1. A small garden at the junction of the A23 with Quality Street used to contain some original plate rails from the Surrey Iron Railway, with a plaque commemorating the “first public railway in the world”: slightly misleading, as it was only for horse-drawn freight wagons. It reached Merstham from Wandsworth and Croydon in 1806.
2. Quality Street contains some wonderful old houses, an unexpected survival in such urban surroundings. It is well worth a short detour.
3. Gatton House and its estate were built up by Sir Jeremiah Colman, of mustard fame. The house is now part of the Royal Alexandra & Albert School. Unfortunately, the house and its landscaped park are only partly visible from the right of way across the grounds.
4. The Millennium Stones are inscribed with extracts from poems which invite the traveller to “stop, rest and reflect” at this point on the Pilgrims' Way.
5. Reigate Fort was part of a chain of forts built to defend London at the end of the 19thC, but the idea was soon abandoned. It has recently been opened up by the National Trust and you can wander around the site and read its history from the information panels.
6. Memorial Glade marks the crash site of an American WW2 bomber.
7. This is the Inglis Folly, donated to the borough 100 years ago by a Lt Col Inglis.
8. The Old Pheasantry country house is run by a Children's Trust to provide a holiday home for disadvantaged children and special needs pupils.
9. A levy on coal was brought in to help pay for the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire of 1666. It was originally collected in the Port of London, but with the growth of road and rail transport, these cast iron Coal Tax Posts were erected in the 1860s to mark the taxation boundary. There are several on the walk route.
10. Banstead Heath is one of four open areas which make up the Banstead Commons. A wily developer tried to buy up the land for house building in the late 19thC and was only stopped after a 13-year legal battle; as a result the Banstead Commons Conservators were established to preserve the area.
11. Walton Heath has been the venue for several major golf tournaments, including the 1981 Ryder Cup.
12. The Latin inscription on the lychgate of St Peter's Church, Walton-on-the-Hill, reads “Death, Gateway, Life”. The church was rebuilt in 1820 but has retained a rare 12thC lead font.
13. The large house Chussex just off to the left was one of the collaborations between the architect Edwin Lutyens and the garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. It was built in 1908 for Herbert Fowler, who had recently completed the design of Walton Heath golf course.
14. The remains of a Roman villa were discovered at Chussex Plain during the development of Walton Heath golf course. Its creator noted that “The Romans…had designed some excellent bunkers”.
15. Tadworth Windmill is said to be the tallest surviving post mill in England. It was built in the 18thC, although there have been much older mills on this site. It lost its sails in 1921 and was further damaged in WW2. For many years the Borough Council have been trying to persuade its private owner to carry out repairs.
16. This is the part of the course where the suffragette Emily Davison was killed when she threw herself under the King's horse in the 1913 Derby.
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1. Main Walk(16¼ km) NOs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 12 & 14
2. Main Walk (shorter ending - 14½ km) NOs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 13 & 14
3. Main Walk (alternative afternoon route - 17 km) NOs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12 & 14
4. Main Walk (alternative route and shorter ending - 15¼ km) NOs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 13 & 14
5. Circular Walk (from Tattenham Corner - 13¾ km) NOs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, & 14
6. Circular Walk (extended to Mogador - 14½ km) NOs. 6, 7, 10, 11, 13 &14

      For walk directions:-
      Click Section Heading to Open - Click again to Close.

      For the Circular Walk, start at NO. 6.

1. 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, then almost immediately turn left into Station Road. Go up to the A23 and turn right, towards a zebra crossing.

   There is a sandwich bar here if you want to buy supplies for a picnic.

   Cross the main road and continue on the other side (note 1), but where it bends right by the Feathers Hotel, keep ahead into Quality Street (note 2). 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 onto a path between fences, with the cricket pitch on your left. Go through a kissing gate onto Reigate Hill golf course and keep ahead up a gentle slope, ignoring golfers' paths off to both sides.

   Continue W 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 Park (note 3) at North Lodge.
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2. 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 veering left across a hollow and taking in a fine view of Gatton Park, this 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 sculpture (note 4) 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 NO. 2b.

   1. 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, passing Hop Garden Pond, 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.

   After the path bends to the right you can see a gate up ahead, but 30m before reaching it, bear right uphill on a track and go past a wooden gate to enter Nut Wood. Continue uphill near the edge of the wood, ignoring several paths off to the right. Later the track swings round to the right, still climbing through 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. You pass a stile leading into a field on your right.

   If you wish, you can take a short cut through this field. Cross the stile and head half-left uphill towards a bench to enjoy the view over Gatton Park. Rejoin the main route via another stile directly behind the bench and turn right.

   For the main route, continue uphill and follow the wide path round to the right, soon passing another stile. In a further 50m, 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.

   2. 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 going alongside a wood on your right for 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.
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3. Reigate Hill to Colley Hill (2½ 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 of Colley Hill for the next 1 km.

   From Reigate Hill car park, with its popular viewpoint on your left, pass 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 Fort (note 5) and Memorial Glade (note 6)with its bench on the left. Eventually the path emerges onto open ground by what looks like a small circular temple (note 7).

   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.
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4. Colley Hill to Mogador (1 km)
   At the end of Colley Hill continue along the NDW for a short distance, then turn right onto a lane which crosses over the M25. Stay on this lane for 500m, then turn left at a large pub sign to reach The Sportsman.

   Continue W along the bridleway, soon passing a wooden door with a footpath sign on your right. Behind the fence on your right is a large country house, the Old Pheasantry (note 8), with a white-painted Coal Tax post (note 9)at the end of the fence. Ignore a faint path to the right here (which curves round alongside the Old Pheasantry's garden), but a little further on fork right onto a narrow unmarked path, leaving the NDW. In 100m, this path meets a tarmac lane, where you turn right to head N.

   This unmarked path is a convenient short cut; more simply, you could just stay on the NDW and turn right when it meets the tarmac lane.

   Ignore lanes and paths off to both sides and continue onto a bridge across the M25.

   If you want to head directly for Walton-on-the-Hill, bypassing the pubs in Mogador and Tadworth, you can take a slightly shorter and nicer route onto Banstead Heath. 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 to go alongside Walton Heath golf course. In 500m, after passing more Coal Tax posts, keep ahead at a path crossing. In a further 400m the bridleway comes out onto an open part of the heath. Keep alongside the golf course for 500m and continue the directions at [•] in the next section.

   For the main route, keep ahead on the lane after crossing the M25. In 500m, where it bends right at a junction marked by a Coal Tax post and a large pub sign, turn left. The Sportsman pub is on your right at the end of this cul-de-sac.

   If you want to take an alternative (slightly longer) route across Banstead Heath, passing Tadworth Windmill, go to NO. 11.
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5. Mogador to Mere Pond direct (2¾ km)
   Go onto Banstead Heath and take any convenient route heading north-west, towards the area shown on the map as Chussex Plain. 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 a lightly wooded part of the heath to Mere Pond.

   Turn right out of the pub to go onto Banstead Heath (note 10). Aim first for a wooden signpost 75m away, just to the right of an isolated tree. Do not take the path indicated, but keep 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, with a golf course beyond. 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, keep ahead up the slope, aiming for the left-hand edge of a wood ahead of you and gradually approaching the golf course.

   [•] Join the sandy bridleway running alongside Walton Heath golf course (note 11), 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 barriers 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 Deans Lane to your left. In another 100m the path comes to the B2220 (Walton Street), with Café Chocolat off to the left. Cross this road carefully to Mere Pond opposite.

   Continue the directions in NO. 12 for the suggested route to Epsom Downs, or NO. 13 if you want to take a shorter route. If you want to finish the walk by diverting to Tadworth Station, follow the directions below.

   • Finishing at Tadworth Station (+1 km)

   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 a house called Spindlewoods.

   Cross over the road and turn right, then in 30m turn half-left down a tarmac path. Follow this enclosed path downhill 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 to find the entrance to Tadworth Station on your left.
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6. Tattenham Corner to Walton-on-the-Hill (4¼ km)
   Turn left out of the station and climb onto the grassy knoll ahead, veering left to come out onto Epsom Lane North. Cross this road and turn left to go alongside the racecourse fence. Follow it round to the right and continue along Walton Downs, with a wood on your right. Bear left downhill to join a bridleway at Nohome Farm, initially heading south. Follow this all the way to Ebbisham Lane and continue on this road into Walton-on-the-Hill. Go across the B2220 towards the church.

   Leave the station past the ticket office and turn left onto a residential road. Go past some low wooden barriers onto the grassy knoll ahead and bear left towards a line of benches for a fine view of Epsom Downs racecourse, with its Grandstand at the far end of the finishing straight. Make your way down to Epsom Lane North in front of you via a gap in the barriers on your left.

   Cross this road carefully and turn left in front of the racecourse. Take the wide grassy path alongside the fence (not the public bridleway to its left). In 200m, at the end of this section of the course, turn half-right and take any convenient route SW along Walton Downs.

   The earth track here is used before noon for exercising racehorses, so keep clear of it and take care when you need to cross it. The downs are open to the public but check local notices for any restrictions (a right of way running along the bottom of the downs on your left should always be open).

   Continue in this direction, going gently downhill but staying near the top of the downs for the best views. In 1 km, just past some white railings where the earth track veers into the woods, veer left onto a faint grassy path towards another set of railings at the bottom of the downs. Go past these, across another earth track and through a wide gap in the trees ahead. Turn left onto a bridleway and follow this round to the right after passing the entrance to Nohome Farm.

   Now simply follow this track gently uphill for 1¾ km, initially heading S and later SE. Eventually you go past farm buildings and houses to emerge at a minor road. Turn left onto Hurst Lane and follow this round to the right as it merges with Ebbisham Lane. Continue along this minor road for 500m, taking care as there is no pavement and it has more traffic than you might expect, until you reach the B2220 in Walton-on-the-Hill, with a small village green opposite and St Peter's Church up ahead on the left.

   There are two pubs nearby if you want to stop for an early lunch.

   • Detour to The Fox & Hounds (+200m)

   Turn left onto the B2220. The pub is 100m along this road on the left. Afterwards, return the same way and turn left towards the church.

   • Detour to The Chequers (+200m)

   Turn right onto the B2220. The pub is 250m along this road on the left, between two alleyways signposted as public footpaths. Afterwards, head back along the B2220 and turn right into the first of these alleyways. Keep ahead across a lane into a driveway and continue the directions at [•] in the next section.

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7. Walton-on-the-Hill to Chussex Plain (2¼ km)
   Continue on the lane past St Peter's Church, heading south. At the end of the churchyard, turn left onto a driveway, then an enclosed footpath between houses leading to Walton Heath club house. Go across Deans Lane and continue on a footpath heading east to reach Dorking Road. Turn right and head south along the edge of a wooded part of Banstead Heath for 1 km.

   From the road junction head S along a lane, with the small green on your right. You soon pass the lychgate to St Peter's Church (note 12) on your left. At the end of the churchyard, where there are footpaths off to both sides (take care not to confuse with another footpath 40m ahead, with a more prominent sign), turn left into the driveway to several houses, heading E.

   [•] At the entrances to these houses, bear right to continue on a tarmac path between high wooden fences. This comes to a residential road (note 13) where you turn left and then immediately right onto a tarmac path alongside Nursery Close. The path bends to the left in front of Walton Heath club house (note 11) and comes out onto Deans Lane.

   Cross the road and continue on the footpath opposite, signposted to Dorking Road. Follow the path through some trees and keep to the left of the golf fairway. The path temporarily joins a driveway to several houses; keep ahead and take the potentially muddy path into the woods to the right of the last house, Emerald Place. At the end of the trees veer right onto the driveway to Walton House to come to the B2032, Dorking Road.

   Cross this busy road carefully and go between wooden barriers into the trees. Continue on this path, with the golf course always close by on your right, for 1 km. Eventually you reach the end of the wood and there is a large stretch of open heathland ahead, shown on the OS map as Chussex Plain (note 14).

   If you are doing the longer version of the Circular Walk, via Mogador, go to NO. 10.
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8. Chussex Plain to Dorking Road, Tadworth (2¼ km)
   Head north-west along The Gallops for 750m and turn left onto a footpath through a wooded part of the heath. In 500m, at the bottom of a dip, turn half-right to go up through a belt of trees and then a grassy slope onto a plateau. Go round to the left in a gentle arc, through a semi-open area and then some trees to Mill Road. Cross over and go along the left-hand side of a playing field to reach Dorking Road, with a choice of pubs.

   At the end of the trees on your left, turn left to head NE on a long straight path known as “The Gallops”. Continue in this direction for 750m, ignoring several major path crossings (though you could take a parallel grassy path on the right of the hedge if you wish). After a while the area to the left becomes more open, with several isolated large trees.

   50m before a three-way signpost, turn left onto a grassy path heading N across this open area (there is a yellow footpath marker on the right-hand side of the hedge at this path crossing). In 150m the path comes to a more heavily wooded area where you keep ahead on a wide grassy track between the birch trees.

   If this wide track is too muddy, you could take an unobtrusive path through the trees on the right, heading in much the same direction. In 200m this path comes out onto a wide track where you would bear half-right onto an earth track curving down to the left; the recommended route later joins from the left.

   200m down the wide grassy track, go across another wide track, slightly to the right, onto a narrower path. This veers right and meanders through a semi-open area for 150m before reaching a wide earth track (the alternative route). Turn left to go gently downhill on this potentially muddy track, heading N again. At the bottom of the slope the path comes to a set of path junctions, with a grassy part of the heath up ahead on your left.

   Fork right and then immediately left at the first path junction. In 25m keep ahead at a path crossing onto a path going uphill through a belt of trees, heading NE. Where this comes out onto a grassy area, keep ahead, still climbing, aiming for the left-hand edge of a line of trees up ahead. Continue in the same direction as you skirt these trees and reach a plateau, with the black-painted and sailless Tadworth Windmill poking out above the trees away to your left.

   You will get a closer look at the windmill from the route after lunch.

   The grassy path leads you towards a line of trees and gorse bushes 200m away. Do not go through a narrow gap directly ahead (20m to the left of a wooden bench), but instead veer left and go through a similar gap 30m further along. On the other side, keep ahead on a path heading N along the edge of an area of bracken and heather, with young trees on your left. Where the bracken ends and the path goes into some trees near another wooden bench, you can see Mill Road a short distance ahead, but turn half-left at a major path junction so as to reach it a little further along to the left.

   You should have come out onto Mill Road at its midpoint, opposite a playing field (half-hidden by trees). Turn left along the road for 30m and cross over at a signpost with two public footpaths heading away from the road.

   The left-hand footpath would take you directly to the alternative lunchtime pub, the Blue Anchor, in 200m.

   For the recommended lunchtime pub, take the right-hand path onto the playing field and turn left to walk along its left-hand edge towards Dorking Road, 150m away. The Dukes Head is in the row of houses opposite the playing field, while the Blue Anchor is just off to the left.
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9. Dorking Road, Tadworth to Mere Pond (1½ km)
   Go back across Mill Road and along the edge of the open plateau past Tadworth Windmill. Veer right to recross Dorking Road and continue on a bridleway through a wooded part of Banstead Heath to Mere Pond.

   From the Dukes Head, go back across the B2032 at the footpath sign pointing up the right-hand side of the playing field, but immediately turn right into a wooded area, on a path parallel to the road. Keep ahead at a footpath crossing, then turn left at a path T-junction opposite the Blue Anchor (from this pub, cross the B2032 and go directly onto this path, 20m to the right of the footpath sign). Follow the path out to Mill Road. Cross over and take the path opposite through more trees to return to the open part of Banstead Heath, this time at a corner.

   Take the grassy path heading SW alongside a tall hedge and trees guarding a large house. In 100m you pass Tadworth Windmill (note 15), not open to the public, at the corner of the property. Keep ahead, now with traces of some old enclosures behind the trees on your right. At the end of the trees, veer right and follow a permissive ride W back to the B2032.

   Cross this road carefully and take the bridleway opposite between wooden barriers into a wooded area, still heading W. In 75m you pass a bridleway signpost pointing ahead to Mere Pond. Make your way across a major path junction at a dip (which can be very muddy) and keep ahead up the other side. The path goes through a lightly wooded area and eventually comes to a clearing, where you can see the Blue Ball pub at the edge of the heath on Deans Lane. Head for the corner of the heath to the right of the pub and cross the B2220 carefully to Mere Pond opposite.

   To continue the Circular Walk, go to NO. 13.
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10. Chussex Plain to Mogador(1 km)
    Head south-east across the heath to find The Sportsman pub on a lane at its far corner.

    You can take any path across the heath to the far south-east corner; the grassy path heading straight on into a dip is the route taken by the Main Walk in the reverse direction.

    The suggested route is to go onto the open heath and fork right, initially staying close to the golf course on your right. Soon afterwards, however, take the wide grassy path moving gradually away to the left, cutting off a corner of the heath. After swinging round to the left to head SE the path passes an isolated birch tree with a wooden bench and heads directly for the far corner.

    At the corner of the heath bear right to go past wooden barriers onto a lane. The Sportsman pub is the first building on the left.
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11. Mogador to Mere Pond via Tadworth Windmill (3½ km)
    Head north across Banstead Heath. The first section is across semi-open heathland, then you climb slightly and go through a wooded part of the heath. After going down and across a dip you climb again to a large open plateau, with Tadworth Windmill visible near a corner of the heath. Pass to the left of the windmill and cross Dorking Road to enter a lightly wooded part of Banstead Heath. Head west across this to Mere Pond in the opposite corner.

    Turn right out of the pub to go onto the open part of Banstead Heath and head N, keeping close to the trees on your right. In 500m keep ahead at a footpath crossing. 250m further on, at a bridleway crossing, veer right with the main path through a wide gap in the trees. On the other side, fork left onto one of two grassy paths close to the trees on your left to continue heading N.

    In 300m, just after these two paths merge, fork left through a gap in the trees. On the other side, keep ahead up a slope, gradually moving away from the line of trees on your right. At the top of the slope go past a yellow footpath marker on the right-hand end of a tall hedge to cross a wide grassy path known as “The Gallops”, with a three-way signpost 50m away to your right.

    Continue on a grassy path across a part of the heath dotted with several large trees, still heading N. In 150m the path comes to a more heavily wooded area where you keep ahead on a wide grassy track between the birch trees.

    If this wide track is too muddy, you could take an unobtrusive path through the trees on the right, heading in much the same direction. In 200m this path comes out onto a wide track where you would bear half-right onto an earth track curving down to the left; the recommended route later joins from the left.

    200m down the wide grassy track, go across another wide track, slightly to the right, onto a narrower path. This veers right and meanders through a semi-open area for 150m before reaching a wide earth track (the alternative route). Turn left to go gently downhill on this potentially muddy track, heading N again. At the bottom of the slope the path leads to a set of path junctions, with a grassy part of the heath up ahead on your left.

    Keep ahead (slightly to the left) at this path junction to climb the grassy slope, with trees on your right. Near the top keep ahead through a belt of trees to come out onto a large open plateau. Continue on the grassy path, which curves slightly right towards a corner of the open area. At the second of two marker posts, 125m before the corner, you come to a path junction.

    If you want to divert to one of the pubs on the Dorking Road for refreshment, follow the directions below.

    • Detour to the Dukes Head (+500m)

    Keep ahead at the path junction. At the corner of the open area, ignore a path on the left going alongside the property towards a road junction, but bear left on a path through the trees to reach Mill Road a little way to the right of this junction. Cross the road and take the path into the trees opposite. This comes to Dorking Road opposite the Blue Anchor; for the Dukes Head, turn right at a path junction just before the main road to go parallel to the road for a short distance and onto a playing field, with the pub ahead on your left.

    After visiting the Dukes Head, turn right and go along the B2032 to the Blue Anchor. Just past this pub, turn right up a driveway, then veer left on a footpath leading to the B290, New Road. Cross the road and turn right. Just past the entrance to the house on the left, Hill Crest, veer left onto a path into the trees, initially heading SW. This path soon comes close to the bridleway taken on the main route and you can now simply veer left onto it and pick up the directions at [•] below.

    More adventurously, you could take any convenient path in much the same direction through this lightly wooded part of Banstead Heath to arrive at a clearing in the corner of the heath in about 750m, with the Blue Ball pub ahead on Deans Lane and Mere Pond across the B2220 on your right.

    To go directly to Mere Pond, turn left at the path junction, heading just to the left of the black-painted and sailless Tadworth Windmill (note 15)poking out above a line of trees. Go past the windmill on a permissive ride leading to the B2032, Dorking Road. Cross this busy road carefully and continue on the bridleway opposite, which soon bends left to head W.

    The most direct route to Mere Pond is along this bridleway, but it can be muddy. If so, just veer off to one side and take any route through the heath in much the same direction.

    [•] If you continue along the bridleway, ignore several path crossings. In 500m, after a short climb out of a dip, keep on the main path as it bears right. After a few more path crossings you reach a clearing with the Blue Ball pub to your left on Deans Lane. Head for the corner of the heath to the right of the pub. Café Chocolat is off to the left, along the B2220 (Walton Street). Cross this road carefully to Mere Pond opposite.

    If you want to take a direct route to Epsom Downs, go to NO. 13.
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12. Mere Pond to Epsom Downs Racecourse via Nohome Farm (4¼ km)
    Leave Mere Pond on a lane along the edge of a wood. At the end of 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 and follow this track 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. Take the tarmac path which climbs out of the valley and curves round to the right. Later, take a wide track on the left which leads to the back straight of Epsom Downs racecourse.

    With Mere Pond on your left, head N away from the main 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. Keep ahead through a 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.

    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.

    Go across the earth track used for exercising horses and keep ahead on a tarmac path (a public bridleway), heading NE. Later, this path 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 80m, just after a second break in the trees, fork left onto a path through the trees, heading NE. In 40m this path merges with a wider track from the left and you continue ahead in the same direction for 600m. At the top of a slight incline, you suddenly emerge onto the back straight of Epsom Downs racecourse, with fine views of west London ahead. Go across the racetrack onto Epsom Downs.

    To complete the walk, go to NO. 14.
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13. Mere Pond to Epsom Downs Racecourse direct (2½ km)
    Leave Mere Pond on a lane along the edge of a wood. At the end of the wood, bear right down a narrow path. At the bottom, keep ahead on a lane, then a bridleway between fields and houses. Where the houses end, keep ahead through a wood to reach Walton Downs. Climb up the slope to reach the back straight of Epsom Downs racecourse.

    With Mere Pond on your left, head N away from the main 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 path off to the right and then fork left at a Y-junction. In 50m, fork right at the next junction, by a board which used to contain information about horse riding. In 25m fork right again, soon passing a three-way signpost. Follow this bridleway through the wood towards Epsom Lane North for about 400m until it emerges onto Walton Downs.

    Cross over several tracks, including one used for exercising racehorses, onto a grassy path climbing up the downs, aiming for the right-hand edge of a line of trees. At the top of the slope you come to the back straight of Epsom Downs racecourse, with fine views of west London ahead. Go across the racetrack and through a car park onto Epsom Downs.
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14. Epsom Downs Racecourse to Tattenham Corner (1 km)
    Cross the racetrack and continue downhill to the other side of the course. Cross the B290 and turn right towards the Tattenham Corner Beefeater on Tattenham Crescent. Continue along the B290 and turn left into the other arm of Tattenham Crescent to find the station.

    Tattenham Corner Station is behind a prominent grassy knoll away to the right. If you want to head there directly, a path on the inside of the course will take you to a crossing point and out to a main road. A minor road curves round behind the knoll to the station.

    To go past some refreshment options on the way to the station, take the prominent track cutting across the course to the other side. There is usually a choice of refreshment stalls here, including the Downs Lunch Box 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, across Tattenham Crescent.

    To extend the walk and return from Epsom Downs Station, follow the directions at the end of this section.

    For Tattenham Corner Station, turn left out of the pub onto Tattenham Corner Road and follow it as it curves round to the right, alongside the racecourse (note 16). After crossing the stretch of track where the shorter races start, take a path on the left which cuts across the grass to meet the B2221 (the other arm of Tattenham Crescent). The station is on the other side of this road.

    • Finishing at Epsom Downs Station (+2 km)

      This route is not the shortest way to the station, but the most direct route is alongside some fairly busy roads.

      From the pub, go back through the car park past the back of the kiosk and cross Old London Road in front of you. On the other side, turn half-right onto a well-defined path heading NW from the roundabout across Epsom Downs golf course towards a gap in the trees. On the other side (with a view of the west London skyline ahead), continue across a road and follow the main track gently downhill for 500m as it slowly curves to the right and comes to another road.

      Cross the road and continue on a wide path, with stables on your left and the golf course on your right. In 500m this comes to the club house, with another main road ahead. Just before the road, turn right onto a permissive path on the edge of the golf course, with the road behind a hedge on your left. In about 200m, look for a gap in the hedge and cross the road carefully. You should have come out near a road sign to Epsom Downs Station, pointing down Bunbury Way. The station is at the end of this residential road, 600m away.
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