Does anyone go on holiday to Surrey? Probably not. But maybe that’s a good reason to open a hotel there. People everywhere need somewhere to put up unwanted relatives, or wedding guests, right? And there’s the house-hunting London diaspora we keep reading about, who might need some shut-eye while scouting for mansions.
Box Hill, the go-to hillclimb for London cyclists, is the closest thing to a tourist attraction near the newly revamped Running Horses inn in the village of Mickleham. It’s a pleasant spot (if you can ignore the roar of the London Road beneath), with a mildly challenging walk to the top, where there is a good National Trust cafe and shop, and the incongruous Smith & Western wild west-style cafe. I’ve even had a fantastic day’s snowboarding there in winter. Still, it’s a pathetic little mound really, hardly Alpine. You wouldn’t build a hiking weekend around it. But maybe I’m lacking imagination.
“We are very popular with tourists, especially Japanese and Americans,” says Running Horses’ new manager, Melanie Gowers. “They stay here instead of central London, then travel in by train each day.” Makes sense. It’s only 46 minutes from Waterloo after all. Cyclists hoping to hit the Surrey Hills early are another target market, and they intend to add a bike lock-up. Good idea, plenty of cyclists pop in for a drink or a bite.
The inn, which dates back to the 16th century was once popular with another sort of rider: it was a favourite stabling spot for horses racing at Epsom. With people drinking out in the sun in the forecourt when we arrive, it immediately seems relaxed but buzzy.
“It may get noisy later on: the local cricket team always come in,” says a waiter. This is clearly a treasured village local, despite having been bought in 2012 by Brakspear – quite a mega brewery and pub owner, with 145 English pubs – and given a revamp. It reopened in November.
An interior design job by a brewery you’d imagine would involve a dog-sick clash of tartan curtains, framed nude photography, and walls decorated with novelty beer mats. But no. This is truly lovely. Sisal on the stairs, dark grey walls, black bannisters. My room, Ascot, one of five, has vintage black furniture, old-fashioned radiators, panelled walls, the best decorative trunk I’ve seen (and there are a LOT out there), lovely chairs covered in rose and khaki fabrics, grey-green bathroom tiles, a white claw-foot bath … tick, tick, tick!
As well as being all stylee, the pub set out to bring country food up a notch, to be a “gourmet pub”. But the dinner menu is not daring enough for that. Pork belly with green beans; asparagus with poached egg; cod with tomatoes and mash – nice but nothing special. My cheddar soufflé, then chicken with fricassee of peas, broad beans and mushrooms would be impressive ... if my mate had cooked it. The mac ’n’ cheese side, which the waiter insists is “amazing”, is pretty plain and perfunctory. But we have a jolly time sitting out drinking wine in the warm air, baby monitor happily silent, waiters and locals bantering away.
“They take the pub very seriously in the village,” says Melanie. “When we redid it, we took photos of where everything was and put it back in the exact same place – noticeboard, photos of village residents, cricket memorabilia … you can’t upset your regulars.”
Breakfast in a wooden booth in the restaurant is all good, then we hike happily up Box Hill in the sunshine. Because you can’t not.
So there you go. A bolthole that defies expectation. Turns out you can have a lovely weekend away just outside suburban London, in a hotel run by a large corporate brewery.
• Accommodation was provided by The Running Horses (Old London Road, Mickleham, 01372 372279, therunninghorses.co.uk, doubles from £110 B&B
Ask a local
Terry Bamber, a local film producer, who has worked on movies including Skyfall
• Drink
With its beautiful grounds, Denbies Wine Estate is a great place to go for a relaxed, family-oriented atmosphere – and wine. The people make it special. It’s a good place to go for walks, being so large.
• Eat
Bar-cum-restaurant Grumpy Mole has fantastic food and a friendly, polite vibe. It’s a wonderful spot for afternoon tea and offers unbelievable value. We’ve celebrated many birthdays in here.
• Walk
A wonderful place for a walk is Painshill Park (£7.70 adults, £4.20 children). A lot of films have used the park to take advantage of its landscaped grounds and natural beauty.
