The Royal Oak Inn & Meerkat Retreat in Brockham

An actual pub with actual meerkats - which is exactly as odd as it sounds when you first hear about it. The Royal Oak Inn sits in Brockham, just outside Tadworth, and yes, they really do keep meerkats on the premises. It's the sort of thing that makes you do a double-take, but once you're there with a pint in hand watching the little creatures potter about, it rather works.

The meerkats are the main draw, obviously. They're kept in a proper retreat area where you can watch them do their thing - standing on hind legs, digging about, being generally entertaining. It's not a full wildlife experience like a zoo, but it's a genuine oddity that breaks up a country pub visit nicely. Kids will be glued to the enclosure for a solid twenty minutes, which gives parents time to actually finish a drink without interruption.

As a pub, it's functioning and fine. Decent enough for a meal or a casual afternoon if you're walking in the Surrey Hills area. The combination of food, drink, and unexpected wildlife makes it feel less like a gimmick and more like someone's slightly mad but charming idea that actually landed.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Betchworth Fort Park is barely over a mile away, or there's the Surrey Hills options at similar distances - the Royal Oak makes for a proper excuse to leave the campsite for an hour or two. It's not going to be your main reason for visiting Surrey, but it's the sort of peculiar local spot that makes a holiday memorable.