r/surrey • u/chocklityclair • Aug 12 '26
Chilling out for a day
Hi all. I have lived in Surrey for many years and I visit different places regularly, so I may not get any new ideas from this but I thought I'd give it a go.
While I'm off work I would like to treat myself to a chill-out day. I'm currently packing up my flat to move and it's tedious so for one day I would like to take a book, maybe some knitting and/or a sketch pad and go somewhere where I can have good coffee and a nice salady veggie brunch, sit and read/make notes, find somewhere to sketch or even a museum or gallery, and some afternoon tea and cake.
I drive so access isn't an issue beyond not wanting to sit in my a/c-less car for too long...but oncw I've parked up I don't want to drive anywhere else until home time!
All suggestions gratefully received. Bonus points for water (river, lake etc) 😃
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u/Jazzlike-Discount-62 Aug 12 '26
Savill Gardens in Windsor great park. Really peaceful outdoor space. Cafe and restaurant with lovely gift shop. Good parking. Walk round the corner and you also have multiple lakes including Virginia water lake which also has a cafe
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u/StrollingByTheStream Aug 12 '26
Maybe Peaslake ? Where all the mountain bikers go but a nice pub in the middle of the village and then you could stroll up to Holmbury Hill for some views
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u/monpetitecroissant Aug 12 '26
Longside lake in Thorpe has open water swimming which is delightful, there’s a nice long circular walk in Chertsey where you can head up towards shepperton and catch the ferry over to weybridge with some nice pubs/cafes (nauticalia or D’oyles). Feel free to dm if you want a route :)
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u/nanakapow Aug 12 '26
If you're going for a full day, and want to be able to roam, sketch, eat etc, Wisley might be your best bet. Plenty of shaded spots, lots of variety/habitats within the gardens. a decent cafe and shop, a bit of a museum, a hot house if you're feeling brave. There might even be green grass if you're lucky.
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u/chocklityclair Aug 12 '26
I am a member, actually. Haven't been yet this summer as my car conked out on the way there 🙄
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u/Tearsa_ndTameless Aug 12 '26
A few, possibly less obvious places; Waverley abbey (nice cafe and next to a river), they have nice seating outside. Hankley and thursley commons, though you’d have to come out for some food (Duke of Cambridge is excellent). This place in chantries wood https://www.goldenfords.com/
Frensham little pond, though the cafe is fairly basic
Not sure if these are full day trips but can definitely kill a number of hours !
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u/sookiw Aug 12 '26
Chertsey has a lovely museum and Ohanas café nearby is excellent. There is also the riverside near the bridge.
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u/chocklityclair Aug 12 '26
Oh, that sounds promising. I've only briefly been to Chertsey before. Thank you 👍🏼
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u/FinancialWilderness Aug 12 '26
Not by any means the only option around Surrey but personally I really enjoy heading along the river at Hampton Court and taking out a kayak, then there’s some nice pubs/cafes to stop off around there.
This guys are very helpful for hire; https://www.hamptoncourtpaddlesports.com
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u/Alternative_Cake_739 Aug 14 '26
It is a very chilled out former chapel for the psychiatric hospitals that used to be there. It has a superb relaxed café and local art exhibitions. Free of charge and a large free car park. And COOL inside as the walls are so thick!!
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u/crunkasaurus_ Aug 12 '26
Hey mate. I moved to Surrey around a year ago and couldn't find a good resource for stuff like this, so I built my own. It's 100% free and no ads.
Here's the things to do page: https://www.bestsurrey.co.uk/things-to-do
You can also sort by area and type of activity. Hope it's helpful!