Norbury Park
Leatherhead
Children will love the natural play area, playing beside the river and toasting marshmallows at Wild! About Coffee on this walk.
In April and May, wild garlic grows in Nicols Field
Ambling Path Members get 10% off at Wild! About Coffee until May 23rd
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Use the form below to become a member
🔥
Ambling Path Members get 10% off at Wild! About Coffee until May 23rd 🔥 Use the form below to become a member 🔥
The Basics
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes for The Bluebell Route or 1 hour 30 minutes for The Wild Garlic Route
Distance: 5.2 km / 3.2 miles for The Bluebell Route or 5.2 km / 3.2 miles for The Wild Garlic Route
Terrain: The Bluebell Route has grassy field paths, some paved paths, woodland paths, kissing gates, a steady uphill section and a steep downhill section. The Wild Garlic Route has some paved paths, woodland paths, steps and steady up and downhill sections.
Pushchairs: Neither circular route is suitable for pushchairs, however on The Bluebell Route, if you can manage a kissing gate you could walk to Wild! About Coffee and the bluebell woods but may need to return the way you came due to steep and uneven downhill section on the homeward leg. On The Wild Garlic Route, you could walk in a straight line from Crabtree car park to Wild! About Coffee and then see the bluebells on a loop through Updown Wood. Due to the steps, you would need to return the way you came, missing out the garlic field.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome.
Refreshments: Wild!… About Coffee is in a woodland clearing in the centre of the park Thursday to Sunday, 9 until 3 (W3W: ///teeth.grabs.town.)
Toilets: There are toilets next to Wild!… About Coffee.
Public Transport: Westhumble and Box Hill train station is within easy walking distance of the park if you are doing The Wild Garlic Route.
Parking:
For The Bluebell Route, use Young Street car park, free, height barrier (Postcode: KT22 9DX - W3W: ///solve.closet.first)
For The Wild Garlic Route, use Crabtree Lane car park, free, height barrier (Postcode: RH5 6BQ - W3W: ///feared.grape.varnish)
The natural play trail is found by Young Street car park
This historic parkland between Leatherhead and Dorking is a much valued place for recreational walks. Multiple trails pass through woodland, farmland and beside the River Mole, revealing fabulous views over to Box Hill along the way.
We have created two walks that start from opposite ends of the park. The first is The Bluebell Route which starts beside the River Mole where there is also a natural play area. It then climbs through pretty farmland to The Woodland Hub, where you will find Wild! About Coffee. The route back passes through a beautiful bluebell wood and has superb views of The Surrey Hills.
Our second walk is The Wild Garlic Route which will also take you through woodland with views of the Surrey Hills to Wild! About Coffee and returns via Nicols Field, which is exceptionally beautiful when the wild garlic blooms in April/May.
The Routes
The Bluebell Route with the River Mole, picnic area, natural play area, views, Wild! About Coffee and a bluebell wood:
Starting from Young Street car park, head straight down through the picnic area to the river bank. Turn right and walk along the bottom edge of a large field with the river to your left and a fence to your right. Continue straight on the same path as it exits the field. At the red brick cottage, veer left and continue along the track, passing a number of horse paddocks to your right. After the stables, go through the gate and continue towards the farm.
Just after the white pillars of Mickleham Priory, veer right. Follow the tarmac track as it curves its way up the hillside. When you reach a wooden barrier to your left, keep right and continue on the tarmac. Keep following the tarmac path as it continues to make its way uphill. You will pass by gates on your left to Norbury Park and should proceed until your reach The Woodland Hub, a clearing in the trees where on Thursday to Sunday, 9-3, Wild! About Coffee serve drinks and tray bakes out of a re-purposed Land Rover. There is plenty of outdoor seating and a few covered areas. The absolute highlight for our kids was buying marshmallows and crumpets and toasting them on the fire.
After you have enjoyed your time at Wild! About Coffee, stand with your back to the non-serving side of the Land Rover and proceed around the barrier almost directly ahead of you and a little to the right (not the one along the track to your left). This will take you into Updown Wood. Keep left at the fork. The path will curve around the edge of the woodland and as you walk more and more bluebells will reveal themselves to you in the coppiced hazel trees to your right.
Keep curing around the woodland, sticking to the same path until you spot a viewpoint to your left. There is a bench with a large carving of the Surrey Hills emblem on it. Children will enjoy this viewpoint as it directly overlooks paddocks belonging to Bockett’s Farm Park and they will probably see alpacas or Highland cows. A couple of metres after the viewpoint, turn left away from the woodland. At the little fork, go right into a field and walk down the field with the brambles to your left and the fence to your right. At the end you will be funnelled out of the field and should continue down the steep hillside.
At the next field, turn left and walk with the fence and views to your right. Turn right at the corner and then right again at the next corner. After about a hundred metres, turn left through the kissing gate and go down the steps. Pass under the railway and continue to find the natural play area and the car park.
The Wild Garlic Route with the Nicols Field, woodland, views, and Wild! About Coffee:
Starting at Crabtree Lane car park follow the track out of the car park by the information boards. Continue along the path in more or less a straight line. After about one kilometre, ignore a bridleway forking off to the left. Soon after that, the green fence of Norbury Park House will line the path to your right. Keep going and the path will lead you directly to The Woodland Hub and Wild! About Coffee, where on Thursday to Sunday, 9-3, drinks and tray bakes are served out of a re-purposed Land Rover. There is plenty of outdoor seating and a few covered areas. The absolute highlight for our kids was buying marshmallows and crumpets and toasting them on the fire.
After you have enjoyed Wild! About Coffee, keep the green privacy fence to your right and head downhill on the tarmac drive. Continue on the tarmac curving around the parkland with the views to your left and pass a series of benches. Look out for a six bar metal gate opposite a padlocked wooden barrier.
Turn right around the barrier, and leave the tarmac onto a stony semi-tarmac track. You will soon meet a cross paths, where you should turn left with the finger-post pointing towards Westhumble. The path will make its way along the side of the wooded hill. Look out on your left for the pretty picnic area at Swanworth Farm, where you can sit and watch the sheep in the fields, but other than this diversion, continue on the same path.
You will eventually come to a fork in the path. Take the left hand fork that goes downhill and is marked by a wooden arrow saying ‘footpath’. As the path curves downwards with a field to your left, look out for the steps directly ahead of you. They are just beyond a little grassy triangle. The steps will lead you down into Nicols Field, where in late April/early May, the entire woodland (and the steps) are coated in wild garlic. You can explore this area by the river before retracing your steps back up the steps to the wooden arrow saying ‘footpath’ again.
This time, turn left and follow the path uphill until your reach the tarmac of Crabtree Lane. Turn right and walk up the lane back to the car park.
As a member, you gain instant access to our complete PDF library of over 200 walks. Members also benefit from special discounts we arrange at some of our favourite pit-stops.
Wild! About Coffee:
The Bluebell Route:
The Wild Garlic Route:
Did you know?
In 1931, Surrey County Council purchased 530 hectares of land at Norbury Park to protect it from development. This was the first intervention of its kind to protect the countryside and to keep it available for the public to use forever.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one at Chinthurst Hill with a similar natural play trail and spring flowers.
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