Many of you will be aware that the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) has adjacent land designated as Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLV).  In essence, these are parts of Surrey which fell outside the AONB boundary when the original map was created but which are widely considered to have equivalent importance and contribute to the overall landscape quality of the Surrey Hills.

For many years, there have been initiatives to revisit this topic with the desire to see more of the AGLV incorporated in the AONB and hence provide it with greater protection.  One of the greatest stumbling blocks has always been the complexity of a formal review and the need for Natural England (and its predecessors) to allocate significant resources to such a review.  This was exacerbated by the fact that no AONB boundary reviews had taken place elsewhere and hence they had no model for the task.

Natural England finally bit the bullet of a review of another AONB in Suffolk and promised that Surrey would be next on the list once they had completed Suffolk as a pilot.  The Suffolk review is now complete and there has been a widespread expectation that the Surrey Hills review would now commence – with the AONB Board and others publicly commenting on that expectation.  However, continuing a saga which has continued for well over a decade, Natural England is continuing to hold back from initiating this review.

The current explanations are that the Glover Review on the future of National Parks and AONBs means that more work is needed on following through on those recommendations – and Government has been tardy in actually responding to the Review and progressing it.  They also claim that although they are still supportive, they cannot progress until DEFRA provide them with the funding and resource to implement it.

Needless to say, the AONB Board and many other groups are becoming exceeding frustrated by this prevarication.  At the recent AONB Board meeting, Members reiterated that there was an urgent need to review the AONB Boundary and agreed to support Natural England on a new streamlined procedure for AONB designation. The Chairman of the AONB Board has written various letters to Natural England’s Chief Executive and others at a similar level and has had discussions with Glover and various local MPs.  Claire Coutinho, MP for Tandridge, has taken up the issue on our behalf and other MPs such as Jeremy Hunt have become involved.

There is a feeling that the only way that this boundary review will be progressed in a timely manner is if the pressure for it is continued and shown to be widespread.   At the recent AONB Board meeting there was agreement that all groups, and individuals who were in a position to do so, should add their weight to the case being presented to Natural England and also direct to DEFRA.  

For our part, the SHS Chairman has written to the Chief Executive of Natural England emphasising how important SHS believes this review to be. 

The Society has also been approached by CPRE to ask our members to support a petition that has been started by them.  Whilst the Society normally avoids getting involved with planning matters – which are the remit of the AONB Planning Adviser and the local councils – in this case, the topic is of such wide interest and of importance to people right across the county, we feel that we should make you aware of the petiton so that you may act accordingly. The link is https://www.change.org/SurreyHillsAONB  

As a Society, we feel strongly that much of the AGLV land should be incorporated within the AONB and that the review should be expedited so that the uncertainty can be removed.  We will be playing our part in trying to achieve this.

Green hatched area = AONB Blue hatched area = AGLV

Map of Existing AONB and AGLV from Surrey Interactive Map   http://surreymaps.surreycc.gov.uk/public/viewer.asp

Surrey Hills Society

Here are a selection of images taken on today’s most enjoyable walk organised by our Vice President, Chris Howard. With 21 of us, Chris organised 3 separate groups who all set off in different directions . We heard all about George Frederick Watts, his wife Mary how the Watts Gallery Artists’ Village has evolved over the years.

After our leisurely Sunday stroll in he sunshine, some of us then popped into the Tea Room. You are right Chris, this is a fascinating little Surrey Hills treasure.

The first in our month of guided walks in conjunction with Guildford Walkfest.  Perfect weather, a great group of walkers and an interesting 4 mile route around Ripley village.  Papercourt Lake, along the River Wey navigations passing Newark Abbey, to the weir near Dunsborough Park and back to the village green where the cricket match was about to start.  How quintessentially English is that! 

Everyone said how much they enjoyed their walk today. There are still some places available on some of our Walkfest walks during September, so why not come and join us – all you have to do is book online.

Diane Cooper

Today sees the start of the Guildford Walkfest and the Surrey Hills Society are leading 11 of the walks during September as part of the Festival.

There are still some places available so why not see what walks are available on our Events page and book your place now.

Apart from the free walk on the first Sunday of the month (2^nd August) this was the Society’s first event since we locked down on the 11^th March, so literally 5 months. 

There were two timed starts for this event to enable social distancing.  We were warmly greeted by Hilary Goodridge who had organised a plant sale with a variety of shrubs and bushes grown in the garden and Michael Goodridge who was the official car parking attendant.

They have lived at the property for 32 years and have, over time, (and with advice and practical help from a knowledgeable gardener) turned what was an unkempt garden into a thing of beauty.  Hilary is now experienced enough to run the garden with two part time gardeners who have expertise in different areas and Michael is in charge of daily maintenance and grass cutting.

The garden is split into different areas with pathways, arches and carefully crafted walkways taking you to the various sections.

The part nearest the house is mainly planted with white flowering plants and the borders around the edge of the garden are filled with perennials and carefully selected interesting florae.

There is a large vegetable cage hidden behind some hedging and an archway that leads to a particularly serene area with views of the surrounding countryside and a lovely sizeable pond surrounded by boxed hedging with roses.

The plants for sale were very reasonably priced so a few of those will be residing in my garden shortly, and the visit was concluded with a coffee at The Snooty Fox, a café nearby.

It was good to be out and about again with friends in the Surrey Hills Society.

Sall Baring

For many of us holidays by the sea whether abroad or here in the UK have become a regular annual fixture on our calendar. There is something rather special about being close to water – the sight, the smell and the sound – whether walking on the beach, swimming in the sea or simply drinking a glass of rose at a beachside taverna.

But life this year, as we are all too aware, is sadly rather different. Many of us feel that holidays abroad pose too much of a gamble and are just too stressful to contemplate.  At the same time, we have perhaps been deterred from going to the coast in England following the horrific scenes at south coast beaches during the June heatwave and the likelihood of a frosty welcome from locals when going further afield. 

Perhaps it is time to think about being closer to home and seeing what the Surrey Hills has to offer.  We may not have the sea, but we do have a wonderful variety of rivers, ponds, canals and lakes right on our doorstep. Even this poses a dilemma however, as overcrowding, destruction of natural habitats and safety issues are a real cause for concern. Overcrowding at popular places such as Frensham Ponds, a spate of recent deaths from diving from bridges or swimming in rivers, along with concerns about disturbing wildlife when embarking on the increasingly popular wild swimming, are just a few of the hazards. 

There are, however, plenty of interesting waterside places to visit and activities to enjoy that while not being the perfect substitute for a week by the sea may go some way to providing enjoyment this summer.

Swimming is often synonymous with holidays. One hidden gem is Buckland Park Lake between Dorking and Reigate; a recently created venue offering 50 acres of open water swimming in a beautiful setting. Like most sites it was forced to close again due to Covid, but has now reopened with the usual post lockdown rules in force and a strict on-line booking system.

Messing about on the water offers more adventure, perhaps canoeing, sailing or kayaking, but for something more peaceful, take a look at one of the many video clips of travelling by narrow boat to see why it has to be one of the most relaxing staycations. Boating on the River Wey, one of England’s oldest navigation systems, dating back from 1653, has always been popular. It can however get far too busy sadly and the weir in Guildford being washed away by the winter floods has not helped matters.  One option perhaps is to go upstream from Byfleet, passing through three locks, Pyrford, Newark and Papercourt, although this is probably far more enjoyable out of season. While the towpath around Guildford and other populated areas gets too congested, the footpaths that run close to the upper reaches of the Wey around Tilford or Elstead can offer wonderful countryside and a more peaceful environment.

Since lockdown began one of life’s great pleasures for many of us has been the sound of birdsong. Whoever thought birdsong apps, such as birdgenie or warblr, would become so popular, and along with them birdwatching. Along the riverbank a host of native species and visitors can be spotted, including warblers, wagtails, dunnocks, and terns and if you are lucky, the elusive kingfisher.

Other lovely river walks include the Tillingbourne Valley Trail, and the parts of the River Mole avoiding the Stepping Stones at the foot of Box Hill, which has become far too crowded and is impossible for social distancing. And for anyone hooked on fishing there are plenty of options apart from local rivers, including the Tillingbourne Trout Farm, Rushmore Fishing Lakes, near Farnham and the Old Quarry Lake in Betchworth.

Finally, worth considering are the many local nature reserves such as Nutfield Marsh, near Bletchingley, Riverside Park, Guildford and Ripley Nature Reserve.  They all support a variety of wetland wildlife and with good footpaths and boardwalks make for interesting and easy walking.

There is so much more, but in planning our staycation, we should also think about supporting local independent businesses,  farm shops, pubs, craft and coffee shops and consider visits to favourite beauty spots in the early evening when the crowds have gone. And as for that glass of rose, we have of course a wonderful choice with our award-winning local vineyards.

According to the BBC, last year a group of friends got lost in a forest on a dark, wet night. They had planned a five-mile circular stroll through the 4,900 acre (2,000 hectare) woodland Hamsterley Forest, in County Durham, on a Sunday evening, but after three hours they were hopelessly lost.

“We were in a field and had no idea where we were”. At 22:30 they found a spot with phone signal and dialled 999. One of the first things the call-handler told them to do was download the what3words app.

Within a minute of its download, the police said they knew where the group was and the soaked and freezing walkers were swiftly found by the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team.

Well, the expanses of the Surrey Hills may not be as large and featureless as the Hamsterley Forest but things can still go wrong.  For example, a medical incident such as a fall with a broken leg or coming across an early stage heathland fire and needing to raise the alarm.

The basis of what3words is that the smartphone app has the entire country (and overseas) divided into 3m x 3m squares with a set of three random words associated with each one.  So by using the app, a specific location can be defined very exactly.  This is far more use than postcodes which in rural areas are large diffuse areas or, indeed, totally misleading.

Apart from the emergency incidents outlined above, what3words can also help you to find a route to your destination.  More and more mapping tools are including this feature within their software.  For this reason, Surrey Hills Society will, where possible, now be including a what3words location within the details of events to help you find the meeting point.

If you don’t already have the app on your smartphone, download it and have a play.  As a bit of practice for you, see if you can identify this location: ///beside.bunny.since

If you have problems, a glass of wine or a stiff gin might help you.  Or if you prefer food, how about a bit of cheese or a good curry.  You can get all of these within a few metres of this location.

During the last few months, there has been a renewed focus on the benefits of being outdoors.  Of course, this is something that all of us connected with the Surrey Hills have known for some considerable time.   Last year, the advisory panel to the Surrey Hills Trust Fund decided that one of its key objectives would be to promote the important role that the AONB can play in promoting health and well-being for all ages.  However, we recognised that, whilst the Trust Fund could provide seed funding for certain projects, the best approach would be to work in partnership with other charitable funds.  It quickly became clear that to obtain this support we had to provide evidence-based research that demonstrated the need in Surrey, the way in which the need could be met and the barriers that existed.

Last November, we organised the Surrey Hills Symposium in conjunction with the University of Surrey.  The theme was “Our Natural Health Service” and as part of the event we highlighted the research that had been commissioned by the Surrey Hills Trust Fund in conjunction with L C Energy and the University.  This excellent report by Genevieve Lebus is entitled “Into the Wild”.  It runs to nearly 100 pages and can be seen online here. Because this is such a wide topic we decided to focus initially on young disadvantaged groups, whilst recognising that immersion in nature can benefit all ages.

Some of the facts that emerged as a result of the research truly startled us all.  It is very easy as you drive down the leafy lanes of Surrey or walk in the beautiful countryside to be totally unaware of the real deprivation that exists on our doorstep.  The chart below contains some of the most disturbing statistics:

The average Surrey worker earns an income 22% higher than the national average, but thirteen neighbourhoods still fall into the 20% most deprived areas of the UK. 

The report not only identified the need but went on to review the evidence, showing the impact that exposure to the countryside can have on mental and physical well-being.  It was no surprise that the clear conclusion was that there are multiple advantages of engaging with the natural world. In addition to the physiological benefits of encouraging physical activity and boosting immune response, natural environments are successful in moderating the symptoms of low mental well-being. Nature’s restorative qualities significantly reduce feelings of stress or mental fatigue and allow people to escape the pressures of daily life. The outdoors also provides the opportunity for quiet reflection, as well as exercise, social group or educational/skills sessions that boost self-esteem and confidence. Furthermore, nature helps build resilience through encouraging young people to engage with an unpredictable environment in which they have to assess risk, make independent decisions and learn to adapt to their surroundings.  Perhaps one of the most telling conclusions was that early intervention makes a huge difference to mental health in the longer term – encouraging young people out into the countryside can truly change their lives!

Of course, different people have very different needs and it was very clear from the research that it is impossible to adopt a ‘one size fits all’ approach.  It is encouraging that there are a huge number of Surrey based organisations that are focussed on trying to meet some of the need identified, but there are some significant barriers that also exist. One of the main problems is the lack of education. Most people seem unaware of the benefits that nature can provide, or the negative consequences of departing from it. This has led to parent restrictions, societal rules, a blind acceptance of a technological way of life, and even a fear of the outdoors. It is clear that greater awareness is needed to highlight the importance of engaging with nature and hopefully incorporate it into mainstream culture.

In addition, another key barrier emphasised by local organisations was a lack of funding into relevant projects and interventions. Money is required to pay for equipment, volunteers and transport to help facilitate access to nature and to take young, disadvantaged people outside. Funding would allow organisations to expand and reach more of those who need help.

As a result of this research the Surrey Hills Trust fund is now working with the Surrey Hills AONB Board to develop a campaign that will promote the therapeutic benefits of activities in the Surrey Hills. Genevieve Lebus is assisting with the redesign of the Surrey Hills AONB website and we are starting by helping to fund certain youth groups to participate in a representative range of activities that will be videoed and widely promoted as part of a comprehensive communications plan.  The Fund will then make grants to assist with the funding of disadvantaged children, who wish to go on the courses.  However, the most important ambition is that, having started on this path, we can persuade other charitable funds to partner with us so as to expand the scheme and to make a real difference to young lives.