Box Hill (a breeze), Betchworth, Brockham and Blake's 7

For British TV sci-fi in the 1970s and 1980s, the surfaces of alien worlds had to be within easy reach of Shepherd's Bush and BBC Television Centre. Home counties quarries thus became planets such as Skaro, home world of the Daleks, or Sardos, across which Supreme Commander Servalan strode, her white, knee-high stiletto boots becoming caked in mud. If all this means little to you, there will be plenty else to see on this route of two halves. The first half uses a quiet and easy(ish) way up Box Hill, winds along its wooded escarpment and takes in listed lime kilns. The second half has a descent to the Mole Valley for a pub lunch, a succession of gorgeous villages and a tumbledown little castle.

The sights:

Pixham: Now a suburb of Dorking, once a village of mills. The church of St Mary has a barrel-vaulted ceiling and was designed by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1903. Pixham Mill dates from 1837 and sits prettily above a weir. The machinery was driven by a 13 ft diameter overshot wheel. 

Box Hill: A famous high-point on the North Downs and part of the Surrey Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The highest point is 224 metres at Betchworth Clumps, but 171 metres at the popular Salomons Memorial viewpoint which overlooks the town of Dorking. It takes its name from the ancient box woodland found on the steepest west-facing chalk slopes overlooking the River Mole. It is managed by the National Trust. We'll not use the Box Hill steps but follow a gentle track up its southern side.

Betchworth Quarry and Buckland Lime Pit: Major sources of chalk, essential for lime production and cement manufacturing. It operated from the C19 to mid-C20. A prominent feature of the site was its large, Grade II-listed lime kiln, where chalk was heated to produce quicklime, used in mortar, plaster, and soil improvement. Quarrying ceased in the 1960s as demand declined, and the site was abandoned. Over time, nature reclaimed the area, transforming it into a haven for wildlife. Parts of the quarry are now designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for their ecological value. 

Betchworth Quarry and Buckland Lime Pit as film locations: Doctor Who stories 'Genesis of the Daleks' (1975) (used to represent the barren surface of the planet Skaro, the homeworld of the Daleks​) and 'The Deadly Assassin' (1976) (used to depict the desolate landscape within The Matrix, a virtual reality environment). It was also seen in the Blake's 7  stories 'Time Squad' (as Saurian Major); 'Deliverance' (as Cephlon); 'Hostage' (as Exbar); 'Moloch' (as Sardos); 'Power' (as Xenon); and 'Warlord' (as Betafarl). In addition to all this, it was used in Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), and Father Ted  (episode 'Hell'). 

Betchworth: A 'modest but satsifying home counties village with one long street breaking up at the north end into isolated big houses' (Ian Nairn: The Buildings of England: Surrey). St Michael's Church: big, oldest parts C11 century, mostly mid-C13. Huge lych gate of 1864. The first wedding in Four Weddings and a Funeral was shot there as, was the opening scene of Lawrence of Arabia. The Dolphin Inn is c1700; Wonham Mill: C19; Old House: C18.

Brockham: I'll quote Ian Nairn in the Pevsner Buildings of England: Surrey: 'A delightful village: a triangular green stopped at the south end by the side elevation of the church...the north side comfortable and cottagey, transformed by having the tremendous slopes of Box Hill as a backcloth. The east side mostly trees, the southwest corner a little more formal...with Hope House smooth regency stucco.' Christ Church is an elegant building by Benjamin Ferrey of 1846 and Brockham Court is late C18.

Betchworth Castle: Tracing its origins to the C11, it was rebuilt in stone in the 1370s by Sir John Fitzalan, it became a fortified manor house. Over the centuries, it passed through several prominent families, including the Ardernes and the Hope family. By the C18 it fell into disrepair and was partially demolished in 1835 to provide building materials. Its romantic ruins inspired artists, including J.M.W. Turner. Today, it remains a picturesque, ivy-clad ruin, privately owned but accessible from public footpaths.

The route (please see the route at the Ordnance Survey website here):

A maze of alleyways will take us to Pixham before Box Hill Road takes up up the hill. We'll pick up the Pilgrims Way, head east, then descend to Betchworth Station along Station Road. We'll cross the A25 and continue to Betchworth, where we'll turn east to go to the pub. After lunch, we'll follow Sandy Lane to Wonham Lane and turn west back to Betchworth. We'll then follow the Greensand Way to Brockham, then Coach Lane back to Dorking where a short walk beneath streetlights will return us to the station.

Dogs:

I love having dogs on my walks and this walk is very suitable for them although there will be considerable lane walking and some fields with livestock. A dog off the lead must be obedient and responsive.

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(Picture credits: South easterly view from Box Hill: Photo © James Emmans (cc-by-sa/2.0); Box Hill: Photo © Peter Trimming (cc-by-sa/2.0); View along the scarp from the North Downs Way: Photo © Stefan Czapski (cc-by-sa/2.0); Village Pump: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0); Snower Hill House and Snowerhill Farm: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0); Box Hill Road: Photo © Peter Trimming (cc-by-sa/2.0); Off Clayhall Lane: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0); Towards Park Hill: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0); St Michael's Church, Betchworth: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0); River Mole at Betchworth: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0). Red Lion, Betchworth: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0). Betchworth Castle: Photo © Ian Capper (cc-by-sa/2.0). All images are copyrighted but are here credited to their copyright holders and are licensed for reuse under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA/2.0.)