Quick guide and location map
In the heart of the Surrey Hills National Landscape, near Guildford, this beauty spot has something for everyone all year round.
Quick guide
- Address and references: Albury Downs, Guildford, Surrey GU4 8SE
What3Words: just.renew.assure
Location grid reference: TQ044493 - Type of site: ancient woodland, chalk downland and views
- Accessibility: easy access trail, accessible benches and accessible toilets
- Facilities: toilets, cafe and Discovery Centre open 9am to 4pm (weather dependent), water fountain
- Nature to discover: birds, reptiles, butterflies. Bluebells in spring
- Dogs: please keep your dog under control
- Size: 103 hectares (250 acres)
Location map
On the map below, use the plus symbol to zoom in to see the locations of the site's facilities, including the café, toilets and car parks. Zoom out using the minus symbol to view where the site is situated in Surrey, and to find other countryside sites nearby. The home symbol resets the map to the default setting.
The Newlands Corner site stretches from White Lane across the Albury Downs and has two cafés with toilets, one near the Discovery Centre and viewpoint, with the What3Words reference: dared.brief.acute, and the other café on the opposite side of the Shere Road, with the What3Words reference: game.tells.cared. There are many footpaths, including from the two free car parks:
- Albury Downs main car park, GU4 8SE
- White Lane car park, GU5 9BQ.
Site details
Description
This Surrey flagship site has been a well-known and much-loved space for public use for many years situated above Chilworth and Albury villages outside Guildford. It is right in the heart of the Surrey Hills National Landscape, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with many viewpoints and benches, facilities, large areas of woodland, some of them ancient, and chalk downland on the lower grassy slopes.
Please take care of our countryside and open spaces by following the Countryside Code.
What you can do here
- Varied walking and cycling trails
- Easy Access Acorn trail
- Wildlife watching in our Wildlife Garden
- Multiple viewpoints across the site
- Woodland natural playtrail
- Enjoy large areas of open space
- Dog walking, under effective control
- Family adventure and picnics
- Long distance walks to Silent Pool to the east and St Martha's Hill and Norman church to the west
- Learn more about Surrey's countryside in the Discovery Centre
- Yew Tree Boardwalk to view ancient yew trees
- Permanent and signed orienteering course. Visit the Guildford Orienteers website for a map of the course
Self-guided walking routes
There are three trails with signposts to guide you at Newlands Corner, they are known as the Deer trail, the Dormouse trail and the Acorn trail. There is also a Yew Tree Boardwalk signposted off to the right of the Acorn and Dormouse trails.
The Acorn trail is wheelchair/buggy accessible and has some benches located along its 700m length for restpoints. Follow the colour coded routes on the information boards in each car park and the signposts along the way.
Silent Pool and St Martha's self-guided trail starts nearby and goes through Newlands Corner. This is the same route as the Deer trail which starts at Newlands Corner.
What you can see here and when
- At any time of year enjoy multiple viewpoints all around Newlands Corner with picnic benches and seats
- Great views to the Tillingbourne Valley and beyond to the Greensand Ridge and the South Downs
- Bluebells in spring and glorious autumn colours
- Unspoilt areas of woodland, some of it designated as ancient woodland. Look out for ancient yew trees as Newlands is home to one of the oldest groves of Yew Trees in Europe! There is now a boardwalk available to view these trees.
- North Downs Way National Trail runs right through Newlands
- Nature to discover: an abundance of birds and some mammals can be seen throughout the year. Spend some time at the Wildlife Garden which is always alive with wildlife. Butterflies can also be spotted on sunny days in late spring and throughout the summer. Browse the Surrey Wildlife Trust Wildlife Explorer to find out more about the wildlife that can be seen in Surrey
Accessibility
- Accessible parking spaces in car park
- Accessible picnic benches
- Accessible toilet facilities opened with a RADAR key
- Easy access trail with benches, approximately 700m in length. This is the Acorn trail which starts behind the toilet block
- There are many public footpaths and bridleways available, but some of them are steep and sometimes slippery on the chalk surface
Facilities
- Large free car park (no parking allowed overnight)
- Café with a serving hatch offers food, drinks and ice cream, open 9am to 4pm (weather dependent)
- Water fountain located near the Wildlife Garden
- Toilets are open during the café's opening hours, from 9am to 4pm, but the disabled toilet is available outside of these hours with a RADAR key
- Many picnic benches around the Discovery Centre and there are memorial seats located at the many viewpoints
- Natural play trail in the woodland behind the Discovery Centre
- The Discovery Centre provides inter-active information on Surrey's countryside with videos, graphic walls and website access. This is open when the cafe is open
- Permanent Orienteering course run by Guildford Orienteers
- Bus route 25 from Guildford every 90 to 120 minutes approximately
- Plucky Pheasant café is opposite the entrance
Self-guided trails
There are three self-guided routes at Newlands Corner, the Deer, Dormouse and easy access Acorn trails.
Take a photo of the information board in the car park before setting off and follow the colour coded routes and signposts along the way.
The Deer self-guided trail – 6 mile, 3 hour walk
The Deer trail takes in Newlands Corner, St Martha's Hill and Silent Pool with wonderful views at many points. You can extend your walk by visiting the village of Albury or some of the local food and drink producers
around Silent Pool.
The Dormouse self-guided trail – 2 mile, 1 hour walk
The Dormouse circular trail takes you through peaceful woodland and onto the open chalk grassland meadow of Albury Downs. There are no gates but two steep slopes.
The Acorn self-guided trail – 1 mile, 30 minute walk
Follow the easy access Acorn trail through the woodland. This mostly level trail has an accessible surface with benches along the route to rest and take in the sounds of nature.
Site management, contact and designations
Site management
We manage Newlands Corner on behalf of the Albury Estate who own the land. We look after public access including the Discovery Centre, general site management and litter bins, large car park and visitor services including waymarked walking trails. Find out about Improvements to Newlands Corner.
Contact
Take a photo where you see the media point and share with us on our social media channels @ExploreSurreyUK.
If you need to contact us about any issues at Newlands Corner, please use one of the options below:
Environmental designations of Newlands Corner and what they mean
Surrey Hills National Landscape, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers a quarter of the county of Surrey. The Surrey Hills AONB was created in 1958 for conservation due to its significant landscape value and enjoys levels of protection from development. Find out more about the Surrey Hills.
Ancient Woodlands are areas of persistent undisturbed woodland that have survived since 1600 in England, they are home to many species of plants, fungi and insects so of great benefit to biodiversity.
Latest updates
Ash Dieback
Ash Dieback (ADB) is considered the most significant disease to affect the United Kingdom's tree population since Dutch Elm Disease in the 1960s and 1970s. It is expected to cause the decline and death of over 90% of ash trees in England. Sadly, the disease has advanced considerably due to the extreme climatic conditions we have experienced in the last few years.
Ash trees are the third most common native tree in the UK, found in woodlands and other landscape settings. ADB is caused by a non-native fungus called 'Hymenoscyphus fraxineus' that weakens a tree's structure. Infected trees often see their leaves and branches dying higher up the tree, with the tree becoming weak and unpredictable, often becoming dangerous long before they die.
Ash Dieback at Newlands Corner
In the interest of public safety, the county council undertook selective felling at Newlands Corner during autumn 2024.
A map in PDF format of where ash trees were felled is available to view below.
Further information is available on our Ash Dieback web page
