Banstead Wood
Children will enjoy the Narnia themed sculptures on this woodland walk.
Children can step through the wardrobe into Narnia
The Basics
Time: 1 hour
Distance: 3.6 km / 2.2 miles
Terrain: Mostly flat woodland paths and some field paths. Muddy patches in winter.
Pushchairs: The complete route detailed below is not suitable for pushchairs, however there are plenty of pushchair friendly paths in the woodland, including the ones that pass all four sculptures and the swings.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk.
Refreshments: There are no refreshments at the woodland. The nearest pub is The Ramblers Rest although it is not on this route.
Toilets: There are no toilets at the woodland.
Public Transport: Catch the train to Chipstead and walk ten minutes to the start of this route.
Parking: Free car park off Holly Lane, Chipstead (Postcode: CR5 3NR - W3W: ///ships.darker.olive)
Lucy is waiting to meet children at the side of the path
A walk at Banstead Wood is literally like stepping into Narnia. Children will find four sculptures themed around The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe inside the woodland as well as some home made swings, dens and an enchanting bench. With our route, you have the option of returning through the trees or along Chipstead Downs.
The Route
Begin the walk by heading through the gate and uphill from the car park. You will immediately pass a little enclosure with benches and interpretation boards about the area. Continue uphill until you reach Aslan sitting at a junction.
Turn right after admiring Aslan, and shortly, you will find Lucy at the side of the path waiting beside the lamp post. Continue through the woodland.
When you reach a point where the path ahead peters out you will see that the on your right is a path that leads down to a gate and the road beyond. Do not take this, but turn left instead and walk up the hill. At the top of the hill, turn right and walk along the main track.
The next sculpture is of the White Witch and this is a little harder to find as it is down the bank to your right. She is very tall but camouflages well with the other trees. Continue along the main path and in a few metres you will see the wardrobe at the side of the path to your left. Children can push the coats aside and walk through the wardrobe.
At a junction that is just before a post with two yellow stripes, turn left, going up the hill. In the trees around this junction, you will also see a selection of home made rope swings. Walk up the hill and pass Jill’s bench on your left. Proceed ahead on this same path, ignoring any turns to the left or right for some time. The path will finally come to an end when you reach Perrotts Farm and the edge of the woodland.
When you can no longer proceed forwards anymore, take the left hand fork and go around a wooden barrier. Turn left at the field and walk along the field’s edge with the woodland to your left. Keep going until you reach the hedge, where the path narrows and drops down into the scrub.
Walk through the woodland until a fork. The right hand fork currently has a small tree across it, but you want to take the left fork anyway. You will soon come to a finger post and you should follow to the right in the direction of Holly Lane car park. There are a couple of paths both going off to the right. The first one will take you on a footpath that will lead across the top of Chipstead Downs with views of the surrounding area. This one is very muddy in the winter, so is described as a summer route. The second path on your right is a wider, firmer path. Both paths will lead you in a straight line back to the car park.
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Did you know?
The sculptures were carved by Ella from The Three Pirates using a chainsaw and deadwood that was already in situ.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…you can see more chainsaw sculptures on this walk in Catherington, Waterlooville.
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