There is roughly 1 train per hour which goes to Horsham via Dorking and this line is particularly attractive from Leatherhead South. There are stops at Box Hill and Dorking, and from memory both are worth a visit, though you will have to be fit to climb Box Hill. I didn’t! I did stay on the train to Horsham and worked out the layout of the station before returning the same way. Trains usually go through Horsham via Gatwick Airport and not being a plane spotter or a fan of travellers and their suitcases, this is a nicer way to get to parts of the prettier towns of Surrey and Sussex. I’ve already done the pleasant cross country journey from Redhill to Tonbridge, and Tonbridge is well-worth a visit on a day trip basis. To get to either Dorking or Horsham, you can use your Freedom Pass as far as Ewell East and get a ticket to Horsham which will be marked via Dorking. If you want to do a circular trip, you can get a Boundary Zone 6 ticket to Horsham and return via Crawley and Gatwick Airport – though this is really just airport and urban sprawl and not particularly scenic. The Dorking to Horsham service is hourly, the station staff at Horsham and Sutton are particularly helpful and the Southern trains have automatic announcements in intelligible English and as trains are frequently coupled and de-coupled, do not be alarmed to find yourself in the fifth carriage when you started out in the first!
Price of tickets: Ewell East:to Horsham £ 6.45 with a railcard. It is always worth asking for a cheap day ticket as there may be off peak fares which are not picked by the National Rail Fare computer. Also check for local promotions and let me know. I am intending to describe both useful and nonsense ‘signposts’ when out and about.
