Residents in Surrey and visitors to the county are spoilt for choice when it comes to access to nature thanks to various commons, heathland, and National Trust properties spread throughout the Surrey Hills. In fact, every time a town or village in the area is named the best place to live – and let’s face it, it happens fairly regularly – open space is high on the list of reasons why.

Surrey accounts for nearly 20 per cent of all Green Flag-awarded parks in the Southeast with 33 out of the 183 owned and managed by councils or companies in the county. This includes historic sites like the Chilworth Gunpowder Mills, the beautiful Castle Grounds in Guildford, and walled gardens in Sunbury.

Parks that fly a Green Flag have been ranked among more than 2,200 in the UK said to showcase the best on offer, according to the scheme which celebrates the highest standards of safety, accessibility, and cleanliness. Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy described parks as vitally important to people’s physical and mental well-being and even estimated £2billion is saved every year in the treatment of avoidable ill health thanks to active visits.

Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE commented on the list when it was announced and said: “Our parks continue to provide a vital sanctuary for communities to play, grow, and bond.” She continued: “Parks play a key role in the health and wellbeing of the nation not only in the physical and mental health of us all, but also in the environmental health of the planet.”

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Where to find Surrey’s 33 Green Flag-awarded parks

Epsom

• Epsom Common Local Nature Reserve – Epsom and Ewell Borough Council

Farnham

• Badshot Lea Cemetery – Farnham Town Council

• Gostrey Meadow – Farnham Town Council

• West Street Cemetery – Farnham Town Council

• Badshot Lea Pond and Orchard – Waverley Borough Council

• Bealeswood Common – Waverley Borough Council

• Farnham Park – Waverley Borough Council

• Frensham Common – Waverley Borough Council

• Weybourne Nature Reserve – Waverley Borough Council

Guildford

• Allen House Grounds – Guildford Borough Council

• Castle Grounds – Guildford Borough Council

• Chilworth Gunpowder Mills – Guildford Borough Council

• Onslow Recreation Ground – Guildford Borough Council

• Riverside Nature Reserve – Guildford Borough Council

• Stoke Park – Guildford Borough Council

• Sutherland Memorial Park – Guildford Borough Council

• Clandon Wood Nature Reserve and Burial Ground – Natural Burial UK Ltd

• Blackheath Common – Waverley Borough Council

• Stag Hill Campus – University of Surrey

Reigate

• Priory Park – Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

Redhill

• Redhill Memorial Park – Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

Staines

• Staines Cemetery – Spelthorne Borough Council

Sunbury-on-Thames

• Sunbury Walled Garden – Spelthorne Borough Council

Frimley

• Frimley Green Recreation Ground – Surrey Heath Borough Council

• Frimley Lodge Park – Surrey Heath Borough Council

Lightwater

• Lightwater Country Park – Surrey Heath Borough Council

• Windlemere SANG – Surrey Heath Borough Council

Godalming

• Broadwater Park – Waverley Borough Council

• Lammas Lands – Waverley Borough Council

• Mare Hill – Waverley Borough Council

• Phillips Memorial Park – Waverley Borough Council

Cranleigh

• Summerlands Estate – Waverley Borough Council

Woking

• Brookwood Cemetery – Woking Borough Council

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Surrey Live – Guildford