Surrey Hills, North Downs

Distance 30km (18.6 miles) Climbing 850m (2,788ft) Time 2hrs 30mins to 4hrs

Route summary An excellent exploration of the three main hills here, taking in some of the best singletrack on offer. It’s well worth sessioning some of the tracks and exploring some of the many other trails in the area

Start/ inish Holmbury St Mary village hall car park (postcode RH5 6PG, grid ref TQ 107/441)

1

Go right on the road then take the first left, uphill. When the tarmac bears left, turn right onto the Greensand Way (GW) bridleway. Keep ahead, take a right at a wide T-junction, then left to cross a road, keeping right. Climb on the GW.

2

Turn left past Leith Hill Tower to join the Summer Lightning trail. Go right at a track by Coldharbour Cricket Club, then left just past it, for more singletrack. Follow this right, and keep left/high as you descend, eventually dropping to a good track.

3

Go left then immediately left again, past a track on the left. Rejoining the singletrack, bear right across an open area, then cross a track (right then left), into the trees. Head downhill to a track crossing with old fence posts but no signs, and go left. Drop to a drive by some houses. Keep ahead then right at a T-junction with a road. Go left on the tarmac.

4

Pass some houses, and the route becomes o -road. Climb, keeping ahead to join a narrower track. Continue for 1km then bear right at a faint fork and right at a bridleway T-junction. Keep ahead on this, downhill to a road. Go left then quickly right on a wide track (High Ashes Farm). Turn right to rejoin the GW and retrace your tracks to the start.

5

Continue through the car park, staying on this main track and eventually dropping to a track crossing (just before Hurtwood car park). Turn right then immediately fork left (by a large rock) on a forest track to a clearing. Bear left down to/ over the road and onto the singletrack (Barry Knows Best).

6

Go right on the tarmac, keep left and turn left past the bike shop. Climb to the left of a cemetery, o -road. After a track joins from the right, fork left. Ride for 1km and go right on a wide track. Ignore one on the right, taking the singletrack on the right shortly after. There are lots of great trails in this area.

7

At a forest track, go left to a crossing. Join the singletrack between the main tracks. Keep right by the cemetery then descend the earlier climb, to Peaslake. Climb Radnor Road, back to the start of BKB. Go left to retrace your steps, keeping ahead/right to Holmbury Hill viewpoint.

8

Go left then right on the Yoghurt Pots trail. Head right at the bottom and right at the fork, then left on singletrack, following the overhead lines. Keep ahead to a junction by Hurtwood car park and turn right, then left at a T-junction. Descend to a road and go right on it, back to the start.

LOCATION DETAILS The Surrey Hills, despite being just outside the M25, to the south of London, have an immense amount of excellent MTBing. The area is riddled with great singletrack, which weaves through the woods stretching across the three main hills. There are lots more trails available, but some areas don’t welcome cyclists, so stick to this route to start with and get to know the area first.

GETTING THERE Just outside the M25, exit at Leatherhead on the A24. Head south to Dorking, then west on the A25 past Westcott, to Abinger Hammer (just before Gomshall). Go south on the B2126 to Holmbury St Mary. Turn right at the green, past the Royal Oak pub, to the car park at the end. There’s a railway station in Gomshall.

FACILITIES There’s the Hurtwood Inn in Peaslake (01306 730851, https://hurtwoodinn.com). Contact Dorking Mole Valley Information Centre on 01306 879327 or www.visitdorking.com. The Royal Oak pub is located at the start/finish, and Peaslake Stores and Leith Hill Tower on the ride sell snacks and (hot) drinks. For bike shops, try Pedal & Spoke in Peaslake (01306 731639, www.pedalandspoke.co.uk), Nirvana Cycles in Westcott (01306 740300, www.nirvana

cycles.com) or Head for the Hills in Dorking (01306 885007, www.head-for-the-hills.co.uk).

Ordnance Survey Landranger 187: Dorking & Reigate. Mountain Bike Rides in & around North & South Downs by Max Darkins (Rough Ride Guide).