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Tunnel Hill/ Porridge MOD
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mark dFree Member
Would like to do Tunnel Hill etc before it’s all fenced off.
Especially ‘Concrete Hill’
Anyone like to show me around?
Can do Wednesday onwards.ashleydwsmithFree MemberJesus you actually want to do concrete hill! Are you mad?
I would as I live right opposite but I’m fat, slow and working.
Gutted they are fencing it off all the way round although not quite sure how they plan on fencing the bit by the canal? Or is it just the bit up by the new housing development?
Tiger6791Full MemberIs concrete hill that Tank ramp next to the gate?
Is all of that going to be OOB going forward?
ScamperFree MemberLooking at the porridge map is it possible the fence is just security fencing for what looks like military employee accommodation, rather than just ‘ keep off our land’ anti mountain bike fencing?
allthepiesFree MemberConcrete hill is at Porridge Pot Hill, not Tunnel Hill. The new fencing is going up at Porridge Pot Hill.
I rode Tunnel Hill yesterday and there is construction work going on, I did fear that it was also getting a fence but the work is to do with the railway cutting.
boltonjonFull MemberIF you guys are regular Porridge Pot riders then it would be very beneficial to get involved with TAG (as per Jon V’s link above) and offer your support
There must be hundreds of regular users – lets make sure that they know how many of us use this forest and stop them locking us out!
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberLooking at the porridge map is it possible the fence is just security fencing for what looks like military employee accommodation, rather than just ‘ keep off our land’ anti mountain bike fencing?
I had a ride along it last night, it looks like it’s going to meet the existing fences at both ends, i.e. unless the gates open there will be no way to get to TH from Deepcut except via the road. That said my sense of direction is crap so I might be missing a way through.
It doesn’t appear to be extending along the canal though.
There’s no info what the full plan is, will it just be to separate the new housing development from PP, or will it block PP entirely, will the gates be open when not in use, etc.
Would like to do Tunnel Hill etc before it’s all fenced off.
Especially ‘Concrete Hill’
Anyone like to show me around?
Can do Wednesday onwards.Have a look on the Trolls forum, mondays is slow, thursdays is moderate, tuesdays is quick enough to send you back to the thursday (or monday if it’s really bad) group with your tail between your legs. Some weekend rides too, bu they’re more ad-hock (and invariably at the quicker end of the scale).
No one want’s to do concrete hill.
uselesshippyFree MemberI spoke to one of the workmen about the fence, and he said something about it being to do with the new estate, and the part outside, will be a country park type of thing.
ashleydwsmithFree MemberNews to me and I live right opposite.
There’s 1200 homes going in where some of the barracks are.
At this moment the gates are open, but there is also orange tape up across some of the trails to stop riders going in there.
I believe the plan is for the whole area down to the canal to be fenced off but again not seen any real plans to back that up.
It’s a shame because there were some great trails through there.
alextemperFree MemberLooking at what has gone up already and what markings have been put in place most of the fun trails will still be accessible. These being close to the new school, assault course and down towards the canal when you cross the internal access road between the two sets of barracks.
This has been driven by the housing development going up and keeping the increase in traffic away from the general training areas.
The only part up in the air at the moment it what happens to the assault course and how that affects access to the trails that run by it.
EwanFree MemberMoD and the local planning department have confirmed the plan is to remove all of the G2 area from public access. The full fence isn’t up yet.
TAG is obviously trying to do what we can to stop this – investigating planning, talking to MPs etc, but it’s a long shot.
mark dFree MemberI was put off getting involved in Tunnel Hill Trolls as it was suggested to me a bit of a quick XC group.
Was hoping for a bit slower pace and having a good look around, just exploring before it all gets closed off.
I really want to do concrete hill, or at least try, before it goes.natrixFree MemberYou could always have a look at the Strava heat map to get an idea of where the trails are and then go exploring………….
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberI wouldn’t worry about it being a “quick XC group”.
Just avoid Tuesday, that’s the non-stop attempt by whoever is leading to rip your legs off. The rest are sociable, Monday stops on pretty much every other climb, Thursday tends to just stop once or twice for a snack.
Bring jelly babies/haribo/cake.
And I repeat, no one want’s to do concrete hill, if climbing a 1in3 wall of concrete is your thing then maybe Tuesday pace may suit you after all!
theotherjonvFull Memberit was suggested to me a bit of a quick XC group.
The Monday and Thursday groups will be so chuffed to hear that….. fat arses, the lot of them 😉
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberThe Monday and Thursday groups will be so chuffed to hear that….. fat arses, the lot of them
Oi, I resemble that comment.
Jaffa Cake anyone?
theotherjonvFull Member(for the avoidance of doubt I also consider myself a (lapsed) Mon / Thurs troll. Lardy arse n’all)
EwanFree MemberYou know concrete hill i just a strip of concrete about 100m long that’s quite steep. It’s handy to get to the top quickly, but not worth a special trip for!
theotherjonvFull MemberIt has in my long and unillustrious cycling career provided some of the highs (times I’ve got up it) and lows (times i didn’t)
That said – the ultimate low was watching a Gorrick race on it and watching the Elites charging up it in the big ring; that’s when i realised i wasn’t anywhere near being any good at all.
The high – was watching one of the proper Troll riders go up it on his singlespeed, clearing all of the concrete section but then where it levels slightly but the surface goes back to stones, took his eye off the ball and promptly span out, nutted the stem and fell off in the most inauspicious fail of all.
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberWasn’t me was it, because I’ve definitely done that!
Can’t even clean the concrete section now though.
EwanFree MemberThat said – the ultimate low was watching a Gorrick race on it and watching the Elites charging up it in the big ring; that’s when i realised i wasn’t anywhere near being any good at all.
Do what I do – fit a 1x transmission. Then you can tell people you smash up everything in the big ring 😆
jay_thtFree MemberMark try a Monday evening ride am sure you enjoy it.
Jon am not sure who that was who did that on a ride concrete hill but then there’s be some funny crashes of the years.
mark dFree MemberIf the Monday crowd are around and don’t mind me joining in, where do we meet and time?
@Ewan, I heard someone talking about Concrete Hill at a recent Swinley Thursday Ride and it piqued my interest.
I live in Reading so not a million miles away for a special trip.deadkennyFree MemberDid Concrete Hill once just because bunch of us decided we couldn’t be bothered riding all the way round to get to the top. I was surprised I managed okay-ish. It’s not something I’d specifically want to do though.
Army use it a lot for running up.
Anyway, as stuff above, everything that’s been heard so far from various sources inside is the intention is to shut it off completely. They’ve done it thanks to the housing development as rumour is the developers are paying for the fence. It also means they can’t use the training area as a SANG, so instead they’re providing a green area around by the assault course. The fence then keeps the folk from the estate out. So far no fence by the canal but word is something will happen there and also someone in the know has seen plans for a lot more fencing. Further rumour is they would love to close off TH itself and even that the intention is to close off the lot, including Caesars.
and yeah, Troll Monday is a pootle. Thur bit quicker, or just less stopping. Tue is a different level though and seems to be getting quicker all the time.
dovebikerFull MemberBit of divide and conquer by MOD/DIO knowing that these areas cut across a number of parish / county boundaries and therefore there’s no concerted political will to retain public access for amenity purposes. I live adjacent to Long Valley / Caesars and noticeable how they’ve simply closed-off most of the parking areas along the Bourley Road – there were at least four 20 years ago, now down to one pot-holed excuse. They closed the big DZ/Burns Plain one a two years ago for forestry work – it hasn’t reopened since. I’ve noticed some new marker tape going up in the woods, so expect the annual motorbike enduro in the next few weeks which will leave a foot-wide, water-filled trench making it useless for anyone on foot / bike – how they can claim environmental protection from bikes / dog walkers whilst letting a few hundred motorbikes churn their way through the woodland is beyond me. Locals are denied access but outsiders paying to ride motorbikes through an SSI is OK?
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberCurrent rumour from the contractors is a bit more positive, they’re fencing it off to bring in equipment to make some more accessible paths and a cyclepath. The fencing is only temporary. So we may be safe after all.
If the Monday crowd are around and don’t mind me joining in, where do we meet and time?
Varies from week to week, it’s usually announced on the forum sometime over the weekend http://tunnelhilltrolls.get-forum.net/, there’s a list of meeting points, nearby car parks, postcodes etc in the sticky thread. Meet 7:00 for a 7:15 start (i.e. arrive at 6:59, don’t start faffing at 7.14!)
I think next week we’re back at Caesars Camp or Minley.
philmccrackinFree Memberi would be happy to show you round on a Monday if its still open? im normally alone and also found the THT’s a bit too quick & frog marching when i joined them once – i prefer just to dick about, session the fun bits rather than clocking milage. However, next week (27th) would be my last chance before xmas, and if its arsing it down im not interested – but i could certainly provide you with a gpx route taking in all the best bits…
Personally would not be too bothered if we lost the Porridge side, but id be gutted if they made the Tunnel Hill bit on the other side of the road out of bounds!! such a fun little spot, perfect for a little lunch hour shred…
btw has that step up gotten about x3 bigger recently!?
deadkennyFree MemberFor me the better stuff is on Porridge. Especially the whole run from Deepcut Spar down Watership to Magic Garden.
I also like running up from TH through Porridge to get to Frith* and maybe Swinley.
* – Housing plans mark a dedicated path through Frith. I suspect this will involve fencing off the rest to keep the public out, so we lose Frith also, which is a nice little gem (when you can find the trails 😉 ).
TH is harder to mess with as there are rights of ways through it, including a byway. However it’s long rumoured that if they had a chance they’d fence off what they can.
philmccrackinFree Membernice vid filmed on TH…
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rflU8Ta0Krs[/video]
allthepiesFree MemberFirst they came for Porridge Pots, then they came for Long Valley….
https://www.facebook.com/trailactiongroup
PLEASE SHARE – the MoD have revealed their plans to fence in *all* of the long valley area via a response to a FOIA request. Please contact your local councillors and MPs to register your objection to this. What we know so far:
* All of the land between Fleet Road and Bourley Road will be enclosed with a dog proof fence
* The implementation date is by March 2018
* No public consultation is planned
* MoD have contacted Hart and Rushmoor councils who have told them that no planning permission is required
* Unclear whether all public access is to be removed, but the obvious question is why would you fence the area with a dog proof fence if you’re still going to allow public access – once the area is fenced the byelaws permit the exclusion of the public
* Skanska are doing the work (the same company that has fenced in Deepcut)
Confirmation that the recently erected fence at Deepcut will also extend to the Canal has also been provided – this will exclude public access as suspected.
These plans and the recent fencing at Deepcut appear to show that the MOD are planning to remove a huge amount of land from public use – they seem to be achieving this by selling land to house developers and then using the excuse that the new residents of the very same housing developments will constitute an unacceptable increase of public use (and then getting the house developers to fund the fence!). TAG believes we must fight this and retain access to the land that makes this area special. Our only chance is to use our democratic representatives to fight these developments and make MoD think again. Please help us in this!mark dFree Member@natrix, as soon as I put this up I got a contract for evening work!
I can ride in the daynatrixFree Member@mark d you might be able to find one of the trolls free during the day
@dead kenny I took a dog-proof fence to be the same as a stock fence (they put one around a part of Hawley so that they could graze cattle) but judging by the photos on the Trail Action Group facebook page it looks like a person-proof fence to me 🙁
theotherjonvFull MemberMark; I have a week off next week 4-8th and will be spending some of that time on the bike if that’s any good for you?
EwanFree MemberHopefully we’ll find out what a dog proof fence is shortly (we know it is going to be 1.4m high – i assume like the stuff over the army canal bridge near the air accident investigation board rather than the 8ft stuff in deepcut).
The point of any fence is that according to part 2 of the byelaws, as soon as the land is enclosed the public are technically not allowed in.
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