Places to visit in Surrey

You’ll enjoy breathing in the fresh country air amid the greenery of Albury Park. Built for Henry Howard, later 6th Duke of Norfolk, these historic gardens encompass a 17th-century terrace and wooded grounds spanning as far as the eye can see. To one side of the Grade II-listed Tudor-Gothic house with lofty chimneys, velvety lawns run down to the Tillingbourne stream, crossed by a wooden bridge. Bucolic bliss.

Stop for an early lunch at The Drummond at Albury, a gastro pub with rooms in the Surrey Hills. The menu excels in dishes that are perfect for sharing, such as baked Somerset camembert with roast garlic crumb and onion marmalade, or tempura courgette fries. Did someone say pudding?

A winning combination of lakes, lawns and the cathedral-like Glasshouse at RHS Garden Wisley at Woking make this the RHS’ flagship garden. Home to some of the largest plant collections in the world (yes, really) this 97-hectare (240-acre) planting extravaganza provides seasonal inspiration, from the rose garden to the purple-hued Wisteria Walk. After a browse of the Garden Centre and the World Food Garden, a demo-cafe area set with edible flowers, slide by the RHS Wisley Café.

Keep the relaxation going with some down time at Foxhills Country Club, a 30-minute drive away. This 160-hectare (400-acre) country estate, with a creeper-clad Victorian mansion house at its core, has three outdoor pools and two indoor pools, a Finnish-style sauna and treatments including the signature Foxhills Fusion, blending a melting candle massage with a glow-giving facial. We’re in.

Contrasting with the period country piles that Surrey is known for, The Runnymede on Thames is a contemporary four-star stay. Rooms feature botanical-inspired wallpapers and soothing shades of duck-egg blue, with balconies overlooking the River Thames. Come morning, you can hire a boat to nose at the posh houses that line this stretch of the river, but tonight, dine in style at Brasserie32, overlooking the lock or the informal Market Kitchen.

Explore the former home of Tudor bad boy, Henry VIII, who lived here with his many wives and children. Hampton Court Palace keeps your attention with its impressive Great Hall hung with biblical tapestries. The vast kitchens used to produce more than 800 meals a day, back in the day…

The glamorous former home of Lord Beaverbrook, ex-Daily Express newspaper supremo, Grade II-listed Beaverbrook has hosted everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Ian Fleming. Choosing where to lunch is difficult, thanks to a choice of nine venues. The romantic Italianate gardens are matched by the informal Garden House, one of the best restaurants in Surrey. Fill your boots on burrata or saddle of lamb with pistachio pesto.

Denbies Wine Estate – the UK's largest vineyard – runs daily wine tasting tours on the hour between 11am and 4pm, so visitors can learn about the process. Celebrate nosing around the cellars lined with stainless steel tanks and oak barrels with a glass of Denbies fizz. Choo-chose to add on the 50-minute Outdoor Vineyard Train Tour for South Downs views across the sprawling estate’s rows of grape varieties. Cheers!

Quite rightly designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the late 1950s, the Surrey Hills National Landscape is a landscape of undulating woods and valleys. Part of the North Downs, Box Hill is a local beauty spot. There are multiple walking routes – The Box Hill hike is an 8-mile (13km) circular walk covering much of the Box Hill estate with some steep climbs. Your reward:  the views and villages with welcoming pubs along the way of this special Surrey Hills Walk.

Get back to nature via an outdoor cookery course or foraging walk, firmly focussed on ethical, seasonal and local produce, with We Are the Salt Box. At the Priory Farm Estate near Redhill, immerse yourself in gathering a selection of wild ingredients, culminating in a locally inspired feast to end the day.