THE WILD SIDE OF SURREY
Flaming colours, mushroom hunting, tranquil scenery and a cosy pub – the ideal autumn break. But could Surrey fit the bill? I had my doubts. The county is densely populated, criss-crossed by a meshwork of roads and visited by millions of people every year. To top things o, storm Aiden made landfall at the same time my fiancé and I planned our escape there. So the odds seemed unfavourable. It turns out we needn’t have worried.
Stretching through the heart of Surrey is a ribbon of hills that form part of the Greensand Ridge and the North Downs. The Surrey hills are a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and for good reason. From the air, extensive woodlands stretch to the horizon, interspersed with mixed farmland and gentle undulating valleys. Rivers and canals carve up the landscape, while sunken country lanes connect picturesque villages. There are large expanses of heath and grasslands, some punctuated by lakes and ponds. This diversity of habitats makes the county rich
