Events

Pre-Christmas walk from Belmont School

6th December 2025, 10:30 - 13:00

Pre-Christmas walk for all the family from Belmont School to Holmbury Hill

Saturday 6 December 2025

Meet at 10am for 10.30am start – finish at 1pm

Join our President, Chris Howard to enjoy our traditional pre-Christmas walk to the summit of Holmbury Hill. It has become a tradition that the Society does this walk at the beginning of December. Many of our members tell us it gets them into the festive mood for the coming season.

This is a slightly more challenging walk as we have a steep hill to climb to get to the summit of the ancient hill fort at Holmbury Hill, but we will do it at a leisurely pace.

We classify this walk as Moderate. This walk will take about an hour and a half (3.5 mile) and has several strenuous hills so only fully fit walkers should attempt it. Please wear suitable clothing and footwear.

At 857 feet (261 meters) Holmbury Hill is he fourth highest point in Surrey. On a clear day, you can see across the Weald to the South Downs. Holmbury Hill forms part of the Greensands Ridge, a line of sandstone hills stretching from Haslemere to Reigate. The nearby village of Holmbury St Mary was a favourite of Gerard Manley Hopkins and other Victorian writers.

Belmont School has recently been taken over by The Sand Academies Trust. Unfortunately we will not be able to gain access to the interior but we will enjoy mulled wine and mince pies at the front of the building.

Belmont is an impressive Arts & Crafts building created for Edwin Waterhouse – one of the founders of the now international consultancy firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers. The architect was George T Redmayne. The builders, Messrs Wall & Hook of Stroud, Gloucestershire, had just completed the building of the magnificent church in Holmbury St Mary in 1878.

Well behaved dogs are welcome but this walk is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

Cost to Members: £3.00 and Non-members: £5.00 which includes mulled wine and a mince pie.

Deadline for booking 4 December 2025

Any enquiries please contact us at info@surreyhillssociety.org.

By continuing and making a booking you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to the Terms & Conditions specified in our Cancellation Policy and Responsibility Statement, both of which can be viewed by clicking here