Beech Hill

At 260 metres, Beech Hill doesn't exactly rank among England's most dramatic summits. But that's rather the point. This is a proper Surrey walk - gentle enough for families who've had enough of the flat stuff, but legitimate enough to feel like you've actually achieved something once you're up there.

The hill itself is wooded, which means the views aren't the jaw-dropping panoramas you'd get elsewhere. You get glimpses rather than vistas, which some find frustrating and others (me included) find rather lovely. The beech trees are the real draw - old, substantial things that make you feel like you're walking through something with actual age to it. The path is well-trodden and manageable year-round, though it gets muddy in winter like everything else in the Home Counties.

This works best if you're not coming here expecting drama. Walkers building up stamina will find it useful; families with younger kids can manage the ascent without complaints. History types won't find much - it's the woodland itself that matters. Allow an hour for the main walk, more if you dawdle.

Geographically, Beech Hill sits between Woking and the deeper Surrey hills, making it a decent warm-up if you're basing yourself at Warren Farm Home Park or one of the other residential parks in the area. It's the sort of walk you do on a Tuesday morning when the weather's fine, not the sort you plan a weekend around. That said, if you're staying locally and want a straightforward, undramatic stretch of your legs, it delivers.