Escaping the City: Walking the Mole Gap Trail
An accessible countryside walk from London through woodland, riverside paths and the Surrey Hills!
Living in London can sometimes make nature feel distant or difficult to access, particularly without a car or a large budget. The Mole Gap Trail is a good reminder that some of the best countryside walks are still relatively close to the city and accessible entirely by public transport. Stretching between Leatherhead and Dorking through the Surrey Hills, the trail offers a mix of woodland, open countryside, riverside paths and farmland, all within an hour of central London.
Yesterday I did the walk myself, starting with the train from Waterloo to Leatherhead which only took 45 minutes. A return ticket cost around £14, making it a relatively affordable day out from London if you want to spend some time outdoors without travelling too far.
After arriving in Leatherhead, I walked through the town centre before joining the trail. One of the best things about the Mole Gap Trail is the variety of landscapes you pass through across the route. Throughout the walk you move between open fields, shaded woodland paths, riverside sections and quieter residential areas, so the scenery changes constantly and the route never really feels repetitive.
There is also a large amount of farmland surrounding the trail, meaning you regularly pass cows, sheep and horses throughout the walk. At points, the trail opens up into wider views across the Surrey Hills before narrowing back into tree-covered paths following the River Mole.
As I went during the heatwave, it was extremely hot for most of the day, but much of the trail is sheltered by trees which made the walk far more manageable than expected. The combination of woodland and riverside sections also meant there was a noticeable amount of wildlife throughout the route. I spotted dragonflies hovering above the riverbanks, butterflies moving through the fields and bees almost constantly along the wildflowers lining parts of the trail.
Around the midway point of the trail, I took a small detour to visit the local skipping rocks spot by the river to cool down, dip my feet in the water and grab an iced coffee before finishing the trail. After walking for hours in the heat, it ended up being one of the best parts of the day! I highly recommend going as its only a 15 minute detour off the trail and after hours of walking in the heat, it was the perfect place to cool down for a while and take a break by the river.
My favourite part of the trip was towards the end of the trail in which you walk through Denbies Wine Estate, the largest vineyard in the UK, which forms part of the trail and is open to the public. The vineyard stretches across the hillsides near Dorking and completely changes the atmosphere of the walk. After spending most of the route moving through woodland and farmland, arriving at the vineyard felt unexpectedly open and Mediterranean in parts, particularly in the heat.
The Mole Gap Trail is around 6.5 miles depending on the route taken and works well as both a casual countryside walk and a longer hiking route. What makes it stand out is the variety packed into a relatively short distance, from woodland and riverside paths to vineyards, farmland and open hills. For anyone in London looking for an affordable and accessible way to spend more time outdoors, it’s definitely a route worth doing.
