surrey hills – the joy of five

Box Hill, Bug Hunting, Children, Christmas, Families, Family Life

Muddy Walks And Pub Lunches

December 28, 2015January 6, 2016by thejoyoffive11 Comments

Our festive celebrations wouldn’t be complete without a muddy walk to blow away the cobwebs and get rid of some of that guilt for all the over indulgence of the past few days.

We took a trip up to Box Hill to take in the beautiful views and get more than a little muddy.

We only had the youngest two with us today so it was very quiet trip but lovely to have a bit of quality time with them.

We took part in the trail today which is something we normally miss out on and we are so glad we did. The boys climbed trees, ran along logs, hunted for bugs and built our own balance beam which came to a nasty ending as number five slipped and came straight down onto it.

I love walking along with the family just chatting and planning the year ahead.

Just to pile on a few more pounds we stopped off at our new favourite haunt The Old House in Dorking for some dinner and board games. They are really child and dog friendly here and we love the cosy relaxed atmosphere. I really wish we could drag Christmas out for that bit longer!

Box Hill, Children, Families, Family Life, My Captured Moment, Outdoor Play, Parents, Photography, Sons, Surrey

My Captured Moment:Autumn Begins

October 11, 2015October 11, 2015by thejoyoffive4 Comments

My ‘Captured Moment’ for Running In Lavender this week is taken from one of my favorite vantage points in Surrey – Box Hill.

I love everything about Autumn, the chance to cosy up with a big hot chocolate, the preparation for Halloween and bonfire night and the crisp leisurely walks you can enjoy with your loved ones.

Box Hill has the most incredible views of Surrey, although I do completly freak out that the children are going to lose their footing and stumble all the way down the hill!!

Box Hill, Children, Exercise, Families, Family Life, Kids Days Out, Large Families, Memories, Outdoor Play, Parents, Photography, Sons, Surrey

Catching ‘Real’ Sharks At Box Hill

September 26, 2015September 30, 2015by thejoyoffive10 Comments

Our Saturday’s usually consist of dropping the big ones at their chosen activities at its just me and the youngest two that meet up with my sister to go out and find some fun.

We were very indecisive today and finally decided to take a walk up at Box Hill. She was not so keen on the idea as she was sporting 5 inch heels!

Instead of taking our usual drive up to the top of the hill, today we decided to find the stepping stones that we had not visited before. This proved a little tricky as the signposts were not great and we tried several different locations until we finally found our way.

We took a picturesque walk through Burford Medow which takes you alongside the River Mole. There were plenty of trees to clamber over, a rope swing over the river that none of us were brave enough to try and a beautiful bridge that we stopped on to play ‘pooh sticks’ for a while.

A coupe of minutes on we got to the stunning stepping stones. It was so calm and serine, a real beauty spot.

Number four was very annoyed that I wouldn’t let him bound over on his own and he was making my nerves bad by fishing for ‘real’ sharks over the edge with his stick!

We spent a good while here by the waters edge, digging in the mud and having sword fights with sticks.

These are always my favourite kind of days. Wandering through the countryside really letting kids be kids with their imaginations running wild. I mean I bet you didn’t know there were sharks in Surrey!!