Walk 4 : Merstham to Epsom Downs

Viewpoints on the North Downs to start, a pub lunch in Mogador, and a London panorama from the Epsom Downs to finish.

Length	Main Walk: 17 km (10.6 miles). Four hours 15 minutes walking time. For the whole excursion including trains, sights and meals, allow at least 7 hours 30 minutes. Short Circular Walk (from Tattenham Corner): 8½ km (5.3 miles). Two hours 10 minutes walking time.
OS Map	Explorer 146. Merstham, map reference TQ291533, is in Surrey, 3 km NE of Redhill.
Streetmaps
Toughness	4 out of 10 (1 out of 10 for the Short Walk).
Features	The walk starts along the North Downs Way and then climbs steadily through Gatton Park, which was landscaped by Lancelot “Capability” Brown. It continues through the National Trust's Nut Wood to some popular viewpoints above Reigate. The last of these, Colley Hill, is an excellent picnic spot. The walk then crosses the motorway to the isolated village of Mogador for a pub lunch. Afterwards the way continues across Banstead Heath and Walton Downs to finish with panoramic views of the London skyline from Epsom Downs. You end by crossing the famous Epsom Downs Racecourse; the public footpaths across the course are kept open even on race days, so this would be an interesting walk to do on Derby Day!
Shortening the Walk	If you start the walk half an hour late, the morning short cuts described in the text will give you a chance to catch up anyone who started earlier. In the afternoon, three different endings are given so that you can shorten the whole walk by about 6 km in winter. Mogador is not served by public transport, so you will need to call a taxi if you wish to finish the walk at lunchtime.
Transport	On weekdays there are three trains an hour from London Bridge to Merstham, journey time 32 minutes. On Sundays, there is an hourly service from London Victoria, with an additional hourly service from London Bridge in summer. The best station to return from is Tattenham Corner, which is on a branch which leaves the main line at Purley. Its normal service is from London Bridge, switching to Victoria on weekday evenings. You can also return from Epsom Downs Station (which is 1½ km N of the finish), but the service from there is infrequent and there is no service on Sundays. All the stations on the Tattenham Corner and Epsom Downs lines are in London Travelcard Zone 6, but Merstham is one stop beyond it. The simplest ticket option is a One-Day Travelcard covering Zone 6 plus a single from the Zone 6 boundary to Merstham. From some stations, however, a day return to Merstham plus an inexpensive one-zone single from Tattenham Corner to Purley on the return journey might be cheaper. If driving, consider parking in Purley or Coulsdon and taking separate services to and from the start and destination stations.
Saturday Walkers Club	For the Main Walk, take the train nearest to 10:00 from London Bridge to Merstham. For the Circular Walk, take the train nearest to 10:30 to Tattenham Corner.
Train Times
Lunch	The recommended lunchtime pub on the Main Walk is The Sportsman (01737-246655) at Mogador, which was renovated and enlarged in 2008. It has a large garden and serves excellent home-cooked food. Later in the walk, there is a wider choice of pubs in Walton on the Hill; these are the options if you want to stop for lunch on the Circular Walk. The Blue Ball (01737-812168) and The Bell (01737-812132) are passed on the Main Walk. The Fox and Hounds (01737-817744) is a little way off the route, up Walton Street; it re-opened in May 2009 after being closed for six months and might be worth a look.
Tea	The Tattenham Corner Beefeater is a convenient tea stop at the end of the walk, with fine views over the racecourse. Alternatively, there is a small café/bakery just past the station and there are also seasonal kiosks serving visitors to Epsom Downs. Earlier in the walk, Café Chocolat (01737-814171) in Walton on the Hill is open for tea until 4.30pm. If you decide to finish the walk in Tadworth, note that there are no refreshment places near this station.

Travel by Train	Out: Back:
Travel by Car	Start: Merstham Station is near : RH1 3AP [gmap] Finish: Epsom Downs Station is near : KT17 4JP [gmap] Return to your car by train: (park at the start) at 4pm (park at the end) at 10am
OS Explorer Map	146 : Dorking, Box Hill & Reigate [Amazon]
Other North Downs (Surrey) Walks	Wanborough to Godalming, Boxhill to Leatherhead, Woldingham to Oxted, Guildford via Chantries Hill Circular, Boxhill Circular,

Walking Instructions 

Walk Options ( Main )

Click on any option to show the sections making up that route, or the heading above to show all sections.

Main Walk (17 km)

Main Walk, with shorter ending (14½ km)

Main Walk, finishing at Tadworth (12½ km)

Short Circular Walk from Tattenham Corner (8½ km)

Walk Directions

Click on any section heading to switch between detailed directions and an outline, or the heading above to do the same for all sections.

For the Circular Walk, start at §6.

Merstham to Gatton (1¾ km)

Go up to the A23 and turn right. Continue ahead into Quality Street, then turn left onto the North Downs Way. Follow the NDW past a cricket pitch and across a golf course. After crossing a driveway, bear left onto an enclosed path which eventually comes out onto Rocky Lane. Turn right and enter Gatton Park at North Lodge.

Cross the railway footbridge to leave the station by the London-bound platform. Bear right away from the station forecourt and then almost immediately turn left into a side road. Continue W uphill on Station Road for 100m to reach the A23 and turn right.

Cross the main road at the zebra crossing (there is a sandwich bar here for any last-minute supplies). Continue along the main road, but where it bends right by the Feathers Hotel, go straight ahead into Quality Street¹. In 20m turn left at a North Downs Way (NDW) signpost into an unmade-up lane, the entrance to Merstham Cricket Club. Bear right at the club's car park and continue on a path between fences, with the cricket pitch on your left. Go through a kissing gate onto Reigate Hill golf course and continue W up a gentle slope, ignoring golfers' paths off to both sides.

Continue across the golf course for 600m, with views off to both sides from the ridge. After passing some trees on your left, the path bears left and crosses a tarmac driveway. In 50m go through a kissing gate on your left onto an enclosed path, still heading W. In 300m, this path joins the driveway to a large house and 60m later meets a lane, where you turn half-left. In 40m you come to a T-junction with Rocky Lane. Turn right to go past the entrance to Paddock House on your left and enter Gatton Park² at North Lodge.

Gatton to Reigate Hill (3 or 2 km)

At a junction take the rightmost exit. Go past a car park and school buildings to reach a three-way junction, where there is a choice of routes. The left fork leads to Nut Wood: enter this and follow a track which gradually curves round to the right and uphill; after crossing a hollow and taking in a fine view of Gatton Park the route eventually rejoins the NDW. The alternative and shorter route is to take the right fork and stay on the NDW. Both routes eventually cross Wray Lane to reach the NT car park on Reigate Hill.

200m along the tarmac road you come to a junction. You could make a short detour to St Andrew's Church (just visible up ahead, although it is usually locked) but the walk route is the rightmost exit, to the Car Park. Continue along the road past the car park and school buildings on the left and playing fields on the right. In 400m you reach a three-way junction with an outdoor sculpture³ visible in the field up ahead on your right.

To take a more direct route to Reigate Hill, reducing the Main Walk by 1 km, go to §2b.

To Reigate Hill via Nut Wood (3 km)

At the three-way junction take the left fork, leaving the NDW. This bridleway initially goes downhill, with a large pond away to the left, then curves left and climbs back uphill. At the top of the rise you are heading S with fine views on both sides. Looking back, you can just see the top of Gatton House behind some tall trees.

At this point the path bends to the right. Up ahead you can see a gate, but 30m before reaching it, bear right uphill on a track and go round a wooden gate to enter Nut Wood. Continue uphill, ignoring several paths off to the right. Later the track swings round to the right, still climbing though the trees. Soon after the path levels out it bends right past a small clearing and then comes to a path junction. Turn left downhill onto a wide path past a wooden gate into a hollow, then back uphill. Where a field appears on the right, cross a stile into it and head half-left uphill towards a bench to enjoy the view to the SE over Gatton Park.

Rejoin the path you left via another stile directly behind the bench and turn right. 50m along the path, you meet the NDW coming up to meet you from the opposite direction. Turn sharp left here to rejoin the NDW. The path initially heads SW, then swings round to the right and in 100m comes out onto a small clearing. A path joins from the right and you bear left to meet Wray Lane.

To Reigate Hill on the NDW (2 km)

At the three-way junction take the right fork, staying on the NDW. There is an information panel about the sculpture and its poetry on your left. After passing a gate a wood appears on your right and in a further 200m the lane bends right at Lodge House and heads towards a road. Just before the house, however, turn left up a wide track into a wood.

After climbing steadily for 400m the path forks. The left fork is the NDW, and leads to a viewpoint (although the right fork is a more direct route to Wray Lane). If staying on the NDW, you reach the viewpoint after 300m, meeting a path coming up the other side of the hill. Turn half-right here, and in 100m you meet the other path coming in from the right at a small clearing by Wray Lane.

Cross Wray Lane with great care (traffic comes quickly up the hill from the left) to enter the National Trust's Reigate Hill car park opposite.

Reigate Hill to Colley Hill (2¼ km)

Cross the A217 on a footbridge and continue on a wide path. This goes past Reigate Fort and eventually emerges on Colley Hill at the Inglis Folly. Take any route along the ridge for the next 1 km.

From Reigate Hill car park, with its popular viewpoint on your left, pass just to the left of the refreshment kiosk and cross the A217 on a footbridge by a "Riders Please Dismount" sign. On the other side of the bridge, continue on the wide path, heading W.

In 300m continue ahead at a path crossing, passing some cottages on the left. You pass some phone masts on the right and Reigate Fort⁴ and Memorial Glade⁵ with its bench on the left. Eventually the path emerges onto open ground by what looks like a small circular temple⁶.

There are magnificent views to the S for the next 1 km. The main path curves away to the right here, but it is much more pleasant to walk along the grass ridge of Colley Hill (there is plenty of scope here for the very energetic to put in some extra hill walking).

400m after passing a prominent water tower away to the right, the contours of the ground lead you back towards the main path and you pass a National Trust sign to leave Colley Hill through a wooden gate.

Colley Hill to Mogador (2 or 1 km)

At the end of Colley Hill continue along the NDW for a short distance. At a Coal Tax Post bear right onto a path, then turn right onto a lane which leads to a bridge over the M25. On the other side there is a choice of routes. For the main route, turn left onto a bridleway which winds through woodland and eventually emerges on Banstead Heath; turn right and follow the line of trees to a corner of the common and The Sportsman. The shorter alternative is to stay on the lane, eventually turning left at a large pub sign to reach the pub.

Continue W along the bridleway, soon passing a wooden door with a footpath sign on your right. In 100m, just after passing a white-painted Coal Tax post⁷ on your right, take a narrow unmarked path forking off to the right, leaving the NDW. In 100m, this path meets a tarmac lane, where you turn right. Ignore lanes and paths off to both sides and continue N to cross the M25.

To take a more direct route to the pub, reducing the Main Walk by 1 km, go to §4b.

To Mogador via Banstead Heath (2 km)

Immediately after crossing the M25, take a bridleway on the left. This runs parallel to the motorway for a short distance but soon swings off to the right. Walton Heath golf course⁸ comes into view through the trees on your left. In 500m, after passing more Coal Tax posts, continue ahead at a path crossing by a Banstead Commons Conservators (BCC) information panel. In 350m the bridleway comes out onto Banstead Heath.

If you are not intending to stop at The Sportsman pub for lunch, you can simply continue along this path, keeping the golf course close by on your left. Pick up the directions to Walton on the Hill at [•] in §5 below.

To visit the pub, turn sharp right and follow a grassy track a little way out from the trees on your right, heading SE. Continue in this direction for 500m, staying fairly close to the trees, until you come to a corner of the common where there is another BCC panel. Leave the common to join a lane heading S and The Sportsman pub is immediately on your left.

To Mogador direct (1 km)

After crossing the M25, continue ahead on the lane for 450m. Where it bends right by a Coal Tax post and a large pub sign, turn left into a lane. The Sportsman pub is on your right at the end of this cul-de-sac.

Mogador to Walton on the Hill (2½ km)

Go back onto the common and take any convenient route towards its northwest corner. From there, follow a path between trees and the golf course to Dorking Road. Cross over and take a footpath forking right off a driveway through Banstead Heath. Cross Walton Street to Mere Pond opposite.

This section describes the most direct route to Walton on the Hill, but if you have a map and time is not an issue there are plenty of alternative ways across Banstead Heath, eg. heading N to Tadworth Postmill and then W to Mere Pond.

Turn right out of the pub to go back onto the common. Aim first for a wooden signpost 75m away, just to the right of an isolated tree. Do not take the path indicated, but continue ahead and take the next grassy path veering left, in roughly the same direction as the first one. The path heads for a Coal Tax post in the distance, on the edge of a golf course. It later curves right to thread its way through some gorse, then drops down to a dip at the left-hand end of a bank of trees. On the other side, take the left fork uphill, aiming for the left-hand edge of a wood ahead of you, with the golf course getting closer behind a row of trees on your left.

[•] Take the sandy bridleway alongside the golf course, heading N and later NW. The path goes in and out of trees and gorse bushes, staying close to the golf course, and in 1 km comes out onto Dorking Road.

Pass between some low wooden fences and cross this busy road carefully. On the other side of the road, take the footpath forking right off the driveway to some houses, initially heading N. Follow this path through a lightly wooded part of Banstead Heath for 500m, ignoring paths off to both sides, until you emerge at a clearing. The Blue Ball pub is on a quiet road to your left, and in another 100m the path meets Walton Street, with Café Chocolat just off to the left. Cross the road to Mere Pond opposite.

To continue the full Main Walk, go to §7.
For a more direct route to Tattenham Corner, go to §9.
For the alternative ending at Tadworth Station, go to §10.

Tattenham Corner to Walton on the Hill (3 km)

Turn left out of the station and follow the road round to the left. Turn right by a grassy knoll to go down to Epsom Lane North and turn left onto this road. After passing an exercise track for racehorses, turn right onto a bridleway running alongside it. Take a path on the left, at first through a wood and later between houses and fields to reach Motts Hill Lane. Join this lane for a short distance, then continue ahead on a footpath to reach a wood. If you want to return directly to Tattenham Corner, turn right here; otherwise go through the wood past The Bell to reach Mere Pond at the edge of Walton on the Hill, with a choice of pubs and cafés.

Leave the station past the ticket office, turn left on a minor road in front of a small car park and follow this road round to the left. In 100m, where the grassy knoll on your right ends, turn right on a minor road downhill. Epsom racecourse comes into view, with its Grandstand at the far end of the finishing straight. In 50m you pass a black gate blocking traffic and come out onto Epsom Lane North, where you turn left.

Go S on this road, passing Oaks Way on your left after 150m. In a further 180m, cross the road carefully and go through a gap in the hedge on your right. Go onto the bridleway heading SW, with an exercise track for racehorses running alongside it on your right.

Although it would have been more pleasant to have joined this track opposite Oaks Way, it is not a public right of way there as the "Racehorses Only" sign makes clear.

In 400m, where the field on your left ends, take a path on the left by a green wastepaper bin and head into a wood. Continue S on this bridleway, ignoring cross paths. After 400m, soon after merging with two paths from the right, the wood ends. The bridleway now continues in the same direction for 1 km, with paddocks and fields on the right and several attractive gardens on the left.

At Bridle Cottage the track meets Motts Hill Lane. Turn right onto the lane, still heading S. Where the lane bends right after 100m, take a footpath to the left of a house "Derry" to continue in the same direction. This narrow path goes uphill between hedges for 150m to the edge of a wood.

The footpath on the right is on the return route to Tattenham Corner, but unless you want to head straight back, take the tarmac lane half-left along the right-hand edge of the wood. In 100m you pass The Bell, a cosy pub off the beaten track, which may be serving simple meals. Continuing ahead on the lane, the sound of a few hundred gulls mugging passers-by for food will lead you to Mere Pond on the edge of Walton on the Hill.

The Blue Ball pub, 100m ahead on Deans Lane on the other side of the main road, is a possible lunch stop. For others, turn right at the pond and walk up Walton Street (The Fox and Hounds is about 300m up this road on the right-hand side).

Walton on the Hill to Walton Downs (3 km)

Leave Mere Pond on a lane, taking the right fork at the sign for Withybed Corner. On leaving the wood, turn left onto a footpath, then cross a stile on the right. This footpath goes past paddocks, across two lanes and eventually meets a sunken track. Turn right onto this track and follow it downhill, curving left round Nohome Farm at the bottom of the valley. After passing a bridleway signposted to Walton Road, turn right onto a path which goes up through trees to emerge on Walton Downs.

With Mere Pond on your left, head N away from the road and almost immediately take the right fork at the sign for Withybed Corner. In 300m this lane passes The Bell pub and in another 100m leaves the wood past a gate. Turn left here at a signpost in the direction of Ebbisham Lane, but after 100m along this footpath cross a stile on the right to head NW down another footpath.

After 150m go over a stile and cross Motts Hill Lane to continue in the same direction past some paddocks. In 200m cross Ebbisham Lane and go over another stile. Continue ahead through this narrow field, with a row of trees on your left. At the end of the field, cross a stile to meet a sunken track and turn right. Continue gently downhill on this bridleway for 1½ km, heading NW, until you pass a house (Nohome Farm) on the left.

After passing the house, follow the path round to the left, ignoring a gap in the bank of trees on the right after 60m. In 250m ignore a bridleway off to the left signposted to Walton Road, but 20m further on take a narrow path uphill into the trees on the right. In 150m this path curves to the right and emerges from the wood onto Walton Downs at a six-way junction of paths.

Walton Downs to Tattenham Corner (2½ km)

Continue ahead at a path junction onto a tarmac path which climbs out of the valley and curves round to the right. After going in and out of trees on the edge of the downs, turn left onto a path which soon joins a wide track. This leads onto the back straight of Epsom Downs racecourse. Cross the racetrack and continue downhill to the other side of the course, with the Tattenham Corner Beefeater ahead on the right. Tattenham Corner station is further to the right, on Tattenham Crescent.

At the six-way path junction cross the track used for exercising horses and go straight ahead onto a tarmac path, heading NE. Later, this bridleway goes into the trees as it climbs steadily out of the valley. Where the downs come into view again on the right and the main path veers left, take the narrow path slightly to the right which leads back into the trees. In another 80m, just after a second break in the trees, fork left up a path between a gap in the trees, heading NE. In 40m this path merges with a wider track from the left and you continue ahead in the same direction.

In 600m, at the top of a slight incline, you suddenly emerge onto the back straight of Epsom racecourse, with fine views of NW London ahead. Cross the racetrack and continue downhill on the well-marked track to the other side of the course. There should be a wide choice of refreshment stalls here, including the kiosk in the car park on the other side of Tattenham Corner Road in front of you. The large Tattenham Corner Beefeater is to the right of this car park, on the other side of Tattenham Crescent.

To extend the walk to the alternative return station at Epsom Downs, go to §11.

To return from Tattenham Corner station, follow Tattenham Corner Road as it curves round to the right, alongside the racecourse⁹. After crossing the stretch of track where the shorter races start, take the path on the left as it cuts across the grass to meet the B2221 (the other arm of Tattenham Crescent). The station is on the other side of this road.

Walton on the Hill to Tattenham Corner direct (3 km)

Leave Mere Pond on a lane, taking the right fork at the sign for Withybed Corner. On leaving the wood, bear right down a narrow path. At the bottom, continue ahead on a lane and then a bridleway between fields and houses. Where the houses end, continue ahead through a wood to reach Walton Downs. Turn right onto a path which runs alongside an exercise track for racehorses, then turn left uphill onto Epsom Lane North. Soon after the top of the rise, a minor road on the right leads to Tattenham Corner station; carry straight on across Tattenham Crescent to visit the Tattenham Corner Beefeater or the refreshment kiosks on Epsom Downs.

With Mere Pond on your left, head N away from the road and almost immediately take the right fork at the sign for Withybed Corner. In 300m this lane passes The Bell pub and in another 100m leaves the wood past a gate. Ignore the footpath to the left and bear right down a narrow path, heading N.

In 150m the footpath meets a lane and you continue ahead in the same direction. In 100m, just after the lane curves round to the right, take a signposted bridleway on the left alongside Bridle Cottage. Follow this track N for 1 km, with fields and paddocks on the left and houses and gardens on the right.

Where the houses end, ignore a footpath off to the right and continue ahead into a wood. Fork right at a white board with information about horse riding and in another 25m fork right again. Ignore more paths to both sides, and continue N for about 400m until the path emerges from the wood onto Walton Downs.

Turn half-right onto a wide path heading NE, with an exercise track for racehorses running alongside it on your left. In 400m the path curves to the left by a "Racehorses Only" sign. The right of way continues ahead through a gap in the hedge onto Epsom Lane North; take great care here as there is no pavement on the near side. Cross the road and turn left uphill.

If there are no racehorses about, it would obviously be nicer to stay on the path up to the top of the rise before crossing the road.

At the top of the rise Oaks Way is on your right, and 150m further on there is a minor road off to the right with a black gate blocking traffic.

To go directly to Tattenham Corner Station, turn right here past the gate. Go left at the top and follow this minor road round to the right. The station entrance is then on your right, while Café Dubon is in the parade of shops on the other side of the main road up ahead.

For other refreshment options, continue N on Epsom Lane North across Tattenham Crescent. As the road swings left⁹, the Tattenham Corner Beefeater is straight ahead on the other arm of Tattenham Crescent. The Downs Lunch Box refreshment kiosk is in the car park up ahead, and in fine weather there should be a good choice of refreshment stalls in the area.

To extend the walk to the alternative return station at Epsom Downs, go to §11.

Walton on the Hill to Tadworth (1 km)

Leave Mere Pond on a bridleway going off to the right of the lane by the sign for Withybed Corner. On the far side of the common, turn right onto a road, then go left down a tarmac path to reach Station Approach Road. Turn left and follow the road round to the right for Tadworth Station.

With Mere Pond on your left, head N away from the main road. Where the lane forks by the sign for Withybed Corner, take a bridleway off to the right. Follow this wide path NE through the trees for 400m, ignoring cross paths, until you emerge at a small clearing. Leave the common on a track which comes out onto a road opposite Spindlewoods.

Cross over the road and turn right, then in 30m turn half-left down a tarmac path. Follow this path downhill between walls until it comes out onto Station Approach Road by a small parade of shops. Turn left and follow the road round to the right at a junction. The entrance to Tadworth Station is on your left just around the next corner; follow the path downhill to the platform.

London-bound trains are actually heading away from the city at this point.

Tattenham Corner to Epsom Downs Station (1½ km)

Go alongside Old London Road, aiming for Longdown Lane South to the left of a large roundabout. Go along this road, then turn right into Bunbury Way. Epsom Downs Station is at the end of this road.

Go past the Downs Lunch Box kiosk and car park, and walk N alongside Old London Road for 500m (crossing over the road at some point). Before the road meets a large roundabout at a corner of Epsom Downs, bear left to cross both Grandstand Road and the B284, aiming for Longdown Lane South which turns off the B284 just W of the roundabout. Walk N alongside this road for 300m and turn right into Bunbury Way. Epsom Downs Station is a further 600m away, at the end of this minor road.

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» Last updated: June 8, 2009