Holmbury Hill & Pitch Hill
Distance 22km (13.7 miles) Climbing 560m (1,837ft) Time 1hr 30mins to 2hrs 30mins
Route summary An excellent exploratory ride across Holmbury Hill and Pitch Hill, taking in some great singletrack – although you’ll probably need a GPS unit or to be very good at map-reading
Start/ inish Holmbury St Mary Village Hall car park (grid ref TQ 107/441, postcode RH5 6PG)
Go out of the back of the car park on a bridleway, and stay on this main track, uphill, to a track crossing (just before Hurtwood car park). Head right, then immediately keep ahead/left at a fork by a large stone. After 100m, turn right onto some singletrack (Twigs Trail) into the trees.
Keep ahead to a fireroad. Turn right on this and right again at the track crossing, back to the junction with the large stone. Bear right, past Twigs Trail, for another 100m, then go right on some singletrack (I Should Coco). Keep ahead, then bear left to a fork. Go right here, before the dip.
Continue ahead, over a couple of fireroads, bearing left after the second one on a long, fast section of singletrack. Head left to another fireroad. Go left on this and keep ahead, climbing to a reservoir/clearing, where you drop to the road and cross straight over onto the Barry Knows Best trail. Head o left on the road at the end, then shortly after, turn right on a bridleway, steeply uphill.
Keep ahead at the fireroad at the top for 0.6km, go right on another fireroad for 100m, then right onto some singletrack (T1 trail). Keep left at the fork, finishing at a forest track and junction. Turn left, proceeding uphill over a track crossing for another 250m, to a junction. Head right (where the bridleway goes left). Soon after, go right on some singletrack (Roller Coaster) and cross a fireroad (onto Curly Wurly).
At the next fireroad go left, keeping left and zig-zagging uphill past the end of Roller Coaster and the start of Curly Wurly. After another 100m, turn left onto some singletrack (Proper Bo). Take a left at the fireroad, to a track crossing (which you were at earlier). Join the singletrack between the tracks ahead and go left on it. Keep ahead, bearing left to Walking Bottom car park, then right, continuing on into Peaslake.
Join Radnor Road (to the right of the Village Stores) and continue up to the reservoir again. Keep ahead/right on the fireroad parallel to the road. Continue straight ahead and uphill, to the viewpoint. Go left, looking for some singletrack after 150m on your right (Yoghurt Pots), into the trees.
Take a left on the fireroad at the end, continue uphill, then head right at the track crossing for 200m, to another (smaller) track crossing, where you go right onto a bridleway. Keep ahead, then go right into the trees, parallel to the telegraph lines (and trail). Continue ahead to a fireroad at the bottom.
Turn right, pass the Holmbury Hill no.14/YHA car park and, just before a clearing, turn left on the singletrack crossing the trail. Continue on Logan’s Run, down to the road. Go right, back to Holmbury and the car park.
NOTE This route can be quite easily linked with Leith Hill via the Greensand Way trail.