Come and explore Horsell Common in Surrey, the other-wordly woodland walk with a very special walled woodland garden. And all of this just an hour from London!
Horsell Common is part of the scenic Surrey countryside, located near Woking just about an hour from London. After passing through Woking on the train a few times, I decided to research the area to see what was about.
I’m so glad I did. Horsell Common is a very special place.
Horsell Common, Surrey.
Horsell Common is a gorgeous green space. And when I say space, I’m talking plenty of it. About 900 acres or so. It’s not just vast, it’s diverse. This corner of Surrey is made up of heathland, woodlands and meadows.
Horsell Common is also home to a pretty unique feature: the Sandpit. Sometimes called Horsell Common’s ‘hidden beach’, the Sandpit is a sandy bank on the edge of a large pond in the centre of the common.
Surrounded by woodland, the Sandpit is atmospheric, other-worldly. So much so that this place inspired H.G Wells when he was writing The War of the Worlds. This is the spot that inspired the Martians landing spot. More on this and the H.G Wells- Woking connection here.
Is Horsell Common a Good Place for Walking?
This is a wonderful place for walking. For all abilities, with or without a four legged friend.
You can just wander, or follow one of mapped walks of varying length and difficulty. The Bedser Trail, a 1.2 km easy access circular route with no steep gradients. I read that the Bedser Trail was created in honour of two local lads with the work being carried out entirely by volunteers to give better access to nature for all. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?
Being such a rich and diverse landscape, there’s plenty of flora & fauna to spot. Several rare species of butterfly have been spotted here and it’s also home to lots of birdlife alongside foxes and deer.
Horsell Common: Dog Friendly?
Horsell Common is very dog friendly. Four legged friends of all shapes and sizes and lots of chatty, friendly humans with them. Plenty of space to roam and sniff and plenty of bins too.
The Heather Farm Cafe
We rounded off the dog walk with coffee and cake at the onsite Heather Farm Cafe. It advertises itself as ‘dog friendly’ so we knew we’d be alright to take The Little Wolf along. But let me tell you; this place has elevated dog friendly to a whole new, tail wagging level.
Ample seating, sensibly distanced from each other. Quieter areas fenced from the hustle and bustle of the cafe, perfect for anxious dogs. A basket of towels to give pooch a rub down or a wrap up, with separate baskets for clean and dirty. Individual water dishes to fill and take to your table.
And, the cherry on the cake, they sell dog sausages. A cooked to order meaty treat.
Oh, it’s a lovely place for humans too. Lovely coffee, delicious selection of cakes and staffed by a very warm and welcoming bunch. Highly recommend if you’re in the area.
The Horsell Common Peace Garden
The Horsell Common Peace Garden ia a beautiful and tranquil spot. A walled garden tucked away in the woodland, within the walls lies an Islamic garden reimagined for the English countryside. Not just a garden, though.
The Peace Garden was originally the Woking Muslim Military Cemetery, opened in 1917 to refute German propaganda claiming that Indian soldiers were not being buried in accordance with religious rites.
By the 1960’s, due to vandalism, the bodies were exhumed and reinterred in nearby Brookwood Military Cemetery.
After a period of neglect the burial ground was listed and restored, redesigned to reflect and honour its original purpose, including a memorial to the soldiers originally buried here.
The restored walls, the gilded dome the gates, the water features and places to pause all come together to create a beautiful space.
How to Get to Horsell Common.
Parking for Horsell Common can be found adjacent to the Heather Farm Cafe. If using a sat nav , use Chobham Rd GU21 4XY.
Nearest parking for the Peace Garden is Monument Rd, GU21 5LW. No dogs allowed in the Peace Garden.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like to read about Walking the Runnymede Memorial Trail, Surrey
Helen x
Worth getting a dog just to enjoy the towelling room, the doggie sausages and the superior welcome, and I’m sure The Wolf was in dog heaven there. Sounds a great place for walking and taking in something different, I’m glad you posted about this place.
Thanks Mari, it’s always nice to go somewhere dogs are fully accepted rather than just tolerated. Especially when you are the owner of a big vocal one!
Dog sausages? I had no idea such an item existed, but my ears pricked up and my tail wagged at the mention of cake, Helen.
Cake is always a winner! Not actually sure what makes the dog sausages, they just looked and smelled like Cumberlands. Got The Wolf to behave for ten minutes anyway!
Gorgeous Helen, somewhere else for me to visit! We’ve just spent a few days in lovely Surrey but didn’t find our way to Horsell Common,hopefully next time!
Definitely worth a visit, Marion. I can imagine both the common and the Peace Garden to be beautiful in Spring. Surrey is such a beautiful county.
Itās always good to find somewhere different to walk, isnāt it? This looks lovely.
Definitely! I’m lucky to have some lovely local walks close to home but I feel like I explored them all thoroughly in lockdown. A bit of variety is welcome.
Your January recharge sounds amazing! Itās so beneficial to take time to focus on your health and well-being.
Absolutely! It’s definitely got the year off to a strong start. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment.
Wow! It looks absolutely stunning! I would love to go someday. š
It really is a beautiful place to spend some time outdoors, and we all need a bit of that sometimes.
Great post! If I’m ever in Surrey, I’ll have to check it out.
It’s definitely worth a visit. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment, much appreciated!
What a lovely place for long walks. I loved the picture at the top of the post, with the boardwalk. Makes me dream of all the places it can take me. I’ll keep this in mind when I plan a trip to that side of the world.
Thank you, it really is a lovely place. I hope you make it to these parts one day š
Lovely place. I like the idea of the towel and sausage for the dog. It is so great they try to accommodate for both dog and human āŗļø.
Not heard of either place but they look well worth a visit. Coffee and cake and a winter walk, all sounds perfect to me.
Honestly, I sometimes only agree to walks because they then justify the coffee and cake routine! It’s always nice to get out and find somewhere new.