Mountain Biking on the North Downs. Peter Edwards

loop

       Route 5 Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill loop

       Route 6 Surrey Hills Grand Traverse

       ROUTES AROUND REIGATE AND REDHILL

       Route 7 Oxted and Bletchingley loop

       Route 8 Box Hill–Banstead Heath loop

       Route 9 Warlingham–Biggin Hill loop

       ROUTES AROUND MAIDSTONE AND THE MEDWAY VALLEY

       Route 10 Oldbury Hill and Mereworth Woods

       Route 11 Meopham–Wrotham loop

       Route 12 Bearsted, Detling Hill and Blue Bell Hill

       ROUTES AROUND ASHFORD

       Route 13 Bilsington and Faggs Wood loop

       Route 14 Wye Downs loop

       ROUTES AROUND CANTERBURY

       Route 15 Chartham Downs loop

       Route 16 Chilham and King’s Wood loop

       Route 17 Rough Common–Blean Wood loop

       ROUTES AROUND ELHAM AND TEMPLE EWELL

       Route 18 Elham Valley loop

       Route 19 Alkham–Barham Downs loop

       Route 20 Temple Ewell loop

       THE DOWNS LINK

       APPENDICES

       Appendix A: Camping and accommodation

       Appendix B: Bike shops/bike hire/bike mechanics

       Appendix C: Useful contacts

      Hanging on in the Surrey Hills – a fast descent near Holmbury Hill (Route 6; photo: Jen Dodd)

      INTRODUCTION

      For the enthusiastic mountain biker the North Downs is nirvana in the Home Counties! Some of the finest off-road trails to be found anywhere in the country are available in abundance amid the green, rolling chalk and sandstone hills and along the steep, wooded escarpments that comprise some of England’s loveliest countryside. The North Downs are criss-crossed by hundreds of kilometres of well-maintained byways and bridleways that are accessible to mountain bikers and which can be mixed and matched into almost infinitely variable route combinations. The adventurous mountain biker will not be short of options in this corner of the country.

      Mountain bikers are attracted to the area in their droves from the southeast of England and beyond. Partly this is because of its proximity to London, but mostly it is due to the riding terrain. From chalk and flint bridleways to loose sand tracks and sinuous forest singletrack; rough, tough climbs to seemingly endless rattling descents; the dry and dusty to the wet and muddy, the North Downs are packed with variety.

      Lift off! Big air on the Surrey Hills (Routes 5 and 6)

      The narrow spine of the Hog’s Back between Farnham and Guildford forms the western extremity of the North Downs, which encompasses the ancient chalk downlands, heathlands, pasture and woodlands of Surrey and Kent, while the iconic cliffs of the English Channel coast between Folkestone and Deal terminate the ridge in the east. The south-facing escarpment of the North Downs is generally very steep while a dip slope descends more gradually to the north. The greatest concentration of quality mountain biking trails is at the western end of the Downs among the Surrey Hills – a true mountain biker’s paradise because of the sheer number and variety of excellent trails, both natural and man-made. The many fine byways, bridleways and country lanes of southeast Kent are less well-known as a mountain biking destination, but are in fact something of a hidden gem – partly because so many riders are drawn to the glamorous trails of the Surrey Hills and the South Downs.

      As well as the extensive network of well-maintained byways and bridleways criss-crossing the North Downs, there are also many purpose-built mountain bike trails in the Surrey Hills area in particular. Many of the tracks and trails traverse chalk and sandstone downland, which is generally well-drained and provides superlative mountain biking conditions for much of the year. However, the North Downs is also a diverse landscape comprising a variety of terrain, including woodland, pasture and heathland. These ancient downlands comprise two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) – the Surrey Hills and Kent Downs – some of Britain’s most iconic and best-loved landscapes.

      The North Downs contains many hundreds of kilometres of public rights of way, including the 246km (153-mile) North Downs Way National Trail (NDW). The Greensand Way (GW) is another long-distance path that traverses part of the North Downs area; much of it is also comprised of bridleways and byways, hence it also makes regular appearances in this guidebook. Many of these rights of way – including sections of the NDW – are accessible to and very popular with horse riders and mountain bikers as well as walkers.

      North Downs Way signpost

About the routes in this guide

      The routes in this guidebook are day, half-day and shorter routes distributed along the length and breadth of the Downs. Routes 1 to 9 are located in or on the periphery of the Surrey Hills AONB and Routes 10 to 20 are located in or on the periphery of the Kent Downs AONB. The routes are divided into area sections in the guide. The area sections are roughly analogous with the areas covered by the various Ordnance Survey Explorer maps covering the North Downs (see ‘Maps’). As mentioned above, there is a greater concentration of routes in the Surrey Hills and in southeast Kent as many of the best trails are to be found in these areas. Good quality bridleways and byways are a bit thin of the ground in east Surrey and west Kent.

      There is no description of a complete traverse of the NDW included here for the principal reason that much of the NDW is footpath-only, hence off-limits to mountain bikers. Alternative routes are too dependent on roads to make the