Box Hill

Box Hill rises to 224 metres above the gap where the Mole cuts through the North Downs, and it takes its name from the box trees on its steep western slope, one of the oldest natural box woodlands in Britain. It has been a day-trip destination since the seventeenth century, reachable from London first by carriage and then by rail, and Jane Austen sent the party in Emma here for the picnic where Emma insults Miss Bates. The Zig Zag Road climbing the north side was used nine times in the 2012 Olympic road races and has since become a fixture for cyclists, who arrive in numbers at weekends. Stepping stones cross the Mole at the foot. The chalk grassland supports orchids and unusual butterflies, and the summit has a viewpoint indicator over the Weald.

What you actually see

• The Salomons viewpoint - a chalk terrace looking south over the Weald.
• The box woodland - ancient box on the steep western slope.
• The Zig Zag Road - an Olympic climb, now a weekend cycling fixture.
• The stepping stones - a crossing of the River Mole at the foot of the hill.

When to go

April to October, with orchids in June and butterflies through summer; autumn colour is good. Weekends bring very heavy cycling and walking traffic and the car parks fill by mid-morning.

Honest expectations

The National Trust car park at the top charges and fills early at weekends, and the Zig Zag Road is busy with cyclists and cars in both directions. The stepping stones flood and become impassable after rain. The summit area is crowded and the cafe queues.

Nearby

Dorking lies below; Polesden Lacey and the North Downs Way are close.