Box Hills Walks
Location: Boxhill, Sector: Tourism.
The trails project at the National Trust Box Hill site aims to encourage rural recreation through the creation of new walking routes and installation of play equipment. The Surrey Hills LEADER grant scheme was able to contribute to the project by an award of £22,800 towards the cost of providing waymarkers, information panels and marketing information.
The project has been developed in response to visitor surveys which identified the need for better orientation and structured provision of children’s activities. With over 800,000 visitors per year the project will add to visitors’ enjoyment and provide a high quality experience.
Box Hill is managed by the National Trust who aims to protect its specialist habitats whilst offering visitors an enjoyable experience in the countryside of the Surrey Hills. Box Hill represents one of the earliest tourist attractions in Britain and is one of the best-known summits of the North Downs, a prominent 193m (634ft) in height. It is a place to walk, cycle, picnic, enjoy the open air and watch an abundance of wildlife.
Recently, the National Trust has focused on encouraging rural recreation through walking. New walking routes have been developed and installed at the site to appeal to a broad range of activity levels. These four self guided trails and children’s play area have been part funded by the National Trust innovation Fund and The Friends of Box Hill. Further investment was needed to complete a start/finish feature with information on available routes, waymarkers and free leaflets. The Surrey Hills LEADER grant scheme awarded half the total cost of the project thus ensuring maximum promotion of the new facilities and a high profile start to the trails with bespoke waymarking. The new trails and play equipment will provide a first class countryside facility and help promote the Surrey Hills as a quality tourist destination.
