Filter 139 places and 128 upcoming events by where you are, what you fancy and what the weather is doing.
Photo: Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0Grassland and mixed woodland above Abinger Hammer, with oak trees more than 300 years old and clearly marked, fairly flat paths. Charles Darwin walked here in the 1870s, and a short trail covers the history from the Stone Age to his visits.
A hand-built adventure playground in the woods beside The Savill Garden, with treehouses, walkways, slides and giant acorns for children aged 2 to 12. Adults go in with the children, at least one for every four.
Photo: Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0A flint-walled Saxon and Norman church in the parkland of Albury Park, cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. Inside is a medieval wall painting of St Christopher and a richly decorated mortuary chapel remodelled by A W N Pugin for the Drummond family.
Photo: ogwen, CC BY-SA 3.0A National Nature Reserve of woodland in north-east Surrey looked after by the City of London, known for more than 2,300 ancient oak pollards. Their decaying wood is home to rare insects and fungi, and the common is a few minutes' walk from Ashtead station.
Photo: Richard Rogerson, CC BY-SA 2.0The largest of the four Banstead Commons at 760 acres, a mix of heath, acid grassland meadows and woodland looked after by the Banstead Commons Conservators. More than eight miles of bridle paths and rides cross it, and skylarks breed in the meadows.
A Local Nature Reserve of ancient woodland and chalk grassland that was a medieval royal deer park, enclosed in 1439. The woods are a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and a Narnia-themed nature trail leads through a wardrobe to a sculpture of Aslan.
The visitor centre for the Basingstoke Canal, run by Surrey County Council beside the towpath at Mytchett. It is a starting point for canal walks and cycle rides, with a play area, picnic spots, a cafe and, in normal water conditions, boat trips and boat hire.
Photo of Leatherhead: DimiTalen, CC0A family-run working farm on the A246 between Leatherhead and Fetcham, with animals to feed, racing pigs, tractor rides and large play areas indoors and out. Much of it is undercover, so it works in most weather.
Ancient commons recorded in the Domesday Book, with grassland plains, old oak woods and ponds. The London Natural History Society has surveyed its wildlife since 1941, making it one of the most closely studied sites in the country.
The free local history museum for Epsom and Ewell, in the first-floor gallery of Bourne Hall, a Grade II listed building open since 1970 above the headsprings of the Hogsmill. Displays run from prehistoric times to the present, including a permanent display on Nonsuch Palace.
Photo: BabelStone, CC BY-SA 3.0A Forestry England wood above a large heathland clearing south of Farnham, with views over the surrounding pine forest. It is one of the UK film industry's busiest locations and has been used for films, adverts and television since 1999.
Photo: Victor Ochieng, CC BY-SA 2.0A chalk hill on the North Downs with wide views over the Mole Valley and the Weald, ancient box woodland and chalk grassland. It is a popular start for waymarked walks, the North Downs Way and the Zig Zag Road cycle climb used in the 2012 Olympic road race.
A 59-hectare Local Nature Reserve of wet and dry heath, woodland, acid grassland and ponds, managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust. It sits at the corner of a large block of heathland that includes Colony Bog and the Pirbright and Bisley ranges.
A collection of more than 40 native British species, from harvest mice to red deer, kept in settings that reflect their natural habitats. Keeper talks every half hour are the best way to see the animals up close, including in the nocturnal house and observation badger sett.
Photo of Weybridge: David Howard, CC BY-SA 2.0An Elmbridge Council park on Sopwith Drive in Weybridge, with traditional and natural play areas, a skate park, BMX tracks and a multi-use court. It is in the same Brooklands area as Brooklands Museum and Mercedes-Benz World.
Photo: MartynDavies, CC BY-SA 3.0A museum of motoring and aviation on the site of the world's first purpose-built race track, spread over 32 acres in Weybridge. You can look round racing cars, motorcycles and an aircraft park, go inside Concorde on a guided tour, and visit the London Bus Museum on the same ticket.
The largest cemetery in the UK, opened in 1852 by the London Necropolis Company, and now a Grade I listed park and garden open daily to visitors. Next to it is the Brookwood American Cemetery, cared for by the American Battle Monuments Commission, with a staffed visitor building.
Photo: Alan Hunt, CC BY-SA 2.0A council green space of meadows, woodland and ponds beside the Basingstoke Canal at Knaphill. A surfaced 1.4km loop makes it an easy walk, and the towpath leads on for longer outings.
Photo: Jack1956, CC BY-SA 4.0A council-run theatre in central Camberley with a mixed programme of family shows, music tribute nights, comedy, dance and talks. Its Christmas show for 2026 is The Wizard of Oz, from 10 to 31 December.
About 180 acres of council-run meadow, wetland and woodland bordered by the Thames and the River Bourne. It is popular with families and dog walkers, with a play area built around a boat called the Maid of the Meads.
The borough museum for Runnymede, in an 1810 town house in the centre of Chertsey, open since 1965. Six display spaces cover local archaeology, Chertsey Abbey, art and social history, and the museum cares for the Olive Matthews Collection of Dress and Textiles.
Photo: AndyScott, CC BY-SA 4.0The remains of more than 100 buildings from a gunpowder works that once filled the Tillingbourne valley, now a peaceful woodland walk and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Leaflets at the entrances explain the history.
An indoor and outdoor play farm near Chobham with soft play, outdoor adventure equipment and an animal barn. It opened in 2016 and keeps 14 kinds of animal, from harvest mice to bulls, with daily meet and greets.
Photo: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0One of the largest National Nature Reserves in south-east England, 574 hectares of lowland heath between Chobham and Longcross. Surrey County Council owns it and Surrey Wildlife Trust manages the conservation, with cattle grazing to keep the heath open.
