National Trust - Reigate Hill and Gatton Park

The views from Reigate Hill are genuinely worth the climb. On a clear day, you can see right across the Weald - Surrey spreading out beneath you in layers of green. The National Trust manages both the hill itself and the adjoining Gatton Park, so you're essentially getting two separate experiences from one visit.

Reigate Hill is the proper walking destination. The paths wind through beech woodland, and if you're prepared for a bit of huffing and puffing, you'll reach the top where an old fort sits quietly doing very little except providing a focal point for photos. It takes most people forty minutes to an hour up, depending on fitness and how often you stop to catch your breath. Kids generally manage it fine - the path's clear enough, and there's something satisfying about reaching the summit that keeps them motivated.

Gatton Park is different - flatter, more formal gardens and parkland, the sort of place you wander round at a gentle pace rather than stride through. The house itself isn't always open, so check before you go.

Both are free to access, which is brilliant. The nearest town, Redhill, sits just a few miles away, making this easy to slot into a broader Surrey Hills visit. If you're staying at one of the caravan parks nearby - Alderstead Heath is closest at under three miles - you can tackle Reigate Hill as a morning outing without any faffing about with car drives.

It's not dramatic or unusual, but it's proper Surrey countryside done well. Go on a weekday if you can; weekends draw families by the bus load.