Nower Wood Educational Nature Reserve - Visitors by appointment only

Getting into Nower Wood requires a bit of forward planning - it's strictly by appointment, so you can't just rock up and wander in. That's the trade-off for having a proper educational nature reserve rather than a trampled-over tourist spot. Once you're in, you get something fairly rare: managed woodland that's actually being studied and cared for, not just left to its own devices.

The reserve sits just outside Box Hill, which means it slots neatly into a broader Surrey Hills walk if you're staying at one of the nearby parks like Merrywood Park or Surrey Hills Park. The woodland itself is the draw - mature trees, a decent variety of flora and fauna, and the kind of quiet you don't get from managed tourist attractions. It's ideal for anyone with a genuine interest in conservation or ecology. Families with older kids who aren't going to lose patience after twenty minutes will find it worthwhile, though younger children might find it a bit slow.

You'll want to contact them in advance to book your visit and find out current opening arrangements and any costs - details aren't widely publicised, which is typical for smaller educational reserves. Allow a couple of hours to do it justice, longer if you're keen on spotting specific species. It's the sort of place that rewards slow walking and observation rather than ticking boxes. Being appointment-only keeps numbers down and the woodland feeling genuinely wild. Not for everyone, but proper value if conservation interests you.