Here are 7 great walks in Surrey that children will love. Discover family-friendly walks in Surrey that will motivate your kids to get active and outdoors.
It’s not always easy to get kids to go for a walk and sometimes you need a little something more interesting than just going from A to B. Here are some great walks in Surrey that will pique their interest. Soon you will have the whole family raring to go, as all the walks have something extra to offer (and not just the usual ice-cream bribe!)
These family-friendly walks in Surrey all have an interest feature, such as a waterfall, totem pole or animals that will motivate the kids and ensure the whole family can enjoy the walk.
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A steep walk up Box Hill, Mickleham, near Dorking
You’ll find a fantastic choice of of scenic family walks in the Surrey Hills. The best known is probably around Box Hill.
Box Hill is at the summit of the North Downs in Surrey. It’s terrific for walking and exploring and has plenty to offer kids: –
- A nature play trail (with climbing and balancing)
- Stepping stones
- Old WWII anti-tank cylinders on the Riverside Walk
- A pit stop at the café with great home-made cakes and ice-creams
- Super den-building and climbing trees
- Sweeping views of the Surrey Hills from the memorial viewpoint
Box Hill offers loads of opportunities for kids to walk and explore and is one of the most popular of the great walks in Surrey. Details of the trails, ranging from 2 to 8 miles, are available at the Shepherd’s Hut. Watch out – some can be steep, and muddy!
You could try geocaching up the hill, but be warned – the ones we tried were cryptic and very tricky.
Click here for more family walks in the Surrey Hills.
A circular walk at Virginia Water Lake
Virginia Water Lake is in North Surrey near to Egham and Ascot. It’s part of the Great Windsor Park crown estate, which covers 4800 acres of parkland. Virginia Water Lake has one of the best family walks in Surrey, as it has so much to stop and look at along the way:
- An impressive totem pole (a gift to the queen in 1958)
- Replica Roman ruins – built in 1818, with stones from the original in Libya
- An enchanting cascade waterfall (with viewpoint)
- Fantastic tree-climbing (in the rhododendrons en-route)
- Hide and seek in the Valley Gardens
- Amazing wildlife and nature – deer, ducks, herons and every breed of pet dog you can imagine
Children who are not keen on walking can take scooters or bikes, but it does get busy at peak times.
The walk around the lake is about 4.5 miles, but you can extend this by walking through the Valley Gardens or up to Savill Garden, stopping at the playground along the way.
Of all the great walks in Surrey, this is our favourite. For full details read our post, A visit to Virginia Water Lake, Surrey.
A riverside walk at Shepperton Towpath
You can start this riverside walk at the car park on the towpath next to Thames Court Public House and continue walking up to Dumsey Meadow, which has been designated as a Site of Specific Scientific Interest. The towpath makes a great family walk, as there is plenty for kids to keep children interested along the way.
What is there for kids to do?
- Watch the boats move through Shepperton Lock, which was first built in 1813
- Feed the ducks
- Take a trip across to Pharaoh’s Island
- Grab a ferry boat to Weybridge
- Look at the riverboat houses
- Wonder at the cows in the river
- Eat ice-cream
- Play in the Dumsey Meadow
The walk from Shepperton to Chertsey Bridge is about 3 miles out and back. However, this walk is on the national trail, the Thames Path, so you could continue walking all the way to Windsor. In fact, the Thames Path is 184 miles long and goes as far as the Cotswolds.
Alternatively, you could start the walk at the other end and park by the small playground at Chertsey Meads. There is plenty of wildlife along the way, especially Canada Geese.
A heritage walk at Chilworth Gunpowder Mills, Albury
The Tillingbourne Valley was dominated for hundreds of years by the manufacture of gunpowder. The remains of the mills are still here today.
If you follow the walk on this short heritage trail you can:
- Inspect the remains of the gunpowder mills (more than 100 buildings to explore)
- Paddle in the stream (bring your wellies)
- Delight in the wonderful nature
- Count the toads!
- Climb up St Martha’s Hill (with amazing views over 8 counties)
Alternatively, if you want to extend the walk. make the steep ascent up St Martha’s Hill to the beautiful St Martha’s Church.
Click here for a walk from Newlands Corner to St Martha’s Church.
A historic walk at Runnymede, Englefield Green (near Windsor)
This is a circular walk from Cooper’s Green, which crosses the Runnymede meadows and follows through woodland to the River Thames.
- Step back in time at the 3 memorials John F Kennedy, Magna Carta and Runnymede Memorial
- Pay respect to the 20000 airmen and women who died during the 2nd World War
- Admire the new public artworks – “Writ in Water” and “The Jurors”
- Gaze for miles across London from the Runnymede Memorial
- Ramble along the River Thames
- Play in ancient woodland
- Touch the oldest tree in England
We always start the walk at The Barley Mow public house, which has a cricket green in front and small playground. This is great for refreshments on our return. If you want more details on the route for this walk, read A walk to historic Runnymede.
In addition, you could extend your walk and visit Ankerwycke where the colossal Yew tree is believed to be up to 2500 years old.
A scenic walk up Leith Hill (Surrey Hills near Coldharbour)
One of the most beautiful walks in Surrey is at Leith Hill Tower. This is a wooded hill in the South-West of Dorking.
There are many different routes you can take to access the top of the hill, where you will have views stretching as far as The English Channel. At 313 metres, Leith Hill Tower is the second highest point in South East England
This is a popular family walk is Surrey, as children can:-
- Play hide and seek up the top
- Climb the 78 stairs of Leith Hill Tower
- Use a telescope to spot a boat on the English Channel or the landmarks of London
- Eat home-made cake at the tower servery
A royal walk at Bushy Park, East Molesey
This Royal Park, covering 1090 acres, started as a royal hunting ground and has always been a family favourite of the great walks in Surrey.
There is so many things for children to do at Bushy Park including:-
- Look for the roaming herds of red and fallow deer (watch out when it’s rutting season)
- Go wild in the large playground – there are swings, see-saws and climbing frames
- Dig in the large sandpit – bring your bucket and spade
- Wander through the woodland gardens, marvelling at the nature and wildlife
- Admire the cascade at the Upper Lodge Water Gardens
- See the Diana Fountain
- See here for the Best things to do at Bushy Park
Bushy Park is a short walk from Henry VIII’s magnificent Hampton Court Palace, so you can cross to explore the gardens here.
A map of the 7 great walks in Surrey with kids
Below is a map of 7 great places in Surrey to take children for a walk.
You can save the map to use when you are there by clicking on the star to the right of the title.
Later, find the map by going to your Google Maps app and selecting the saved icon.
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