You may have heard of Boxhill in Surrey, famous for being the climb on the cycling race at the 2012 London Olympics. But a less well know hill lies on the other side of the Mole Valley Gap. Ranmore a more peaceful stretch of the North Downs. Nestled at the foot is the Denbies Wine Estate and established in 1986, Denbies is now one of the largest producers of wine in the UK. Many of their wines have won international acclaim and several awards particularly for sparkling and rose wines.

The start of this run is from Denbies. A short climb to the top of Ranmore past St Barnabas Church. It is not long before the view opens up and there is a wonderful vista of the rolling Surrey Countryside. In the distance you can see an 18th Century Gothic Tower, built on Leith hill to make the top of the tower 1000 feet above sea level.

After taking in the view, the run joins a section of the Pilgrims Way, a route linking Canterbury to Winchester before dropping down White Down, through Deerleap Wood and St John’s Church at Wotton before turning for home along the valley floor.

But valley floors can be dull so soon we are back onto the Pilgrim’s Way and climbing up Ranmore through woods known locally as the Spectacles. Difficult to appreciate from close up but from a distance the name is a perfect fit!

Once the climb is over it is a gentle descent towards the market town of Dorking and onto the Mole Gap Trail for a final push back to Denbies.

Once recovered there is a tour of the Winery, a little wine tasting and lunch in the café.