CountrysideSurrey4.7
Denbies Hillside is a sweep of chalk escarpment on the North Downs above Dorking, named after John Denby, a 17th-century farmer, and looking south towards Leith Hill, the highest point in south-east England. With Ranmore Common, White Down and Hackhurst Downs it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, where grazing keeps the herb-rich turf short for adonis blue and chalkhill blue butterflies and the rare silver-spotted skipper, and wild orchids flower in the warmer months. Concrete pillboxes built in 1940 to defend London line the North Downs Way to the west, and Steer's Field, through a gate from the car park, makes a good picnic spot. Reviewers enjoy the open views over Dorking to the Leith Hill tower. One tip from visitors: there are no toilets, but a coffee van sometimes calls at the car park. The Trust's Ranmore West to Wotton Hatch pub walk crosses the downs. Well-controlled dogs are welcome, on leads where livestock graze.
Open chalk downland; the NT page publishes no opening calendar or set hours for Denbies Hillside.
Level parking at the Denbies Hillside and Ranmore West car parks. Paths are well maintained but naturally uneven, muddy and slippery after wet weather, with steep ascents and descents, stiles and gates.
Open downland, free to everyone. Parking charges for non-members apply separately.
£9 all day
National Trust Denbies Hillside car park on Ranmore Common Road, on the left where the road levels out at the top of the hill (JustPark location ID 80557). Free for NT members. Non-members: £2 up to 1 hour, £4 up to 2 hours, £6 up to 4 hours, £9 all day, validated at the machine or on the JustPark app. There is no phone signal, so set up the app before the visit. No overnight parking or camping. The NT Ranmore West car park, RH5 6SY, further west on the same road, starts the Wotton Hatch walk.
Driving pin: Google's Denbies Hillside parking-lot listing on Ranmore Common Road (51.2411934, -0.36617), matching NT's road directions and about 100 m from the RH5 6SR postcode centroid; the attraction listing is within 10 m. The NT page coordinate (51.2404, -0.3611) is on the hillside, not the car park.
Enter this code in JustPark to pay, or at the machine. Members park free after checking in.
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No toilets are listed on the NT page. Dog waste bins are just outside the Denbies Hillside car park.
Photo: Chalk grassland on Denbies Hillside with the view south over the Surrey Hills. Benjamin Rusholme, CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Denbies_hillside_-_panoramio.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
Dogs at the location: Allowed. Well-controlled dogs are welcome, on leads where livestock are grazing; dog waste bins by the car park.
Dog walks in the grounds: Allowed. Dogs are welcome across the NT countryside here, on a lead in fields with livestock and around horses.
Leads: On a lead where livestock graze and around horses.
Seasonal dog restrictions: The Surrey Hills dog page asks owners to look out for restricted dog-walking areas between 1 March and 31 August, particularly on heathland, for ground-nesting birds.
Starts at Ranmore West National Trust car park, RH5 6SY (members free, non-members pay). Moderate, 5.3 miles (8.5 km), about 2 hours 30 minutes, across Denbies Hillside and Ranmore Common via the North Downs Way; naturally uneven paths, slippery after rain, some steep ascents and descents and several gates. Toilets and refreshments at Westcott village (not NT).
Read moreShow lessChecked 2026-09-23