Can anyone point me in the direction of a route map/GPX file for a route that will take me from Swinley to the Tunnel Hill area?
Don't have a specific route, but you want to be heading from car crash moor (probably via the transmitter tower) towards The Maultway, follow that for a while and you'll get to Frith, Porridgepot areas then it's over the canal to get to Tunnel Hill itself. I've not done linking Swinley to there and there's likely a more off road route than just going down The Maultway.
I'm sure there are gpx's about, but basically find the a30/a325/b3015 junction on street map which is easily accessible from the top of the wall, and follow the b3015 South. You'll be able to run parallel to the road to the left for a lot of it along the top of chobham ridges as far as the top of porridge pot hill and then down through there to the Basingstoke canal that runs along the north edge of TH
Remember though that most of this area is mod / military; if you run into the army remember its theirs to use and act polite, make yourself scarce if asked and don't pick arguments with them. Local riding groups like TAG are working hard to maintain reasonable access rights, please don't compromise the progress being made.
Follow me on Strava and look up a route. Basically it runs across Barossa by the mast, over the A30 by American Golf, down the Maultway, under the M3 through DERA, across the top of red road then along the fence on the fire road all the way to the canal if you like, then over the canal and you're at tunnel.
Remember though that most of this area is mod / military; if you run into the army remember its theirs to use and act polite, make yourself scarce if asked and don't pick arguments with them. Local riding groups like TAG are working hard to maintain reasonable access rights, please don't compromise the progress being made.
I normally avoid riding Tunnel Hill due to it being MOD land as I don't like the idea of getting in the way of the training there. Thankfully I've managed to avoid it every time I've been so far!
I just fancy a change of scenery and with the new trails being up and running at Swinley I reckon it could make for a good ride to combine the two.
Follow me on Strava and look up a route. Basically it runs across Barossa by the mast, over the A30 by American Golf, down the Maultway, under the M3 through DERA, across the top of red road then along the fence on the fire road all the way to the canal if you like, then over the canal and you're at tunnel.
Nice one, I'll try and find one now 😀
Can you go for under the m3? I didnt know that. I know the high speed test track is there but can you actuallygo under it?
Yes there is tunnel under the M3. I often ride to and from Swinley that way, but generally stick to the tarmac on the Maultway, as the test track area never seems much fun to ride.
I did not know that. I always come up from porridgepots to the roundabout ride the tarmac over the m3 then dip into the maultway.
From swinley to TH, the bit under the m3 is only worth it just for the sake of avoiding a bit of tarmac - down a long straight fire road, up a fireroad climb. On the way back its a bit more worthwhile, you get the long straight fire road as a climb but the drop down to the tunnel under the m3, you can follow the fence and it's a reasonably interesting rutted descent. Technically you could also climb that descent but its rather bitty.
There are some interesting trails going through DERA from porridge to Swinley, but not on the Swinley side of the M3.