About this ride.
Approx 12 miles with alternative for the more extreme
section and a suggested route for a shorter ride. Long climbs and descents,
great
views, all weather hard trails and some loose rocks
Map of Route
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Starting from the PITCH PLACE car park on the Churt to
Elstead "Thursley Road", turn left onto the road and descend to the bottom of
the hill then Right into a byway on an S bend in the road.
From here it is
nearly all uphill for about four miles. Continue on this moderately technical
trail which becomes more rocky until it emerges from a gully, where there may
be some easily ridden mud. Take the right fork and cross straight over "Hyde
Lane" into a narrow bridleway (beware of nettles for the first few meters in
the summer).
This lane soon becomes a rocky gully which requires a degree of
skill to ride (I will describe an easier alternative later). Just past a gate
("Wild" horses are kept in the Punchbowl area which you are just entering),
there is a step up then the trail becomes flatter and wider.
As it emerges from
trees and continues ahead of you as a more open grassy lane, take an acute left
turn and continue uphill until a crossroads in the trail.
Turn right here, and
for the most panoramic ride overlooking The Devils Punchbowl, keep to the
leftmost trail (virtually all trails lead to the same place). There are fine
views to the left as you continue to climb with purple heather in summer and
equally striking colours at other times of year. It's possible to see where the
A3 used to run before the tunnel was built.
The trail arrives at a gate and
cattle grid. Pass over this and continue a short distance until the trail
forks.
Here I will describe the alternative route from "Hyde Lane" for those who do
not like riding rocks. Instead of crossing the surfaced road after the first
trail, turn right onto it. It's an interesting narrow road with a couple of
climbs and descents. At the second sharp right hand bend at the foot of a
descent you will see a fence and iron gate on the left with a narrow access to
the right of it. This is designated a footpath but is almost exclusively used
by bikes.
Immediately past the gate you are likely to encounter a muddy patch
which is normally possible to bypass. (You can miss this by continuing past the
entrance
to the top of a hill, turn left beside a gate and there is an opportunity to
descend to the trail below, past the mud.) The trail then climbs to firm ground
and
ascends for around two miles through a pleasant wooded valley. At a three way
fork keep to the left, ignoring trails that ascend the steep valley sides. The
final part is quite steep before it emerges onto a surfaced driveway. Turn
right here and you will shortly join the "rocky" route at the fork.
There is a small "unofficial" car park here, that I will call TILFORD
ROAD CAR PARK, for about three cars.
Take the left fork and continue along the edge of The Punchbowl, now wooded.
You will pass behind the National Trust Cafe (Where there is an option to start
your ride from THE PUNCHBOWL CAR PARK). There is a great view of the punchbowl
to your left.
You are now at a very popular beauty spot so continue with care
on a semi surfaced trail leading to a surfaced byway which comprises part of
the cycle route to bypass the A3 tunnel. Turn left here. You will pass "The
Sailor's Stone" marking the spot where a sailor was murdered when this trail
was the main London to Portsmouth Road.
Shortly, look out for an access on your
right leading to an open area (ignore other trails to your right).
This is the
summit of Hindhead, "Gibbet Hill". There are great views and both Hindhead
Common
and Polecat Valley to the south have some nice trails. You will see here a
monument indicating where the sailor's murderers were hanged.
Pass to the right
of this on a narrow trail keeping left and descend back to the surfaced byway.
Turn right on this and continue downhill until a narrow surfaced lane (byway)
heads to your left at an acute angle leading to a youth hostel. This is an
interesting descent to the picturesque floor of The Devil's Punchbowl.
Look out
for a driveway on your left which can appear as the trail, then keep to the
right passing a very small cottage on your right, then over a cattle grid. You
are likely to see Highland cattle here.
The trail then ascends becoming loose
and stony but easily rideable.
Soon after the top of the climb and after
descending a short distance a wide trail forks to the left and crosses a cattle
grid. Follow this until it meets a surfaced road.
Here there is an opportunity to "short cut" the ride by taking a left turn.
This byway drops very steeply to a stream.
After crossing, a left turn brings
you to a demanding climb and then a driveway to Hyde Lane.
Continue straight on
past a duck pond where soon, after a trail on your right (which takes you back
to the first byway on the route) you will come to the
point where the trail crosses the road.
Turn right here to take the first trail
in reverse to Pitch Place car park, or turn left if you started from
Hindhead.
Continue on the surfaced road with care as you are likely to meet resident's
cars and farm vehicles. This is a pleasant winding descent for over a mile past
Thursley Church (where the murdered sailor's grave can be found) and some
attractive old houses.
On arriving at a T junction in the centre of Thursley
village turn left, then cross over the road and drop down onto a rough grass
area (The village green) where a lightly defined trail crosses at an angle to
an opening in the woodland opposite. This is a superb single track.
Cross over
the bridleway at the bottom of the descent and continue on the single track
which runs parallel to the badly horse eroded bridleway. Look out for a left
turn which takes you back onto a more rideable section of the bridleway and
then onto a wider track leading to an S bend on Thursley Road.
Turn left and almost immediately right into a surfaced lane giving access to
Hankley Common.
Continue past HANKLEY COMMON CAR PARK and a gate. At the
bottom of a descent (watch out for military
vehicles) three trails are on your right leading from a clear sandy area. The
middle one is the bridleway for our route but you can take the left (parallel)
one, then cross over to it further up to avoid deep sand on the initial
section. Keep on the main trail which bears to the left, ignoring turnings to
the right. This area is
known as The Lion's Mouth and there is an interesting
feature from WW2 to your right,
The Atlantic Wall.
After a
moderate ascent you will arrive on Hankley Ridge. The main bridleway continues
to the right but if you cross to the edge of the "bowl" there is an interesting
single track giving a fine view of the common below and re-joining the
bridleway after a few hundred meters.
Follow this wide firm trail along the top
of the ridge where it eventually bears right and shortly becomes rocky and
starts to ascend. At a fork in the trail a right turn will take you back to the
car park, whereas a left fork followed immediately by another left fork
will
bring you onto a short ascent to Kettlebury Hill, the highest point on the
Common with views to Hindhead and The Surrey Hills.
A right turn then left at
the bottom of the descent returns you to the PITCH PLACE car park.
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START POINTS
PITCH PLACE: On Thursley Road between Churt and Elstead. Car park is on left
just before Pitch Place sign. (Closed at time of writing for forestry work.)
Alternatives are HANKLEY COMMON CAR PARK, left at bottom of hill approx one mile
towards Elstead, and Elstead Moat approx half mile past this turning.
TILFORD ROAD CAR PARK: This is an "unofficial" car park for about three cars,
used by locals for dog
walking etc. At the end of the
second driveway (Access road to several houses and marked Bridleway) after
junction of Tilford Road and Churt Road
when headed towards Hindhead. Turn right onto trail.
Start From Here
PUNCHBOWL CAR PARK: At the National Trust Cafe Hindhead. Ride to edge of
punchbowl and turn right onto route. (You will have to pay to park here)
Start From Here
HANKLEY COMMON CAR PARK: Turn left into access road at S bend at foot of hill
on Thursley Road between Churt and Elstead
(heading towards Elstead) and car park is on left just before barrier. Exit car
park and turn left onto route.
Start From Here
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