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Going up there on Sunday and have a query regarding route.
From the tower I'd normally head down the hill toward the Cricket pitch so normally ride down that steep roll down that's parallel to the main bridalway, just past the ditch turn right head up the hill on the bridalway through the gate (passing the other gate on my left)and take the bridalway down to the cricket pitch and then down dilverance, through that nice track in the dark woody bit and then Summer lightning down to the bottom etc.
Is there a better way of linking the tower to the area at the start of deliverance?
Yes but it involves riding along a footpath then a sharp left on some really nice swoopy cheeky which brings you out at the end of the cricket pitch. Really hard to describe and find as they keep farming the wood at the start of it (and trashing the line that indicates where to turn).
Not particularly, because if you go right at the gate and swing round on the Coldharbour side (via the green lane) the good tracks are down "no cycling", which is a popular footpath. This is one of the areas that it would be really good to sort a dedicated mtb corridor of quality singletrack, because the usual bridlepath route is too fast in places for mixed use. As ever with Leith Hill, the mixed ownership of blocks of land is hampering plans for such a solution. National Trust are very progressive and open minded, and on the other end of the scale Wotton Estate are not!
You could always pack in a full descent and climb back up - Windy Willow to Broadmoor, back up past Henman Basecamp, big big climb to cricket pitch...
Cliff Richard is your quickest route to coldharbour 😛
Were heading down to the end of SL back up the lane and then across to Ranmore bit of a blat round there then down that really steep bit that leads back up to the gate on the road by the start of SL.
Up by the tower that gate I pass on my left has a big sign telling me to not go there so I don't but I'm sure you used to be able to a few years ago.
That's a full set of "wrongs" nick - "no cycling" and falling off the wrong side of the hill leaving Plough-to-Deliverance schlepp.
Cliff Richard - it's a cliff right?
I usually use the one I think Hora is describing.
Lost me there jools. Is it next to the tree?
Yeah right tried that once many years ago in the wet!!! Looking down it now I simply haven't the balls.
Up by the tower the two gates. One leads off down the hill to the left one is in front of me with a no entry sign (might be no cycling) and to my right leads up then down to the cricket pitch.
Yes but it involves riding along a footpath then a sharp left on some really nice swoopy cheeky which brings you out at the end of the cricket pitch. Really hard to describe and find as they keep farming the wood at the start of it (and trashing the line that indicates where to turn).
If that's the bit I think you're referring to then that left-hander has been levelled and you now have to do a sharp right on "the other side" to meet up with that trail about 25% of the way along.
It used to really start with a little camelback like hump of earth- ride into in the dip with two small trees just over bars-width didnt it?
Swoopy as' and just wider than your tyre 😀
Hora is the track you're describing parallel to the greenlane that runs over the hill? If so, the turning is best found by going along the greenlane and turning right along an obvious line of trees where posts have been put in the ground to stop the 4x4s straying into the mudpit that used to be there.
Not familiar enough with the area to keep track of these descriptions. GPS anyone?
We shouldnt really describe it on the internet! 🙂
Hora you bad man! Seriously mate I did a bit of Trail maintenance and was talking to the guy responsible for the new ending at Barrys. Cheeky trails are really tempting but it puts the case back for building some sanctioned stuff that could be brilliant. Plans are afoot and talks in progress that could make that area even better than it is and riding the footpaths doesn't help.
Deliverance is rubbish, why lots of people ride it is beyond me.
We shouldnt really describe it on the internet!
It's a bit wider than a tyre's width these days, not really a secret anymore I'm afraid!
You know where I mean- as you curve around you go immediately over the large 'humps' to the footpath running parrallel to the trail then go past the first turning left (thats like a path in thicket/trees/little lane- turn left then over rutted earth etc and you'll miss the little humped-start if you dont look twice..
FRN I tghought deliverance was the trail that goes from the criket pitch all the way to Wolvens Lane. I quite like it.
No that's several trails linked into one. Deliverance is just the steep run-out to the remains of the shack at the bottom of the slope. Waste of time IMO.
While we're on the subject of the path from the cricket pitch to Deliverance though:
THE NT BLOCKED OFF THE ENTRANCE AT THE BACK OF THE CRICKET PITCH FOR A REASON - THEY DONT WANT US USING IT, NOT SO THAT WE COULD RIDE STRAIGHT ROUND THE BARRIER TEARING UP MORE GROUND! THINK FOR A MOMENT, PLEASE. THERE ARE LOADS OF TRAILS ON THE HILL THAT ARE TOLERATED. WE COULD AT LEAST HAVE A BIT OF SENSE AND NOT USE THE ONE THEY CLEARLY DONT TOLERATE!
That is all. Rant over. Thankyouplease.
I haven't been there for about 6 months so is the path from the carpark side of the Pitch still OK?
The bit that's been blocked off is the left turn onto the trail as you ride away from leith hill. It's at the opposite end of the ground from the pavillion and the trail goes parallel to the cricket pitch boundary fence for a while before turning right into the woods.
The other entrance into that area of woods about 50m further down the track towards coldharbour hasn't been blocked off so I assume we can view this as still tolerated?
OK that is exactly the one I was planning to use, guess I'll have to think again.
ICj I hear you. I havent been up that part for going on 6months+ but for any mountain biker that is concerned like you about irresponsibility/tearing down barriers etc etc there are two that will continue riding where ever they want with blatant disregard.
May sound alittle hypocritical but my trail was only ever ridden alone and a handful of times a year going back over 5yrs ago now.
I know there is a trail that leads past the other side of the pavillion into the woods that comes down from the tower. I assume that is the footpath though.
As I say Joolsburger, if you head a little further down the greenlane heading towards the plough there is another entrance that hasn't been shut. Go even further down the hill and there is a fp/bridleway that comes out onto the greenlane - turn left up that and a sharp right shotrly afterwards and you'll be back on the trail to the top of deliverance
I was quite keen to keep it singletrack all the way from the tower to the end of Summer lightning but it seems like you just cant.
That area of hollows and pits at the end of the cricket pitch is SSSi. Even so, NT have tolerated riding across it. But - they don't want us to follow the line of the boundary fence, so just go in a bit further down.
National Trust are very positive about mountain biking (I know the top guy very well, and the only problem he has with mountain bikers is consideration for other people, slowing down to walking pace, not doing excessive or overt damage etc).
I'm stuck for a good route here too. From the tower I normally head down the short steep rough path (that always has bemused looking walkers and dogs on it), hard right at the bottom and climb to the cricket pitch.
I spotted the trail on the opposite side of the pitch from the pavillion that marks it as a footpath and asks you not to ride, so continued down the main path.
There are a couple more entrances - but the paths seem a bit of a tangled mess and don't seem to flow. I gave up and went down the main path to the bottom, doubled back and rode up to Summer Lightning. Just using the main path after the epic climb to the tower feels like a complete waste!
I was quite keen to keep it singletrack all the way from the tower to the end of Summer lightning but it seems like you just cant.
Not quite, no. Once you're at the saddle between the tower and Duke's Warren you have to climb on a bridleway or BOAT for some distance. If you take the BOAT you can join the trail that Hora described, which will bring you out (slightly cheekily) in the cricket pitch car park near the NT information sign. Then head parallel with and on the gatwick side of the cricket pitch towards coldharbour, past the fenced off entrance and on for another 50m or so, and you're back on singletrack with a left turn. Not too bad really..
r I normally head down the short steep rough path
Before you get to that- as you roll forward- take a 45degree left after the low wooden fence poles and onto the loose earth and towards the trees- theres three roll in's in there.
Seb_C: it is a bit of a tangle, but there is at least one flowing line through. Worth spending some time to get it dialled because it does ride pretty fast when you're happy with where you're going.
I know exactly where that is now, sorted.