craig cooks if you have walked long enough to earn a proper meal. The drawing room has the wood burner and the right kind of chairs for the end of a day on the hills. The library landing has two reading chairs and the whisky decanter.
We rarely see guests on weekday mornings in summer, which is when the walks are at their best, but autumnal and winter walks are magical, especially on crisp, frosty mornings. The paths are quiet, the car parks are empty and the landscape gets to be itself rather than a backdrop for everyone else's weekend.
Check availability at kingsleyhouseescapes.co.uk — the best walks Surrey Hills has to offer start within fifteen minutes of your room.
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