Dorking

Surrey is often thought of as suburban, all commuter stations and hedged-in villages, but Dorking sits where that flattens out and the land starts to climb. The town is hemmed in by the Surrey Hills, with Box Hill rising immediately to the north and the North Downs folding away to the south, so the character here is less about proximity to London and more about proximity to open chalk downland, wooded escarpments, and a working vineyard. It gives Dorking a slightly different rhythm to the towns around it: an old market town that happens to back onto some of the best walking country in the county.

Box Hill is the obvious draw, and beyond simply walking it, there is the Box Hill Spy Mission Treasure Trail for a more structured route up and around the slopes. Denbies Wine Estate is the other big pull, with tours and tastings across its vineyard, and it pairs naturally with a stay at the Denbies Vineyard Hotel. Polesden Lacey, run by the National Trust, adds a grand house and gardens to the mix, while in town Art-K Dorking and Paint Your Own Ceramics at Callis Corner give visitors something more hands-on for a wet afternoon.

What makes Dorking work as a base is that contrast: a proper town centre with its shops and restaurants, and within minutes, hillsides, vineyards, and lakes that feel a world away from the rest of Surrey's commuter towns.