How Surrey’s Countryside Fuels the Imagination of Writers

The beauty and splendour of nature never fail to amaze and delight and are a source of immense inspiration. Local author Alice Fowler shares what on our doorsteps

Walking and Writing: The Literary Landscape of Surrey

Writers often say the best way to get words flowing is to go for a walk. In Surrey, we’re lucky to have a rich mix of landscapes—from chalk grasslands to rivers, heathlands, and woods. Over the centuries, famous authors like H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, E.M. Forster, and Lewis Carroll have found inspiration in this countryside.

H.G. Wells in Woking: Martians Among the Pines

In 1895, H.G. Wells moved to Woking. He loved the local landscape:
“Close at hand was a pretty and rarely used canal amidst pine woods… in all directions stretched open and undeveloped heath lands…”

He lived in a modest house called Lynton (now 141 Maybury Road). Most mornings, he wrote and edited. In the afternoons, he walked or cycled nearby, noting places and people to feature in his stories. During just 18 months, he wrote three novels—one of which, The War of the Worlds, made Horsell Common famous as the Martians’ landing site.

Today, you can still enjoy peaceful walks along Woking’s canal paths. Horsell Common, protected by the Horsell Common Preservation Society, covers 916 acres. It supports rare species like the Dartford warbler, woodlark, and silver-studded blue butterfly.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Healing Hills of Hindhead

At the same time, Arthur Conan Doyle settled in Hindhead. He hoped the clean air would help his wife Louisa, who had tuberculosis.
“If we could have ordered Nature to construct a spot for us, we could not have hit upon anything more perfect,” he wrote.

His house, Undershaw, was completed in 1897. It gave him the peace he needed to write The Hound of the Baskervilles. Today, visitors can walk the trails at Hindhead Commons and the Devil’s Punch Bowl, both protected by the National Trust.

E.M. Forster: A Voice from the Surrey Hills

E.M. Forster also had strong ties to Surrey. He lived in Weybridge from 1905 to 1924, writing all six of his novels during that time. Forster used the scenic villages of Coldharbour and Holmbury St Mary as settings in A Room with a View.

Later, when a small wood called Piney Copse faced development, he bought it using royalties from A Passage to India. After his death in 1970, he left it to the National Trust. Visitors can still walk through Piney Copse and see the sign that honours his gift.

Lewis Carroll and the Snark in the North Downs

Lewis Carroll—real name Charles Lutwidge Dodgson—often walked in the countryside near Guildford. One day, a line came into his head:
“For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.”

From that single phrase, he wrote The Hunting of the Snark, one of the longest and most playful nonsense poems in English. Today, you can walk part of his route along the Hog’s Back, which forms a section of the North Downs Way.

My Own Writing: Walking the Surrey Way

Like those who came before me, I find walking helps ideas take shape. Two stories in my collection, The Truth Has Arms and Legs, are set in local landscapes. One takes place on Merrow Downs in Guildford, where wild orchids bloom in summer. The other is set in the Hurtwood, a large area of heath and woodland near Ewhurst that welcomes walkers, cyclists, and riders.

However, not everything is as it should be. Despite its beauty, Surrey faces serious environmental challenges. Rivers are polluted, and insect numbers are falling fast. In his recent book, Robert Macfarlane suggests we need to think differently—perhaps even granting legal rights to rivers and natural places, as if they were people.

Join Me for a Nature Writing Workshop

This summer, I’m running two full-day Nature Writing Workshops that explore the deep connection between words and the natural world.

• August: Join me at Nower Wood, near Leatherhead, with Surrey Wildlife Trust. We’ll read, walk, and write, inspired by the woodland setting.
• September: As part of the Guildford Book Festival, I’ll be leading a workshop at Hatchlands Park. This National Trust site offers a perfect setting for creative reflection.

Both days are open to writers of all levels. Come along and discover how nature can shape your stories.

Book Alice’s Nature Writing Workshop for Surrey Wildlife Trust, on August 30th, here. For details of her Workshop for Guildford Book Festival on September 18th, click here.

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