Betchworth Castle — Attraction in Mole Valley

Free access at any time. Quite inaccessible and a smashing little ruin. Currently needing some maintenance, so it's very overgrown with nettles and brambles and not as smart as in most photos. I stayed for two hours inspecting every tiny part of it. No public access to the actual ruins presumably for insurance reasons but you can get in fairly easily if you're driven enough. No parking nearby and you have to go around the outskirts of the private golf course to get there. Well hidden at the top of quite a steep hill. If you're going through the area it's definitely worth a look if you can park. I'd been meaning to go for many years and I wasn't...

Atmospheric ruined castle in a wooded setting, forming part of the Deepdene estate. The building dates back to the medieval period, and saw use as a fortification and stately home before being ruined. There's a small amount of roadside parking just before the entrance to the golf course off the A25 - from here the castle is only a 5-10 minute walk away. The ruins are fenced off, but a path leads around the perimeter, and there are information boards to explain more about the castle's history. Worth a look if you're visiting the Surrey Hills or passing...

Lovely little ruin, fun to explore and very picturesque. Perfect side trip to visiting Box Hill, Dorking, Guildford etc. Plans to eventually be developed further and for visitor centre etc so will hopefully become more visible and easier to access. At present, aim for the main entrance of the Golf Club (not this google map location) and stop before their gates. You can park just before the entrance and on the left side there is a gate and then a 10mins path up to the castle, flagged on each side by the golf course. See pics below for...