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Holmbury Hill

2.80 miles (4.5 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap Climb to the 856 feet (261 m) summit of Holmbury Hill on this circular walk in the Surrey Hills. The hill is the fourth highest point in the county and commands wonderful views over the surrounding area.
The walk starts in the village of Holmbury St Mary, next to the church. You then pick up the Greensand Way and follow it through Hurt Wood to the hill summit where you will find an Iron Age hillfort and great views over the Weald of Sussex.  You descend on more good woodland trails, returning you to the village. The area is also good for mountain bikers with a number of bridleways through Hurt Wood to try.
If you'd like to continue your walking in the area then you could head east and climb the nearby Leith Hill, the highest point on the Greensand Ridge. Around here you'll also find the expansive Abinger Common and Holmwood Common with miles of good trails to try.
If you head west you can climb Pitch Hill and explore the expansive Hurt Wood and Winterfold Forest.

Holmbury Hill OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Holmbury Hill Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

Back in the village of Holmbury St Mary you can enjoy refreshments in the Royal Oak. There's a very nice, large outdoor seating area to relax in during the summer months here. It's a quintessentially British country pub; with open fires, home-cooked food, on site brewery and a warm welcome. You can find it at Felday Glade with postcode RH5 6PF for your sat navs.
There's also the King's Head on Pitland Street (postcode: RH5 6NP). Here you'll find log fires, pub grub, real ales and another nice garden to sit out in.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The circular Friday Street Walk can be picked up on nearby Abinger Common. It explores the pretty Friday Street Mill Pond and the 17th century Wotton House Estate before heading to the Tillingbourne Waterfall on the River Tillingbourne.

Photos

Holmbury Hill Fort - geograph.org.uk - 1504038

Holmbury Hill Fort

Descending Holmbury Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1094245

Descending Holmbury Hill. One of the bridleways going downhill, northwards. The sandy surface is lined with rhododendrons, birches and pines.

Holmbury Hill Viewpoint, Surrey - geograph.org.uk - 30484

Holmbury Hill Viewpoint. A fine vantage point from one of the main tops in the Surrey Hills. Views as far as the South Downs under good conditions. A Hurtwood information board is shown here.

Holmbury Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1093483

On the crest of the steep south-west facing hillside at about 850 feet amsl. Bracken, rhododendrons and gorse cover the hilltop. Birch and pines are common around the hilltop.

Holmbury Hill - geograph.org.uk - 101733

 A rare pond on top of the mainly dry Greensand Ridge.

Holmbury Hill - geograph.org.uk - 793258

Walkers on the hill top enjoying the views

Protection Measures at the Hill Fort, Holmbury Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1317403

Protection Measures at the Hill Fort. This used to be the start of a mountain bike trail. Unfortunately it was causing erosion to the ditch system around the Iron Age Hill Fort, which is a Scheduled Monument. The tree trunks are in place to prevent access, and the mountain bike trail has now been moved.

The Greensand Way at Holmbury Hill - geograph.org.uk - 1279498

View along the Greensand Way, where it runs along the southern edge of the Fort (Scheduled Monument) at the top of Holmbury Hill.

GPS Files

GPX File

Holmbury Hill.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)

Memory Map Route

Holmbury Hill.mmo (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold >Download Linked File)