Ockley

Ockley sits astride the A29 in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, its wide main street tracing the line of Stane Street, the Roman road that once ran from Chichester to London. It is a proper Weald village rather than a chocolate-box one: a long, low settlement of brick and tile-hung houses gathered around one of the largest village greens in Surrey, still used for cricket and football every summer. Dorking lies around seven miles to the north, Horsham a short drive south, and the wooded slopes of the Surrey Hills rise close by on almost every side.

The village has form. In 851 AD, according to Surrey's county records, a West Saxon army under King Æthelwulf and his son Æthelbald defeated a large Danish Viking force near Ockley in one of the most significant battles of the period, after the raiders had been rampaging through London and Canterbury. There is little to see of that today beyond the landscape itself, but it is a reminder that this quiet stretch of the Weald has been fought over and settled for well over a thousand years. Modern Ockley is a working village with a school, a church, a cricket club marking well over a century and a half of matches on the green, and easy access to some of the best walking country in the South East.

Top things to do in Ockley

• Ockley village green — one of the largest greens in Surrey, ringed by cottages and still home to Ockley Cricket Club; a proper spot for a summer afternoon.
• Leith Hill — around four miles north of the village, this National Trust property is one of the highest points in the South East, with an 18th-century Gothic tower at the summit and views said to stretch to the English Channel on a clear day.
• The Greensand Way — the long-distance path along the Surrey Hills' greensand ridge runs close to Ockley and through Leith Hill Wood, giving walkers a direct route out into the AONB landscape from the village.
• Winterfold Forest — mixed woodland a few miles from Ockley within the Surrey Hills, popular for quieter walks and cycling away from the busier National Trust car parks.
• Denbies Vineyard, Dorking — one of England's largest vineyards, around 20 minutes' drive north; a good half-day out with tours and tastings if you are staying in Ockley and want a change of pace.
• Stane Street — the A29 through the village follows the alignment of this Roman road between Chichester and London, one of the more tangible links to the area's ancient history.
• Okewood, Ockley and Forest Green Summer Fair — a village fair and flower show first held in 1893, still running annually with stalls, produce classes and a proper community feel.

Getting to Ockley

Ockley sits directly on the A29, making it an easy drive from Dorking, Horsham or the wider Surrey/Sussex road network. The village has its own railway station, Ockley, on the Arun Valley line served by Southern trains, roughly a mile and a half east of the village centre with connections towards London Waterloo and south towards Horsham and the coast. There is no motorway on the doorstep, so most visitors arrive by car or take the train to Ockley station and walk or cycle the short distance in.

Best time to visit Ockley

Spring and early summer bring bluebells and fresh green cover to the woodland around Leith Hill and Winterfold Forest, and the cricket season gets under way on the green. Autumn is a strong option too, with the Surrey Hills beech woods turning colour and the Greensand Way at its most atmospheric underfoot. Summer is the obvious time for the village fair and for long days walking or picnicking on the green, while winter suits those after a quieter, muddier ramble and a fire in a local pub afterwards.

Where to stay in Ockley

Ockley itself is small, so accommodation in the village is limited to a handful of B&Bs and nearby farm stays, with a wider choice of hotels and guesthouses in Dorking and Horsham for those who want more options. For a rural base, camping and glamping around the village make the most of the Surrey Hills setting without a long drive to reach the walking trails.

Food and drink in Ockley

The Cricketers Arms, a fifteenth-century pub right on the A29 in the heart of the village, is the obvious focal point for food and drink in Ockley, serving pub classics in a genuinely old building. Beyond the village, Dorking and Horsham offer a much wider spread of restaurants and cafes for anyone happy to drive a few minutes further afield.