It has long been popular with those seeking tranquillity on London’s doorstep, with beautiful countryside, inspiring views and attractive market towns and villages. The diverse and unspoilt area provides a strong draw for cyclists, mountain bikers and horse riders.

The hills stretch across a quarter of Surrey, from Farnham in the west along to Guildford, Dorking, Reigate and on to Oxted in the east. The scenery incorporates the sandy open heathland of Frensham Common on the Hampshire border, the Hogs Back in Guildford and the chalk landscape over towards the border with Kent. To the south is the undulating woodland of the Greensand Ridge, which forms part of the Weald, and rises to the highest point in Surrey, Leith Hill, a well-known beauty spot with an 18th century tower. On a clear day, it’s said you can see 13 counties from the top. Leith Hill, together with Holmbury Hill and Box Hill, form the Surrey Three Peak Challenge, a 23-mile route.  


Village life in the Surrey Hills

There is a wealth of picturesque villages within the Surrey Hills – including quintessential Peaslake at its heart, which has an active community centred around the village store as well as a well-regarded pub, the Hurtwood Inn. Nearby Holmbury St Mary is considered one of Surrey’s prettiest villages, with its church, green, duck pond, village hall and pubs including The Royal Oak. Abinger Hammer, in the Vale of Holmesdale between the market towns of Dorking and Guildford, is particularly attractive, with the River Tillingbourne flowing through the village, and The Abinger Hatch pub. There are numerous exceptional pubs in the vicinity, other highlights including The Gomshall Mill in Gomshall and The Grantley Arms in Wonersh.  

The area attracts a range of buyers, particularly downsizers looking for peace and tranquillity while remaining well connected via the A25, and families upsizing locally or coming out from London for a countryside lifestyle and the excellent schools. These include Cranleigh School, Cranmore School, Duke of Kent School, St Catherine’s in Bramley and Longacre in Shamley Green.  


House prices in the Surrey Hills

Prices vary widely depending on the property type but the average sale price in the Surrey Hills National Landscape is £953,000, which represents a 49% increase over the county average of £639,000. Despite prices softening very slightly over the last year, both the Surrey Hills and the wider county have seen prices increase by around 20 per cent over the last five years.  

The top 10 highest value parishes that fall within the Surrey Hills all have an average sale price of more than £1m.