Surrey Hills Walking Weekend - Tanners Hatch

Pre-trip

Our accommodation for this weekend really is remote (by Surrey standards!). The nearest car park is ¾ of a mile of woodland track away, so we’ll be parking up and travelling the rest of the route on foot. You’ll need to make sure you’re able to carry everything you’d like to bring for the weekend for this distance comfortably.

Pillows and bed linen are provided, but you will need to make sure you’ve got a towel and toiletries.

Day 1

Your Large Outdoors host will meet you at the car park at 5:30pm to guide you down the forest track to the hostel. You’re welcome to arrive at any time from 5pm onwards and make your own way to the hostel, but your host will only be able to meet you at the designated time.

Once you arrive at the accommodation, drop your bags and grab a cup of tea (or glass of wine!). Your task for the rest of the evening is to relax in the lovely lounge (complete with open fire), meet the rest of the group, and enjoy the woodland-surrounded garden.

Dinner will be served at around 8pm. We’ll discuss the weekend of walking over some lovely home-cooked food.

Day 2

After breakfast and packing up our lunches for the day, we’ll head out on a proper leg-stretcher. Clocking in at around 20km (12 miles), our route today takes us through some of the open downs and woodlands of the Ranmore Common area of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

We’ll follow a series of footpaths right from our front-door today, skirting fields and woodlands of oak, holly, silver birch, and yew trees. The area is home to a diverse community of birds and butterflies, including the uncommon white admiral. We’ll join and follow the North Downs Way for a stretch, which runs from Farnham to Dover - we’ll be turning off long before we reach the White Cliffs though, opting for a gentle descent through the heart of the woods. From our position on the North Downs Way, we’ll stop at various points with expansive views out onto the surrounding villages, hills, and woodlands.

Heading back towards our accommodation, we’ll follow ancient trackways and pass Polesden Lacey, a stunning, National Trust-owned Edwardian house.

Arriving back at the accommodation, you’ll have plenty of time to rest up and enjoy another hearty dinner with your fellow walkers, toasting a good day’s walking done.

Day 3

After breakfast, it’s time to pack up and depart our weekend’s accommodation. We’ll head out on another walk today, dropping your bags off at your car first and then focusing on a lower-level, leisurely route today after yesterday’s long hike. Our host will decide the exact route for today based on the weather conditions and what the group likes the sound of, but there’ll almost certainly be picture-perfect woodland tracks, a bit of wildlife-spotting, and some brilliant views.

We’ll aim to finish up between 1 and 2pm to allow everybody to enjoy the walk without worrying about the drive home.

The Surrey Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), is a paradise for walkers. Featuring walking routes ranging from leisurely to challenging, lots of lovely wildlife, and historical interest, there’s something of interest for everyone. It’s an area of rolling green fields and woodlands, spectacular country houses (including Polesden Lacey, close to our accommodation).

Famous beauty spots in the area include Box Hill, the Devil’s Punchbowl, St Martha’s Church, Frensham Ponds, Leith Hill, Newlands Corner, and Reigate Hill. The North Down’s Way runs through the area (close to where we stay for this trip), which itself closely follows the famous Pilgrims’ Way, an ancient track between Winchester and Canterbury.

Our accommodation on this trip is YHA Tanners Hatch. This is a proper rural retreat. Accessible only on foot, you’ll be able to immerse yourself fully in the tranquil, wild woodlands. What’s more, there’s no WiFi, TV, and rarely any mobile reception, so this trip is a real digital detox too - no excuse not to relax and enjoy every moment more mindfully.

Accommodation is ¾ of a mile from the car park - you need to make sure you’re able to carry everything you want to bring for this distance comfortably. More information on this in the Itinerary above.

All linen is provided on this trip, but please remember to bring your own towel and toiletries.

Included:

• 2 days of guided walks in the beautiful Surrey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) led by a professional, qualified guide.

• 2 nights hostel accommodation in the remote YHA Tanners Hatch.

• A lovely home-cooked welcome meal on the Friday night and a post-walk meal on the Saturday night. Soft drinks will be provided and you’re welcome to bring your own alcoholic drinks.

• Breakfasts on the Saturday and Sunday mornings.

• A packed lunch for Saturday’s walk.

• Teas, coffees, herbal teas, and soft drinks at the hostel.

• A Large Outdoors host to welcome you and organise the weekend’s walking.

• Pre-weekend support from the Large Outdoors admin team.

Not included:

• The car park you will need to park at is run by the National Trust and costs £6 per calendar day. This is not included in the cost of the trip, so please allow for this.

• Travel to and from the venue.

• Any alcoholic drinks - if you’d like a drink with dinner, please bring a bottle!

• Any additional excursions or activities that incur a cost.

• What level of fitness is needed?
  This trip is rated ‘Active’, so a good level of fitness is required. We’ll be going for a longer walk on the Saturday (around 20km/12.5 miles).

• Can I attend on my own?
  Absolutely! In fact, the majority of our attendees are solo travellers.

• When should I arrive?
  You are welcome to arrive from 5pm onwards on Friday evening. Your host will be at the car park ready to guide you on the 3/4 of a mile walk from the car park to the accommodation, but the route is accessible and you’re welcome to walk it on your own at any time after 5. If you intend to arrive after 10pm, please let us know.

• I’d prefer vegetarian or vegan meals - can this be arranged?
  Yes, absolutely! We will always supply a vegetarian or vegan meal, but please note this must be requested well ahead of the trip - the remote location of our accommodation means we can’t pop out to buy additional ingredients. Complete the dietary section during the booking process and if your dietary needs change ahead of the trip please email the office and we’ll update your booking.

• I’d prefer gluten-free meals - can this be arranged?
  We will provide meals using gluten-free ingredients, but due to the shared nature of the kitchen we cannot provide strictly gluten-free meals. Please let us know you’d like gluten-free ingredients ahead of time by completing the dietary section during the booking process.

• I am allergic to a specific ingredient - can you provide meals for me?
  Due to the shared nature of the kitchen we are unable to provide meals suitable for those suffering from many allergies. Please contact the office before booking to discuss your requirements.

• What transport is provided during this trip?
  We do not provide transportation during this trip.

• Can I bring my dog?
  Dogs are not allowed on this trip, except for registered assistance dogs.