For walking tours in a distinctively beautiful natural area within easy reach of London, consider the Surrey Hills. Covering a quarter of the old county of Surrey, the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a 168 square mile system of ridges stretching from Farnham to Oxted. It contains parts of three long distance paths, the North Downs Way, the Pilgrims’ Way and the Greensand Way as well as shorter routes. Many of the walks are available as guided tours.

Foot travel is the best way to get to know an area and the villages and countryside of the Surrey hills have a great deal to offer to close inspection – I often walk alongside attractive Surrey escorts. From the riversides to lofty Leith Hill, from the mills of Churt to the heathers of Frensham, the Surrey Hills offer rewarding refuge from London’s bustle as well as fascinating glimpses of the real England to travellers from more distant points.