
Dorking
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The best of Dorking

This pretty patch of green just outside London is nowhere near as hyped as the Cotswolds, but the Surrey Hills are gorgeous (officially: they’re an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Get to know it with a visit to Dorking, a Georgian market town with bags of independent spirit, and Box Hill, the peak immortalised by Jane Austen in ‘Emma’ that also featured as a cycling route in the 2012 Olympics. Best of all? With loads of trains heading out of the city, a spontaneous, low-effort day out is totally doable. RECOMMENDED: Explore more things to do nearby in Surrey, Kent and Hampshire