Hills, Woods & Bluebells

Shady woodlands and stunning views

Dorking to Gomshall, Surrey

Bluebells in Old Simms Copse, Hackhurst Downs

There’s nothing more uplifting (or quintessentially English) than the azure carpet of a mass of bluebells in the dappled shade of a spring woodland. Timing is of the essence though, as flowering is at its best for a period of only about two weeks. This year, after the long hard winter, the bluebells arrived later than usual, and this walk had to be postponed for a couple of weeks to allow nature to catch up. But it was worth the wait.

Start: Dorking (Main) Station TQ170504

Finish: Gomshall Station TQ089478

Length: 8 miles/4-4½ hours

How to get there: Dorking’s a lucky town, having three railways stations. Two (Dorking West and Dorking Deepdene) are on the North Downs Line between Redhill and Guildford, served (infrequently on a Sunday, it has to be said) by First Great Western.  The walk starts at Dorking (Main) however, served by both Southern (services from London Victoria) and South West Trains (services from London Waterloo) and ends at Gomshall from where it is possible to return to Dorking West or Deepdene, the latter being 5 minutes walk from Dorking (Main). Plan carefully though: trains from Gomshall are 2-hourly on a Sunday.

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