There are plenty of things to do in Surrey and Woodlands Park Hotel is well located to explore this county’s gems from its thriving market towns and picture postcard villages, to its ancient woodland and glorious gardens.
Surrey is one of the seven home counties that surround London and shares borders with Kent to the east, East Sussex to the southeast, West Sussex to the south, Hampshire to the west and southwest and Berkshire to the northwest.
The county town is Guildford, and is less than a 30-minute drive from Woodlands Park Hotel. A haven for shoppers and performing art lovers alike, it is a beautiful destination too, with its quaint cobbled high street, period buildings and the River Wey at its heart. However, there is more to offer in Surrey than this and Woodlands Park Hotel is perfectly placed for a weekend getaway.
For those of you who prefer arts and crafts to big names in fashion, a visit to the charming market town of Dorking is a must-do. Surrounded by outstanding countryside its historic streets are a joy to wonder around as you discover its various boutiques, art galleries, antique centres, jewellers and eclectic vintage shops.
For similar reasons Leatherhead is well worth a visit, too. It is also the gateway to the nationally important and beautiful Surrey Hills, which includes Box Hill now made famous from the London 2012 Olympic road cycle race. In fact, this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is renowned for its variety of on and off-road routes attracting cyclists far-and-wide, and it also a great destination for walkers.
Covering one quarter of the county it is rich in wildlife, woodland and quintessentially English villages too, with their red-bricked cottages, cosy pubs and village greens – Mickleham, Abinger Hammer and Betchworth are all good examples. It is also home to The Sculpture Park, which boasts ten acres of arboretum and wildlife inhabited water gardens filled with over 800 sculptures – all for sale.
Those with an interest in British Royal history should pay a visit to Hampton Court Palace, once the residence to Henry VIII and one of only two of his palaces still intact today. With stunning furnishings and tapestries, it also contains an important part of the largest private collection of art in the world. Its 60 acres of formal gardens are worth exploring as well, although you may favour Wisley, the historic home of the RHS and undoubtedly one of the finest gardens in the world. It is also just a 15-minute drive from our hotel.
Finally, you might want to combine your visit to Woodlands Park with a spot of racing action. Both Sandown Park and Kempton Park racecourse – which have played host to the some of the UK’s most famous contents in horse racing history – are less than 12 miles away. Who knows? You may even get lucky and win a few quid.
With so much to experience in Surrey, why not start planning your stay at Woodlands Park now? Book here.
