Foundation Stone E S H

The Foundation Stone E S H sits just outside Redhill, a modest but genuinely interesting piece of Surrey's industrial past. This is where the Edenbridge, Southborough and Hartfield Railway once stood - a Victorian line that connected communities across the Weald before being swallowed up by the bigger railway networks. What remains is the original foundation stone, a tangible reminder of 19th-century engineering ambition on a smaller scale.

It's not going to keep you occupied for hours. You'll walk up, read the inscription, take a photo, and move on. But that's rather the point. History isn't always about grand monuments and paid entry fees - sometimes it's about noticing the bones of what came before, especially on a country walk through the Surrey Hills.

If you're staying at Alderstead Heath Caravan and Motorhome Club Campsite or any of the other parks dotted around the area, this makes a decent addition to a ramble rather than a destination in itself. Pair it with a proper walk across Surrey Hills National Landscape, which is just five miles away, and you've got a proper day out. The surrounding countryside is worth far more of your time than the stone itself, but it's worth knowing it's there. Free, obviously, and accessible whenever you fancy it. Go on a clear day when the views across the Weald are worth having, not on a grey afternoon when you'll wonder why you bothered.