The Route
Starting from Starveall Corner car park on the Coldharbour road, this circular route heads south-east through mixed woodland to the summit of Leith Hill (294 metres above sea level). With Richard Hull's tower adding another 19 metres, the total height exceeds 1,000 feet – the traditional benchmark for a hill in southern England. Hull built the tower in 1765 and was buried beneath it, upside down, so that on Judgement Day he would rise facing the right way.
From the tower, the walk descends south-west through beech and oak woodland, following sandy tracks down to the hamlet of Friday Street. This tiny settlement sits around a mill pond backed by Stephen Langton's inn – named after the Archbishop of Canterbury who helped draft Magna Carta. The return leg climbs back through the Greensand ridge, crossing heathland and pine forest before looping back to the start.
What You'll See
The views from the tower on a clear day reach south to the English Channel and north across London. The surrounding woodland is part of the largest continuous block of deciduous forest remaining in south-east England. Bluebells carpet the ground in late April. Roe deer, woodpeckers, and nuthatches are common, and the damp valleys support ferns and mosses in abundance.
Friday Street is one of Surrey's most photographed spots. The mill pond, surrounded by trees and a scattering of cottages, has a timeless quality. In autumn, the reflections of beech and oak in the dark water are particularly fine.
Getting There
Starveall Corner is off the road between Coldharbour and Abinger Common. The car park is free but small and fills early on weekends. Alternatively, start from Holmbury St Mary or Coldharbour village. No direct rail access, but Dorking station is roughly 5 miles north. The paths can be muddy in winter – the Greensand geology holds water – so boots are recommended year-round.
