Moving from Guildford to Churt in a couple of weeks time. Currently my riding consists of XC hacks from front door around North Downs or a drive to Holmbury for rides around Pitch, Holmbury & Leith Hills.

Anybody know what’s on offer around Churt / Frensham / Hindhead ?

More ‘old school’ stuff – lots of reasonable little paths and what not, a lot of it is quite sandy, and not on par with the Surrey Hills stuff IMO, but some reasonable riding!

Grew up in Elstead so spent many years riding Hankley & Elstead commons back in the early 90’s which i know isn’t right next to Churt.

I would say Devils punch bowl area would be the main area to head for but as njee says it’s quite sandy to the point of being unpleasent if memory serves me correctly.

Oh dear looks like I’m going to have to start a what tyre for sand thread.

You should be able to put together a decent loop around Devils punchbowl, Gibbet Hill and Wagnors Wells and Ludshot Common.

The Devils Punchbowl and Alice Holt forest will be your best bets, both reachable by a combo of quiet lanes and bridleways from Churt, in turn you can link up to some excellent riding around Haslemere if you’re punchbowl way. As said above Hankley common is uber sandy.

Loads of bridleways, common land and army land available.

Here’s a good resource:-

http://www.vcgh.co.uk/routes/offRoadRoutes

+1 Gibbet Hill – some sporty singletrack there

Whitmore Vale – small compact area, excellent for a quick spin. Hardly anyone around and some nice switchbacks at the top of the vale and jumps and things hidden in the middle.

I imagine the valleys on the w side of the punchbowl must have some fund routes but only run there at the moment.

The there the whole area behind grayshoot.

+100 for the sand, especially Hankley and Thursley – still ok as part of a tour. Ditto Crooksbury/Britty Wood/Puttenham Common.

Brilliant stuff guys

Let us know when you find some good stuff. I am looking for more mtb routes in the area to avoid driving over to Peaslake!!

Is Whitmore Vale on the boundaries of Hindhead Golf club ?

Plenty of decent little trails on Puttenham Common that can be linked up to make for a couple of hours riding. Best avoided at peak times though as very popular with dog walkers!

Doug,

I have some gps routes hindhead, puttenham, ceasars camp, alice holt direction if you want them. (I just need to work out how to export them off the iPhone)

Are you going to be able to make a Tuesday or Thursday night ride, now your nearer?

Martin (from football)

Martin – I would definitely be up for a Tues or Thurs night ride assuming the pace isn’t insane. As you can tell from the football I’m far from peak condition at the moment – planning to work on that over the winter though.

Pace is leisurely, occasionally gets faster depending on who’s out
You’ll keep up no problems

Deviant is better place to explain W Vale. I have only been there once on his (?) recommendation. I parked at the PO/store on the T junction at Beacon Hill on the Churt-Hindhead road. I started exploring the woods directly behind the phone box. Then moved up towards Hindhead past the care homes and found some nice switchbacks and stuff on both sides. Its all a bit short sadly but nice for a late afternoon/evening spin.

I have never ridden in Alice Holt. I have run races there but seems like quite a lot of relatively steady forest trails. Is there much hidden stuff to enjoy there?

I live in Churt too.

Alice Holt forest is reachable almost exclusively off road by going down a bridleway near the Frensham Pond Hotel, follow it to the end and you come out in Frensham village on the bridge over the river, turn left and ride for 200 yrds on the road then take next bridleway on the right and follow this to the end (Bluebell Pub in Rowledge), turn right at the pub and ride for another 500 yrds on the road and then take any number of routes off to the left into Alice Holt….Alice Holt is ok, the main routes are fire roads type stuff, head off into the trees and there is some decent singletrack that can be found….i once had an excellent ride there when i crossed the road near the entrance and went into the woods opposite, much better. 😉

Whitmore Vale is good, its bigger than teamhurtmore thinks…he just needs more time to explore it!….the trick here is that it spans a couple of places and requires a road crossing at one point and then there’s loads more to ride.

Ludshott common….doesnt get much credit, decent place…nowhere near as sandy as other places in this area, stunning views, the dirt jump kids have built some handy drops/jumps etc in the trees on the outskirts of here too but i found them once and havent managed to again!….connects nicely to Waggoners Wells too for a longer ride.

Frensham Common (big and little ponds)….ok-ish…sandy, flat…more of a relaxing evening ride thing.

Thursley Common…sandy in places but hard enough on most of it to ride on, spent several hours over there one day in the summer, bigger than you think, some short sharp hills/descents….joins nicely onto Hankley common.

Devils Punchbowl….pretty good but the middle is boggy and often blocked by logging, mainly ride around the edge, nice views, shouldnt really ride there as there are signs saying no bikes but the walkers dont seem to mind when i’ve been there…on the other side of the road is….

…Gibbet Hill, great place. Used in the latest Whyte Bikes video, went there a few weeks ago…bugger to find, had to hot-foot it across the old A3 and avoid the Hindhead Tunnel workers to get to it, did see a tarmac road leading to where i emerged from the bushes and asked some walkers where it went….they said to the Devils Punchbowl so the two must link up somewhere?

Bourne Woods, where they filmed the battle scenes at the start of Gladiator. Few miles from Churt on the road or just drive (its about 3 mins in the car)…enjoy this area too but dont seem to go there very often despite always enjoying it?!….quite big and easy to while away a few hours.

Queen Elizabeth Country Park….ok not technically in or around Churt but only 20 mins down the A3 and well worth a visit, check out the thread on here by the trail building group, they are doing some good work.

Ceasars Camp….Farnham/Fleet/Aldershot….rode there once from Churt, involved a bitch of a road climb up Castle Street in Farnham so i was too knackered when i got there to enjoy it properly…i’ll drive next time!….nice single track, drops/jumps etc…was used recently for the Enduro type event that got a bit of a slating on here but dont let that put you off.

Swinley is also no more than 30mins away in the Frimley/Camberley direction but i’ve never been so couldnt tell you much about it.

Deviant – your right, I need some more time there. Didn’t cross the road as that wet, muddy bridleway put me off that bit!!

Gibbet Hill is v easy to find from DP car park. Cross old A3 and turn left up the track. Then keep left of the trig point area and you will be there. The top of the trails by the tunnel viewpoint are a bit more hidden though!! I must stop being a wimp and try the trails there soon.

I am intrigued by the woods you mention opposite the AH!! Is that the Willow Green inclosure or the Buckshot Hole area?

Deviant – You dont need to do the road climb to get to ceasars camp, have a look on a map to the west there is a bridleway that cuts through the old park, it’s still uphill, but more pleasant than the road 🙂

I am intrigued by the woods you mention opposite the AH!! Is that the Willow Green inclosure or the Buckshot Hole area?

I would imagine he means the block to the South west of the Halfway house pub/junction – some lovely singletrack in there, but of you go ten yards off it, its thick coppice and bramble.

the block to the North west of the halfway house (the FC research block) has some nice riding in, but very clay based if you go off the main tracks and there’s some reasonable behind birdworld.

I live in the middle of that lot, so if you fancy a coffee and an explore, shout up.

Thanks guys, I’m feeling better about the move already – looks like there is plenty to go out and explore.

I spotted the Queen Elizabeth Country Park thread this morning, went there about 8 years ago and wasn’t overly impressed but looks like it’s come on loads. Will definitely give it another go.

Swinley is great and been there many a time. Hadn’t realised that it’s only a couple of miles longer from Churt than when I drive from Guildford.

Gilbert Hill sounds ideal too.

Devient – quality answer

Also intrigued by the woods you mention opposite the AH!!
which bits am I missing on my doorstep?

Have you tried Selborne, noar hill and hawkley hanger, short drive, there is some good riding.selbourne route linky no idea if this will work

Selbourne loop on the Hants . Gov . webpage is good if its been dry for a month .
Some cracking short bits of bridleway , but it gets churned up by the horeses very quickly .
Not sure on accessability and there might be issues but i used ride around Longmoor from home , when i lived at Hindhead , plus all the other places mentioned aprt from WV.
There used to be a few DH runs off the back of GH alledegdly built by Brendan Fairclough (iirc) BIG jumps

I can help with all the stuff south of the Punchbowl, Liphook, Black Down, Petersfield, Midhurst, pretty much all thats down to and over the south downs if your interested, plenty of nice trails and very quiet too, also know a fair few loops and trails up around Milford, Tilford and Puttenham.

Puttenham, Britty Wood and Crooksbury are also fun areas nearby.

HantsNightRider….havent cycled Selborne yet, i used to live in Alton as a child and my dad would take me and my sister to walks up the Zig-Zag…is your route anywhere near that feature?

The wood opposite Alice Holt is close to the road entrance, just go past a little further (if you were coming from the Halfway House pub) and its on your right….cant remember what its called, there is a sign….i think this area is used mainly by horses but i’ve never seen any there.

Went to Swinley today for the first time too….not bad, you have to work for the rewards as nothing is signed and its very easy to stay on the fireroads but i think i found most places!

Devient,
I drag my kids up the zip-zag path now 🙂
The side of Selborne hill that the Zig-Zag path is on is all footpaths. The route I do goes over the back of Selborne Hill. I start from the car park at the bottom of the Zig-Zag path, taking a road around to the bridleway. From there to Noar Hill,Hawkley etc. email me if you want a jpg of the OS 1:50 route

That’s Abbotts Wood enclosure, that side of Alice Holt is all wide fireroads I thought, maybe I need to explore off-piste

maybe I need to explore off-piste

Ditto. I almost went over there yesterday but ran out of time and went to Puttenham instead.

Sounds like there is quite a bit to explore. I am assuming that you park where the OS map shows parking, picnic and the walks/trails sign in NE corner of Abbots Wood?

I ride there as I am local, not worth driving.

You have to pay for parking at the Alice Hot Cafe/picnic area, but there is limited free parking on the south side of Abbotts wood. Just above the d of frithend on the 1:50 Map North end of Cradle lane. You can start there and visit the cafe mid ride, the cafe car park also closes at night.

Cradle lane has a nice ford to clean your bike if required 🙂

not worth driving.

Why, because its too limited?

Thanks for the instructions – I can see that on the map!

the cafe car park also closes at night.

No good for you then!!

not worth me driving there, it would be quicker cycling than putting the bike in the car

I go to the main car park with the kids, but I have an annual permit to park there free.