Box Hill

Box Hill is one of Surrey's best-known viewpoints, a steep chalk escarpment on the North Downs looking out over the Mole valley and the Weald toward the South Downs. The Salomons Memorial viewpoint offers a classic panorama, and the wooded slopes, winding river and famous zig-zag road make for striking aerial compositions. Be realistic about the challenges. Box Hill is extremely popular with walkers, cyclists and day trippers, and the main viewpoint and car park are often crowded, so finding space to fly safely away from people can be hard. The site is owned by the National Trust, which prohibits take-off and landing from its land, so you will need to launch from a public right of way or agree an alternative, and keep well clear of the many visitors. On airspace, Box Hill lies beneath the London/Gatwick controlled airspace but sits roughly thirteen kilometres from Gatwick, comfortably outside its flight restriction zone; even so, keep below 120 metres and stay alert. Early mornings on a weekday are by far the best time to visit for both quiet and clean light over the valley.