Box Hill | panoramic view, National Trust property (UK)

 hill, panoramic view, National Trust property (UK)

 Upload a photo

Box Hill is a well known beauty spot in the North Downs of Surrey, England, close to the southern outskirts of London, overlooking Dorking to the south-west and London to the north. An important passage of Jane Austen's novel Emma is set at Box Hill as it was a popular outing for the wealthy around that time.

There is a small village of the same name about 1.5 km to the east. Confusingly, Box Hill School is located in the village of Mickleham about 1.5 km to the north.

The hill is named after the box trees which can be found on its steep southern and western flanks especially around the "Whites", chalk cliffs cut by the River Mole.

A country park, owned by the National Trust, now helps to clean and clear Box Hill and the Pilgrims' Way long distance footpath runs about 1 km to the south.

At the "top" of the hill there is a car-park and the viewpoints referred to above. However, this 180 degree view cut by the River Mole is not actually the true summit of the hill. To the east the ridge ascends and most of the village of Box Hill is higher, at an altitude of around 200m. The Ordnance Survey mark a spot height of 224m at the radio mast at TQ20405175.

At the bottom of the hill on the A24 is a car park, with Ryka's cafe, which is frequented by motorcyclists all year round.

A Major Peter Labellière is buried on the hill just west of the viewpoint at Burfoot slope. He was buried (on June 17, 1800) head downwards, and according to some sources he reasoned for this by saying "the world is topsy turvy, and I'll be the right way in the end"; other sources indicate that he merely wished to emulate the example of St. Peter, who was apocryphally (in the Acts of Peter) crucified upside down.

To see a selection of photographs of Box Hill, look at www.pbase.com/john_cooper/box_hill