On the 27th December 2025, we decided to go to Newlands Corner, and activate GB-4325 (https://pota.app/#/park/GB-4325). Newlands Corner is quite popular, offering stunning views across the Surrey Hills, woodlands, and walking trails. The large free carpark adds to the appeal of the spot! Amenities like toilets and cafe’s are also only a short walk away, so it’s a very comfortable park to activate.
On the day we were there, the park was quite busy. However, there are plenty of picnic and park benches to choose from, so we did not have too much trouble finding a place to setup. Luckily there was a park bench next to a large bush, so we could set the antenna up next to the bush, and out of the way of the other walkers.
We set up the JPC-12 antenna for 20m, and decided to use the Yaesu ft-891 on SSB, and enjoy a bit of extra power! My Dad activated the park first, and was very successful, with 19 QSO’s in 17 minutes! As the sun was shining, and it was not too cold, I decided to have a go, and also activated the park with 18 QSO’s in 20 minutes. My Dad’s callsign is G8DUK, and my new full callsign M5DUK, so I made sure to find another frequency in the 20m band, to make it more obvious that we were two different operators!
Of course, compared to the Yaesu ft-818nd, the Yaesu ft-891 is much heavier to carry around, however, I find that the detachable head unit of the Yaesu ft-891 makes operating very comfortable. You can leave the heavy part of the radio on the bench, and only hold the head unit when you need to tune around the band.
After just 40 minutes on the air, we had both finished our activation, and decided to pack up and get a hot chocolate and burger from the park cafe! The advantage of the activation area being close to the carpark is that you can drop off your stuff at the car, so you don’t need to carry around the equipment with you, if you don’t want to. You could then plan to go for a walk after your activation, without needing to lug the radio and antenna with you.
Overall, I can thoroughly recommend this POTA location – especially if you are short on time, or if you are not that mobile. You can drive directly into the carpark, and either walk to a nearby park bench and set up, or operate from the car. Even more importantly, there are a total of two cafe’s to choose from. One directly at the carpark, serving takeaway food and one across the main road, where you can also sit inside. If you do fancy a walk, there are many well defined routes to choose from, depending on how energetic you are feeling that day. For more information, visit the Surrey Hills website: https://surreyhills.org/places-to-see/newlands-corner/
