Looking for something fun to do in your area that won't break the budget? Check out this list of the best free things to do in Surrey and the nearby southwest London areas to get some much-needed inspiration for your next day out.
Photograph by Mark Wordy
1. Enjoy a picturesque, historical walk around the Runnymede Nature Reserve
📍 Egham Station, Egham TW20 9LB
Escape into nature with a stroll around the beautiful ancient landscapes of Runnymede and Egham. This short, circular, dog-friendly walk starts in Egham and is perfect for all fitness levels.
The leisurely circular route takes you through bewitching woodlands, wildflower meadows and wetlands. There's also an opportunity to pause and picnic at the memorial dedicated to sealing the Magna Carta, one of the most important legal documents in history.
To see the route, click here.
2. Feel at one with nature at Frensham Little Pond
📍Frensham Little Pond, Farnham GU10 3BT
Many rare and endangered wildlife species thrive on the land of this 13th-century fishing pond, which was created for the mediaeval Bishop of Winchester.
Frensham Pond is the perfect spot for bird-watching, with coots, moorhens, swans, and more species in the area. It is also easy to see the beautiful ancient oaks and pines and the many footpaths to enjoy.
reigate.uk
3. Unwind at Priory Park, Reigate
📍Priory Park, Bell St, Reigate RH2 7RL
This beautiful green space features woodlands, gardens, a pond, and a café where you can stop off for a drink and a snack.
With a wooden ship climbing frame set in a sand-filled playground and a fun splash area, there is plenty to keep little ones entertained.
4. Visit the ruins of Waverley Abbey
📍Waverley Abbey, Waverley Ln, Farnham GU9 8EP
The first monastery was founded in Britain. This 12th-century site was built by a group of French Cistercian monks who crossed the channel in 1128 to settle on the banks of the River Wey.
What remains of the original site is a collection of atmospheric ruins, providing a fun, historical day out for adults and children to explore. This also provided the background for films such as Elizabeth (1998) and Disney's Into the Woods (2014).
The abbey has a small car park, and the ruins are roughly a five-minute walk from it.
The Lightbox
5. Visit The Lightbox
📍The Lightbox, Chobham Rd, Woking GU21 4AA
The Woking Lightbox Gallery and Museum features two free, permanent exhibitions for a fascinating day out.
The Art Fund Prize Gallery displays modern artwork to enjoy, while the Woking’s Story exhibition displays insightful history to learn about the town. View historical highlights like the changing treatment of mental health at Brookwood Hospital and a retrospective of Woking Palace.
6. Sunbury Antiques Market at Kempton
📍Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 5AQ
The charming setting of Sunbury Antiques Market is full of history, heirlooms and artistic flare. Enjoy the selection provided by friendly vendors containing old crockery, Victorian projection slides, gorgeous jewellery, vintage American signs, and more art pieces!
The Antiques Market at Kempton is held twice a month from 6:30 am to 2 pm, and you are free to enter after 8 a.m. The large venue and diverse selection ensure something for everyone. Even those not looking to buy anything can enjoy a stroll around. It is well worth it!
Check for the next event here. Or check-out some of the stalls.
www.royalparks.org.uk
7. Take a stroll around Bushy Park
📍Bushy Park, Hampton Ct Rd, Hampton TW12 2EJ
Bushy Park includes over 1,000 acres and is a beautiful, restored baroque-style water garden. Along the Woodland Waterhouse Garen, you can see herds of red and fallow deer.
Visitors can stroll along Chestnut Avenue to the Diana Fountain, a bronze statue mounted on a marble fountain considered one of Britain's most important sculptures.
http://chertseymuseum.org
8. Educate yourself at Chertsey Museum
📍Chertsey Museum, The Cedars, 33 Windsor St, Chertsey KT16 8AT
The Chertsey Museum is free to enter and holds a permanent exhibition exploring the Runnymede borough's history. It's the perfect educational day out for families.
Some objects on display date back to the Bronze Age, including a 10th-century Viking sword found near Thorpe Park in the 1980s!
Before visiting, download the free audio guide online and learn about temporary exhibits here.
The Kids' Table
9. Arts and Crafts at The Kids' Table
Free arts and crafts for the children and freedom for the parents!
The Kid’s Table runs exciting games and arts activities at family-friendly pubs and restaurants. This pop-up service monitors the children, occupying them with fun and stimulating activities to relieve parents of their duties for a while and grant them time to themselves over a leisurely meal. The service is for 3—to 10-year-olds on a first-come-first-serve basis, and a list of venues can be found on their website.
Maxwell Hamilton
10. Wander around Sunbury Park Walled Garden
📍Pantiles Court, 79 St The Walled Garden Thames, Thames St, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 6AB
This divine two-acre walled garden was created in the early 18th century. Surrounded by timeworn walls (as tall as 3 metres in places) covered by shrubs and climbers, it's truly a romantic spot.
The highlight of the gardens is the Lendy Memorial - though a replica of the original destroyed in the Second World War, it is still a grand and imposing sight. Also nestled in the gardens is the Sunbury Embroidery Gallery, which hosts regular exhibitions and displays a curious piece of history - The Millennium Embroidery.
@staineshighstreetmarket
11. Wander around Staines Market by the Thames
📍The Courtyard, 80 High St, Staines TW18 4DR
Every Wednesday and Saturday, the street market in Staines features a range of stalls, including those selling local fresh fruit and vegetables. Vendors also sell clothing, jewellery, toys, food, records, luggage, accessories, and more. It's a great place to walk around and soak up the buzzing atmosphere.
After exploring the market, walk down to the Thames for a pleasant riverside stroll.
Photograph by Ian Capper
12. Enjoy lovely views on the Box Hill to Juniper Top circular walk
This scenic country walk begins at the top of Box Hill and then heads towards Juniper Top along a route that offers gorgeous views of both South and North Downs. This outdoor family activity recommends walking boots and a sense of adventure.
To view the route, click here.
@GuildfordFarmersMarket
13. Explore Guildford Farmers’ Market
📍High St, Bramley, Guildford GU5 0HB
Guildford Farmers’ Market is held on the first Tuesday of every month on Guildford High Street. This National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association (FARMA) accredited market hosts over 50 local producers who sell a range of fresh agricultural produce and operate within a 50-mile radius of the town.
Come along and support your local farmers!
14. Walk through Hatchlands Park
📍Hatchlands Park, East Clandon, Guildford GU4 7RT
Hatchlands Park provides the perfect family day out for all, no matter the weather. When it is raining, put your wellies on and arm yourself with an umbrella before splashing around in the puddles of this 422-acre space.
In the summertime, the park is a wonderful spot to enjoy the great outdoors with friends, family and the dog while following one of the site's many walking trails. Plenty of excellent picnic spots exist, so throw a rug down on the lawn and relax!
15. Pilates and Yoga for mental wellbeing
📍The Village Centre, 68 Victoria Street, Enfglefield Green Egham TW20 0QX
Training and exercising the body are essential activities in uplifting mental health and releasing endorphins. Yoga and pilates for mental well-being are weekly events run by the mental health charity Sport In Mind.
These drop-in sessions, aimed at supporting the local community, are suitable for all abilities, with equipment provided. The pilates sessions run 2:30-3:30 every Friday, and yoga is run 2-3 on Wednesdays. There is a form on the website for attendees to sign up.
16. Educate yourself at the Kingston Museum
📍Kingston Museum, Wheatfield Way, Kingston Upon Thames, KT12 PS
Have an educational day out and explore Kingston Museum’s Ancient Origins gallery displays, which uncover the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames's archaeological heritage.
The exhibition displays items from the Palaeolithic to the Pagan Saxon periods. The Museum also consists of over 100 topographical paintings, decorative arts, The Town of Kings Gallery, the work of Eadweard Muybridge, and World War 1 commemorations.
Kingston Heritage Services also offers the History Centre, where you can peruse the local history collections, which contain maps, photographs, films, sound recordings, newspapers, and more. People can visit to research their houses or families.
Find out more here.
Richard Stonehouse WWF-Canon / Richard Stonehouse
17. Get closer to nature with the WWF UK The Living Planet Centre
📍WWF UK The Living Planet Centre, Rufford House, Brewery Road, Woking GU21 4LL
The Living Planet Centre is home to the WWF UK and is one of the greenest buildings in the UK. Opened by David Attenborough in 2013, inside contains secrets of the natural world to discover.
Wonder at the sights and sounds of the wild through four interactive zones. Following a wildlife theme, each zone explores a different aspect of nature with the help of engaging films. Admission to the Living Planet Centre is free, but charitable donations are welcome.
www.forestryengland.uk
18. Have some fun at Alice Holt Forest
📍Alice Holt Forest, Bucks Horn Oak, Farnham GU10 4LS
Alice Holt Forest is the ideal day out for an outdoorsy family looking for an adventure. The site features wooden animal play structures, and visitors are encouraged to spot the adorable Gruffalo sculptures hidden amongst the trees.
The timberline play trail includes balancing beams, slides and climbing frames, satisfying even the most energetic child. Explore the forest on a bike or foot with various trails before stopping for refreshments at the café.
19. Volunteer at Sutton Ecology Centre
📍 4 Tyrell Ct, North St, Carshalton SM5 2HT
For all the aspiring David Attenboroughs out there, Sutton Ecology Centre is a perfect place to be one with nature. Follow the Sutton Ecology Centre Trail to explore the area's wildlife and history. The biodiverse environment is bursting with intriguing wildlife habitats and vegetation.
Sutton Nature Conservation Volunteers (SNCV) are also always wanted for a more interactive experience. The team is deeply committed to understanding natural environments, promoting the human connection with nature and encouraging the protection of our green spaces in the community. For those passionate about our natural world, signing up with the SNCV to volunteer at the Ecology Centre is a wholesome and rewarding way to spend your time.
20. Find out more at the FAST Museum
📍Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum, Farnborough, GU14 6TF
The Farnborough Air Sciences Museum shows off Farnborough's aviation heritage in an enlightening way for people of all ages to enjoy. Across from Farnborough Airfield, look at the collections on display, containing actual and model aircraft and satellites. Learn more about the world-famous Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough with fun exhibits.
While walking through the museum, children and adults can participate in different flight simulators for a more interactive visit. Try to control a WW2 Spitfire or a Harrier! Land at Heathrow Airport or fly around Tower Bridge! The Museum is staffed entirely by volunteers, so feel free to donate your entertaining visit to the FAST Museum.
English Heritage
21. See the remains of St Catherine's Hill & Chapel
📍Old Portsmouth Rd, Guildford GU3 1LJ, UK
On top of a hill, this ancient chapel was built in the early 14th century by Richard de Wauncey, the church's rector. Different artists depicted this picturesque chapel and hill; it is easy to see why, as the location is nice to explore. A five-day fair was even held here by King Edward II in 1308.
You can reach the chapel by following a route beside the River Wey. Bring a picnic to enjoy while soaking up the history of the land!
22. Follow the Narnia Trail in Banstead Woods
📍Holly Lane car park, Holly Lane, Banstead, Surrey CR5 3NR
This Nature reserve now contains huge statues of Narnia creatures for kids (and kids-at-heart) to wonder at. Walk through the trail and into another world as Aslan the lion greets you. Following the Banstead Woods and Chipstead Downs Nature Reserve trail, visitors can meet other characters and even walk through the wooden wardrobe in the middle of the forest. The creations were made with the site's existing natural resources, and more may soon be added.
While taking in the magic of the adored Narnia characters, carved posts also show the special flora and fauna throughout the route to learn more about the nature surrounding us. Exploring Narnia has been a dream for most children; now, it is free and accessible!
Guildford.org.uk
23. Drop by Guildford Castle
📍Castle Street, Guildford, GU1 3UW
With gorgeous flower displays and stunning views, visiting Guildford's Norman castle can be lots of fun. Said to have been built after the Norman invasion in 1066 by William the Conqueror or a baron of his, this castle was used as a Royal Palace and prison.
Now, the castle hosts floral displays on the keep, live music on the bandstand, and even open-air theatre. On the grounds, you can admire the life-sized statue of Alice Through the Looking Glass and the town’s war memorial. You can even climb to the top of this picturesque castle in the Great Tower to see the great historic town below.
Farnhamcastle.com
24. Appreciate the history at Farnham Castle
📍Castle Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 0AG
Explore the history of Farnham Castle, which spans many hundreds of years, with a free exhibition located close to the entrance.
On top of a hill, this castle was founded in 1138 by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester and was a favourite of medieval bishops. It even has free guided tours for students and anyone under 18 on Wednesdays from 2-4 pm.
Top Venues London
25. Enjoy the Mercedes-Benz World
📍Brooklands Dr, Weybridge KT13 0SL
Free to enter, the Mercedes-Benz World offers many displays and attractions across different floors. See Mercedes-Benz-powered F1™ cars and learn about the history of motorsport technology. Wonder at the Mercedes-Benz models and even look at some of the latest Mercedes-Benz cars. If Formula 1™ races happen during working hours, experience the thrill of the sport in a new way with live cinematic screenings or shown re-runs of past races.
The Mercedes-Benz World has much to see for all, car-lover or not! For a more interactive experience, various racing simulators are available at an additional price.
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