Capel loops circular walk

Contents

About the walk

An enjoyable walk in two sections, making it ideal for a lunchtime stop in Capel village. Walk through farmland and woodland, with beautiful wildflowers in the spring. There are good views to Leith Hill and the North Downs.

Route details

  • Start and end address: Memorial Hall carpark, Mortimer Road
  • Carpark postcode: RH5 5JY
  • Difficulty: moderate terrain
  • Distance: 5.5 miles, 9 kilometres (or 4 miles, 6.8 kilometres if walking only the first loop)
  • Type of walk: circular in two loops
  • Approximate time: 1.5 hours (first loop) 3 hours (both loops)
  • Accessibility: Several kissing gates, 17 stiles in total on both loops
  • Facilities: The Crown Pub is at the start with a petrol station and shop opposite.
  • Ordnance Survey Map: Explorer 146 Dorking, Box Hill and Reigate

Getting there

By car: There is free parking at the Memorial Hall, just off Mortimer Road very close to the Street where the walk starts. There is also some street parking on The Street and Vicarage Lane. Please park with respect for local residents.

By bus: Metrobus 93 serves Capel village. There is a bus stop on Vicarage Lane. Take a look at Surrey bus timetables for more detail.

Points of Interest

Misbrooks Green was Capel's first cricket ground and matches were played here over a hundred years ago. The Parish Council acquired the manorial rights and now manages the green.

Capel Village Hall was built at the turn of the century as a church hall. After the Second World War it was purchased and extended as a memorial to the villagers who had served in the war and it reopened as the Capel Memorial Hall in 1956.

The Charlotte Broadwood flats were converted from the old hospital built in 1884 by the Broadwood family for the benefit of local people.

Walk directions

This walk follows public footpaths and bridleways which cross private and public land. If you come across a problem on a public right of way, please notify us on our online fault reporting form.

For any feedback on this walk email us: countryside.bookings@surreycc.gov.uk.

Stages from start point through to end of walk

Please follow the Countryside Code.

The numbers of each stage of the walk correspond with the points shown on the map.

Start to 1. Vicarage Lane bus stop to village end stile

The walk starts from the Vicarage Lane bus stop on The Street, directly outside St. John the Baptist Church. Standing on the pavement by the petrol station facing the church opposite, turn right and follow The Street heading north. Pass the Memorial Hall on your right and continue ahead for 530 metres to the end of the village. 60 metres after the end of the last garden on the right you will find a stile on the right.

Stage 1. Village end stile to Misbrooks Green Road

Cross the stile and then keep left on the fenced footpath which runs around the left-hand edge of the field. The path leads you to a footbridge with stiles at each end. Cross this and walk along the fenced grass track between fields. Cross the next stile and walk straight ahead for just a few metres to reach a signpost indicating a crossroads of paths. Go straight ahead on the path which follows a hedge on the left. The open area on the right is known as Misbrooks Green. Continue ahead and you will come to a T-junction with the road, Misbrooks Green Road.

Stage 2. Misbrooks Green Road to Greens Farm

Cross the road and turn left to walk along the grass verge. Take care of traffic at the point that the verge narrows. Immediately after the entrance drive for Broomells Farm, turn right through the kissing gate to enter a field. Cross straight over the centre of the field to reach the stile on the opposite boundary. Cross this and walk straight ahead over the next field. At the far side pass through the kissing gate to enter woodland. Follow the obvious path through the woodland. At the edge of the woods, a stile and footbridge leads you out to the corner of a field. Keep straight ahead for 220 metres following the tree line on the right. 50 metres before the end of the field look for a telecommunications mast set within the trees on the right. As you draw level with this turn left and cross the field to reach a hidden stile at the far side. The stile leads you out to a T-junction with the road. Turn right and walk along the grass verge for 40 metres then turn right into the entrance track for Greens Farm.

Stage 3. Greens Farm to gate on left

Pass through the gap to the right of the entrance gate and then keep straight ahead for 280 metres ignoring any side tracks. As the woodland on the right ends you will see footpaths marked both left and right. Turn right through the kissing gate to enter the large field. Keep straight ahead following the right-hand boundary. As you reach the far boundary marked by a line of trees keep ahead across the little wooden bridge and, a few paces later, turn right through the metal kissing gate. The woodland path leads you over another little wooden bridge and then angles left to continue for 100 metres. Note: Dogs should be kept under control as there are pheasant hatcheries in this area.

At the crossroads with a stone track go straight ahead and follow this path downhill to reach another little wooden bridge. Immediately after this bridge cross the stile ahead to enter a field. Walk straight ahead along the left-hand field boundary. In the top left corner of this first field you will find a gate on the left alongside a disused stile.

Stage 4. Gate on left to footbridge

Turn left through the gate and then turn immediately right to follow the right-hand boundary of this next field. At the end of the field cross the stile and walk straight ahead for a few metres to reach a T-junction with a track. Turn left along this track which leads you out to a T-junction with the road alongside Mizbrook Farm. Cross over and turn left walking along the grass verge taking care of traffic. After 130 metres turn right along the track signed as a public footpath to Mizbrook Yard. Walk straight ahead along the entrance drive using the stile if the gate is locked. Just before you reach the property gates ahead, turn left through the staggered barrier to join a narrow path with a stream on the right and a fenced field on the left. Continue to the end of the fields and the path now runs alongside garden fences on the left. 25 metres later turn right across a footbridge.

Stage 5. Footbridge to Charlotte Broadwood flats

You will arrive at the corner of the recreation ground, walk diagonally across the centre of the playing field. In the far corner walk alongside the vehicle barrier to reach the car park for Capel Memorial Hall. Walk ahead to reach the main road, The Street and turn left along this. You will soon reach the church on the right marking the end of the first loop of this walk. To continue with the full walk turn left along Vicarage Lane. After 150 metres you will come to a large square stone building on the left, these are the Charlotte Broadwood flats.

Stage 6. Charlotte Broadwood flats to Dairy House nature reserve

Turn right to cross the stile into a pasture. Walk diagonally left passing through a gap in the wire and post fence. Walk ahead to go through a small wooden gate at the far side and the metal gate immediately afterwards. Follow the path bending sharply to the left then right, passing buildings on the left-hand side. Pass through the metal gate ahead into a paddock and continue following the line of the hedge on the right. Note: Take care of the electric fencing here. Go through the next gate and continue along the right-hand edge of this second paddock. In the top corner you will come to a stile. Do not cross this, instead turn left along the top edge of the paddock. In the field corner you will find a metal gate ahead. Turn right and climb over the stile alongside the gate to enter Dairy House nature reserve.

Stage 7. Dairy House nature reserve to entrance drive

Turn left and follow the path through the trees. Cross the stile into a pasture and walk diagonally right to reach a stile in the corner. Go over the stile and follow the woodland path which leads you over a little wooden bridge. Turn left and then follow the path right to cross a second little bridge. Now keep ahead on the path through the pretty woodland. The path will lead you to an old metal gate with a stile alongside and a very large oak tree ahead. Go over the stile and cross the paddock directly ahead towards the house to reach a stile set within the hedge opposite. Cross the stile and turn right along the road, Temple Lane, for 90 metres. Where the road bends left turn right along the entrance track for Hatchlands Cottage, signed as a bridleway.

Stage 8. Entrance drive to crop field corner

Walk straight ahead along the entrance track heading for the cottage. Stay on the track passing to the left of the cottage and then leading you into woodland. Walk straight ahead on the main track and at the far end pass through the gateway to reach the edge of a large crop field. Turn left along the sandy track which runs along the left-hand boundary. After 300 metres you will reach a signpost, turn right here continuing along the field edge. 100 metres later at a second signpost, turn left through a small wooden gate and follow the path through the woodland. At the end of the woodland you will walk through a gateway to reach the corner of a large crop field.

Stage 9. Crop field corner to brow of hill

Walk straight ahead along the grass track with a large crop field on the left and a fence and ditch on the right. The track leads you past a house on your left, Pleystowe Farm. 30 metres later turn right through a gateway or stile and follow the grass path along the field edge with a hedge on the left. At the field corner keep straight ahead on the path which leads into woodland. Go down the slope, cross the footbridge and then follow the main waymarked path through Strood Copse ignoring any paths left and right. Cross the next little wooden bridge and stile and follow the path which leads you uphill with a line of trees on the right. At the top of the hill you will come to a signed crossroads of paths.

Stage 10. Brow of hill to Vicarage Lane bus stop

Turn right at the path crossroads passing a bench on the left and continue downhill with a hedge on the left. Pass through the kissing gate and keep straight ahead following a fenced field on the left. At the end of the field turn left to join the enclosed path which leads you steadily downhill. At the bottom of the slope pass through the kissing gate and walk ahead over the footbridge. You will arrive at the corner of the village green. Walk ahead along the right-hand edge of the green passing the pond on the left. At the road turn right along the pavement. You will come to the bus stop outside the church where the walk began and now ends.

Map

The map shows the walk from the start at Vicarage Lane bus stop to Misbrooks Green Road through farmland to Greens Farm. It then goes around the edge of Green's Copse, past Mizbrooks farm to Charlotte Broadwood Flats. The second loop goes through Dairy House Nature Reserve to the entrance drive to Hatchlands cottage. Then through Hatchland Copse to crop field corner, past Pleystowe farmhouse to brow of hill and then back to Vicarage Lane where the walk ends. Select the map of the route below to open a more detailed version in a new window that can be printed if necessary, using your browser print tool. Alternatively you can save the image to your mobile device for reference on your walk.

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