Recommend me 5-7 days gravel biking down south or south coast

We live in North Yorks & have done a break road biking in Northumberland, Norfolk, & several breaks MTB’ing in the Lakes. My in-laws live near Bewdley, so done plenty of road, MTB & gravel around there.

So we’re thinking how about gravel biking down south or south coast.

Early June, one location base, Air B&B, B&B, Lodge, or Hotel, 5-7 days, good facilities, shops, pubs, etc

Bridleways, old railway lines, forest trails, that sort of riding.

What would you recommend?

North Devon to south Devon via mostly old railway lines – Tarka Trail/Granite Way/Drakes Way. 150ish km.

I’ve done it in a day, but it’d make a nice 2 day route.

Then for dessert you could do the Dartmoor circumnavigation.

Ah, missed the bit about one base. The above route/s would be more of a there and back  loop.

.

What about the Isle of Purbeck?

Base yourself around Swanage. There’s miles and miles of lovely gravel.

New Forest in a suggest-where-you-live kinda theme.

Great gravel biking around the forest and down to the coast, plus in easy reach (30 mins or so drive) to salisbury area for the Plain and Cranborne Chase, similar to Winchester and onto South Downs, nice day trip to the Isle of White, and 40 mins to Canford Cliffs to get the chain ferry over to the Purbecks. Certainly all keeps me entertained, endless gravel options!

I’d suggest the New Forest. Option of an Isle of Wight visit too.

Where would you recommend for a New Forest base?

Seaside town – would that be too far without riding from the door?

I like the idea of a trip to the I of W – near been so would be nice for a boat trip & a ride round.

Lymington for seaside (well coast anyway) and riding from the door. Either straight into the Forest or around the sea walls. Plus the ferry to IoW goes from there. It is a bit further to get to salisbury or winchester areas though, but a nice drive across the forest.

You could stay in lymington, which has both easy access to the new forest and also the ferry terminal to Yarmouth.

from there you can also ride west along mainly gravel paths in the Bournemouth direction and eventually to the chain ferry for the isle of Purbeck.

I’d also highly recommend getting an early train to Weymouth and riding back to base along the Jurassic coast path. In the sunshine, that has to be one of the finest off road bike rides in the world

Edit: the train to Weymouth goes from Brockenhurst or Sway, both of which is an easy ride from lymington, or you can get the branch line from lymington to brockenhurst and change.

Woods Cyclery shop ride too in Lyndhurst or for just general mooching about the shop and some food.

Thanks all – sounds like what we want. I’ll look for some accommodation in Lymington or there abouts.

Have a look at the King Alfred’s Way route. If you stay in the middle you could at bits to break it up into day rides maybe. Would give a nice variety to the rides.

Lymington or Lyndhurst as places to stay. Loads of holiday accommodation in the new forest. Avoid the last week of July as that’s new forest show week. Even staying somewhere near Ringwood gives you the forest on one side access to purbecks and cranbourne chase on the other side. Plenty of routes north west of Ringwood too. Castleman trail from there goes to Poole harbour and lots of nice routes up towards cranbourne via holt heath etc. There’s loads of gravel in the NF and on the IOW. Woods Cyclery shop rides are Sunday mornings at 9 and worth checking in on. There’s also a good bike shop in Brockenhurst at the station which is worth a visit for coffee and a poke about.
Also lots of nice cafes and places to eat and drink. There are some NF routes on the woods website and on bikepacking  website and plenty of IOW routes online. Try keep smiling adventures on YouTube for some routes but don’t choose his “straight line cycle “ video as that set us back years in our camping for better access!
Ping me on pm if you need any help.

Burley or Brockenhurst also good locations in NF with pretty much doorstep gravel in both.

If you don’t want Airbnb, or holiday cottage, somewhere like Elmer’s court in Lymington might work as they have self catering accommodation there and a pool etc and it’s near the ferry, train line and the forest. Depends what you’re after accommodation wise. There’s some very expensive places to stay if you want hotels. New Park Manor in Brockenhurst is half way between Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst and is on the gravel network pretty much from the door of the hotel. Nice spa too but it’s prob not cheap.

My daughter was a student in Bournemouth for 3 years. Most delivery runs i took my bike bike and went for a ride. It’s a great area. We also had a week in Lyndhurst and it worked well as a base. I’m sure Lymington would be fine. It would just be a slightly longer drive to the Isle of Purbeck and the riding further north. On the other have the iow ferry is nearer and you get the seaside.

A quick FYI the sea front path in Bournemouth closes to cyclists in the summer

Another option would be South Devon. For example Exmouth. You can ride round the estuary and up into Woodbury Common. You can drive to Dartmoor or the Dart Estuary for more options

Thanks all – heading to Lynmouth early June.

Burko73 – sent you a PM

Do you mean Lynmouth?