Newlands Corner with its panoramic views

Newlands Corner, with its panoramic views, is a popular beauty spot situated in the heart of the Surrey Hills Area of Natural Beauty. Owned by the Albury Estate and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust, there are grass slopes, chalk downland and woodland to explore. Newlands Corner is only 4 miles from Guildford Town and offers probably the best views in Surrey across the Weald to the ridge of the South Downs.

Newlands Corner was the first place we headed to after the first lockdown ended last year when these photos were taken. Although we’d been able to take advantage of the nice weather in the garden, to have such an expanse of green space following such a long period at home was heaven! It almost felt like we had Newlands Corner to ourselves too. There’s no need to walk very far to take in the panoramic views and on a clear day they are simply breathtaking. Newlands Corner is a popular beauty spot so it’s worthwhile arriving early, that way you can enjoy one of the walks and leave before it gets busier. Here are a few ideas of what you can do while you’re there.

Go for a walk

Newlands Corner is an excellent starting point for a walk whether it be a family-friendly wander or a longer waymarked trail to take in some of the magnificent scenery. Routes include the Newlands Corner circular route (3 miles) which offers superb views and takes you past the Silent Pool – the pretty spring-fed lake. North Downs Way National Trail, which is a 153-mile trail that runs from Farnham to Dover and passes through the Surrey Hills. The Silent Pool and St Martha’s Hill walk (6 miles) takes you along part of this route. If you head to Silent Pool at the bottom of the North Downs, make sure you visit the Silent Pool Gin Distillery.

Other trails from the Surrey Wildlife Trust (waymarked with coloured discs) include the Deer Trail (45 minutes/white) which mostly passes through woodland, the Butterfly Trail (1 hour/green) which includes Albury Downs and the Ox Trail (3 hours/purple) which passes across varied landscapes. There’s also a geology Fossil Trail (5 miles) which was created by the Surrey RIGS Group. A booklet about this trail and information on the other walks can be found at the Newlands Corner Visitor Centre.

Explore the woodland

There’s nothing better than blowing away the cobwebs and there’s ample space at Newlands Corner to do exactly that – 250 acres in fact. If you don’t fancy a hike, there are shorter routes to take across the grass slopes and into the woods. There you will find winding paths, opportunities for den building and plenty of trees to climb.

Have a picnic

Newlands Corner is an ideal destination for a picnic and just enjoying the great outdoors. We’ve taken ball games with us before and have been known to purchase a sneaky ice-cream from the small on-site cafe on-site or cake from the nearby Plucky Pheasant.

Take in the panoramic views

Finally, why not just relax, breathe in deeply and take in the beauty of nature at its very best. The panoramic views at Newlands Corner really are superb. We still wonder why crime writer Agatha Christie staged her 1926 disappearance at Newlands Corner, feared drowned at the Silent Pool, only to be discovered in Harrogate 11 days later.

To discover more places to visit near Newlands Corner, check out this post with 25 places to see in and around Guildford. Do you have any favourite places to visit in the area?