Woods, trees and kayaks
Walk Reigate Hill and Margery Woods, Go Ape up in the trees at Alice Holt, climb at Craggy Island and play the lovely parkland course at Reigate Hill Golf Club. Enjoy 40 rides and 1000 animals at Chessington World of Adventures, cuddle cute rabbits at Bockett’s Farm, and kayak, canoe or windsurf at the Aqua Sports Company.
Country kids
It’s all going on at Chessington World of Adventures, with over 40 rides and attractions and 1000 animals to meet. Make other animal friends at Godstone Family Farm, along with farm trail, courtyard kitchen and play areas. Or watch the pig race, ride the tractor and trailer, cuddle cute rabbits and feed the baby animals at Bockett’s Farm.
Go underground and visit the caves that riddle the town centre. Take to the treetops and negotiate barrel crawls, rickety bridges and loads more at Skywalk Adventure. Or learn water sports such as dinghy sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking, canoeing and windsurfing at the Aqua Sports Company.
Shoot the lightweight, manoeuvrable Fortnite guns at Go Laser Tag London. Catch the latest releases at Odeon in Epsom or Everyman in Reigate. Get a soft-play fix at Once Upon a Time (the kids too). Paint your own pottery at Happy Glaze Ceramics. Or take crazy golf to a whole new level at Jungle Island Adventure Golf.
Spend an afternoon burning off energy at Priory Park, with its lakes, tennis courts, football pitches, multisport courts, skatepark, playground and picnic area. Solve mystery treasure trails at Reigate and Box Hill. Or head down to bustling, breezy Brighton to climb the British Airways i360 or enjoy the arcades and side shows of the Palace Pier.
For the grown ups
Reigate’s so close to London, and yet a world away. If you’re new to The Smoke and its myriad treasures, there’s a direct train that takes just half an hour. If you’d rather explore the Surrey Hills, read on. In fact, kick off with a stiff walk over Reigate Hill and Gatton Park, with sweeping views out across the Weald.
Enjoy more scenery at Margery Woods and Colley Hill, with bluebells in spring and golden leaves in autumn. Take in views of the South Downs from the summit. Visit Outwood Windmill, so old that its owners watched the Great Fire of London from the roof – yet it can still grind corn.
Up the pace and Go Ape at Alice Holt, with a treetop view of the South Downs from super-high platforms. Go caving, bouldering and climbing at Craggy Island. Pay and play the parkland course at Reigate Hill Golf Club. Shoot clay pigeons at Merstham. Or beat the clock at Tulley’s Escape Rooms.
Museums? Discover an Egyptian mummy at the Haslemere Educational Museum, Surrey’s rural past at the Rural Life Centre, and the world’s first motor-racing circuit at Brooklands Museum. Head out at night to downtown Crawley, for cocktails at the Medusa Bar and Octopus.
Happy hens (and stags)
If you’ve always fancied being Lord or Lady of the Manor, here’s your chance. Get the gang together for a hen or stag weekend, take a pre-prandial stroll around the seven-acre grounds, sip gin on the terrace, book a chef and butler and lord it up relaxing in front of the cavernous oak fireplace.
Of course, staying at Crown Manor isn’t all about the Insta shots, fabulous though they’ll be. There’s plenty entertainment on site, including the games room, tennis, outdoor games, snooker, croquet, football nets, basketball and board games. And you can make it a movie night streaming Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Away from base, head out to Denbie’s Wine Estate for an indoor or outdoor tour with a little tasting tacked onto the end. Wow your pals by making delectable drinks on a cocktail-making masterclass at Gin Kitchen. Or refresh your mind and body with thermal experiences, pools, hot tubs and a treatment or two at Foxhills Spa.
Take a day trip to Brighton to ride the British Airways i360, enjoy cheeky fun on the pier and make a night of it at Alcotraz Cell Block 1-3: become a criminal mastermind and smuggle illegal contraband into Brighton’s only prison-themed speakeasy bar. Boogie on down to Maggie Mae’s or sink a ‘tail or two in The Plotting Parlour.
