My default back from Dowies to the cycle centre is always along the cycle way (with the wee detour into the trees just before Cannop Ponds). Which routes back should I check out to make it more interesting and add maybe 5 miles or so? I'm looking to kinda go east into that enclosure if possible, but may well have to just go and get lost unless someone can say if it's worth it or not.

Ta!

Assuming you have finished on the gravel by the road/pottery you could try the following. turn right on the gravel and follow it for about a mile and up a hill to a junction. Left and you can see a factory (look out for trains , they end old ones here) down to the right. Several little lefts here take you down to a stream,(try the power line one) .Miss the lefts and you reach the road , say hi I live behind the trees to the right. Follow stream either on right side to road just below pottery and right to Parkend, pubs and then cycle track. in the cut area before the hill there were some nice little bits of track but timber cutting has screwed those.
Back to the stream. Go along track to left of stream to the road as above. Niether big loops but a change to get you to Parkend.
Alternatively cross road by pottery, along little road to cycle track and instead of following it right go left. As you reach Point quarry go thro' it and work you way up then sort of north and then down and back to Cannop crossroads. Or ignore point and keep on up gravel. at road go around end of barrier and up steep little track. Cross gravel, up narrow stoney track to flat. following this takes you to Broadwell dips above the tip. dropping down and right anywhere here is good to cannop. Crossing road puts you above the marked downhills to centre. At road crossing follow gravel to downhills or up tar then right to windies to down hills.
Any good?

Cheers Matt. I'll have to check that out. I think the second option is a sort of reverse of my outward route – faff about near the DH runs, loop off to Mile End, past the jumps at Broadwell, down Henrys/Rollercoaster, wander through and up to Dowies and then back from the bottom of there.

Typical sort of thing here –
http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/khBK4LfqYhw

I'm just looking at that wide expanse to the east and wondering…where to start!

Road out of parkend . up past cannop turn. Go to top and turn into gravel oppo raod turn. this is the Barracks. well the houses are. several drops here back to Parkend. Good pub as well, Rising Sun. ignoring turns at the top keep going and you eventually reach Mallards Pike signs (pond) Go right oppo this entrance and you come into open. to right you can see the pub. Go left and up up up. Once it goes flat lots of drops down towards Wenchford ie just on from Mallards Pike.
Or go through Mallards pike. Don't pay, park at the gate. far side of ponds winds up to Staple edge . Good stuff there both sides of rideg. Far side drops you to Soudley area , this side brings you back. all the gravel sort of leads you out towards Lightmoor whcih is the sawmills on the cycle track. lots to do here.

Another way is to cross road by pottery turn left go up cycle route for half a mile then turn right and you can work your way around Nagshead reserve.Then get your self back to the top of Worcester lodge and choose a different downhill to finish on.