Members and partners from across the Surrey Hills came together this October for the annual Surrey Hills National Landscape Partnership Tour, with this year’s event focusing heavily on water resource management in the Leith Hill and Dorking area. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who attended, and to the hosts who generously shared their time, knowledge and projects with us.

Water was a recurring theme throughout the day, influencing discussions at every stop and highlighting its vital role in shaping the health, resilience and future of the Surrey Hills National Landscape. From natural flood management and river restoration to farming, biodiversity and climate resilience, the tour showcased how collaboration is helping to address shared challenges and deliver benefits for both people and nature.

The day offered a valuable opportunity to see partnership working in action, hear directly from those managing the land, and explore how organisations, communities and businesses can work together to achieve more.

Highlights included:

  • Discovering how nature-based solutions can help slow the flow of water and reduce flood risk.
  • Learning about projects that are improving habitats and water quality while supporting wildlife recovery.
  • Hearing how farmers, landowners and environmental organisations are working together to build landscape resilience.
  • Exploring opportunities for future collaboration across the Surrey Hills National Landscape.

Whether you joined us on the day or were unable to attend, we hope the highlights below provide a flavour of the inspiring projects, partnerships and conversations that are helping to shape the future of our National Landscape.

Click on each section below to find out more about the sites visited and the people behind them.

 

Trees on a slope adjacent to a waterfall that is cascading down four tiers The Wotton Estate successfully applied for funding to carry out a programme of restoration works. Phases 1 and 2 of the project focused on clearing surrounding vegetation, treating invasive laurel, safely removing the dead pine tree, and repairing the leat at multiple points along its length. The entire channel was cleared, allowing water flow to be fully restored to the waterfall.

Tillingbourne Waterfall Restoration Wotton Estate – Surrey Hills National Landscape

 

Wotton fishing ponds - surrounded by lush greenery. Chris Browning of the Wotton Fishing Club explained the essential restoration works of five historical pool weirs that had developed leaks and threatened the integrity of the weirs themselves if not restored. There was discussion about water quality and the sensitivity of aquatic life to discharge particularly cesspits.

Leaky Dams. Logs stacked with measurement gauge beside. Logs are on the valley floor in a channel. Trees surrounding - area of forest. Dr Ben Tonkin of the Environment Agency  explained how the Dorking Natural Flood Management Scheme was developed in response to flooding on the Pipp Brook, where the steep slopes of the Surrey Hills can cause water to move rapidly downstream.  Working in partnership, the project has created areas of wet woodland that enhance biodiversity, along 30 ‘leaky barriers’ designed to slow water flows and reconnect the brook with its natural floodplain.  Together, these measures help reduce flood risk in Dorking and form part of a £15 million pilot programme demonstrating the benefits of natural flood management.

People sitting at benches under canopy. Tim Metson welcomed us to Hurtwood Hideout which was the first purpose-built youth hostel in the country.

We discussed the importance of supporting low cost accommodation in the National Landscape, the need to innovate and diversify.

The Hideout is now a hub for mountain biking which is a key management issue, and hosts three new eco-pods to improve access.  Revenue will be invested back into conservation and access.

People standing behind a tractor looking at the farm - rolling green hills and blue sky Sondes Place Farm is a 320 acre mixed farm located between Dorking and Westcott. It has been farmed by the Broom family since 1897, and is currently managed by Hugh Broom.  Hugh talked about water resource management, livestock management and soil conservation.

Mark Lebus of LC Energy talked about Biochar, a carbon-rich, fine-grained, charcoal-like substance, being trialled in the Surrey Hills National Landscape to reduce pollution and improve soil condition.

The visit continued on a trailer ride around the farm focusing on conservation work, including the herbal lays and the wildlife margins.  Owen Lee of Surrey County Council’s Flood Team outlined a project to clear trees and create dams to slow the flow along the Pippbrook.

Adam Brown, Surrey Local Nature Recovery Strategy Manager, outlined the ambition to restore chalk downland through grazing along across the scarp of the North Downs through the Big Chalk Nature Recovery Fund.