Mountain Biking on the North Downs

Emergencies

Map key

Overview map

Route summary table

Introduction

About the routes in this guide

Centres

Getting there and getting around

When to go

Safety

Equipment

Tools and maintenance

Navigation

Hydration

Food

Rights of way and other users

Waymarking

Maps

Using this guide

Routes around Guildford

Route 1 Puttenham Common loop

Route 2 St Martha’s Hill–Abinger loop

Routes around Dorking

Route 3 Hackhurst Downs–Polesden Lacey loop

Route 4 Gomshall–Westhumble loop

Route 5 Leith Hill and Holmbury Hill loop

Route 6 Surrey Hills Grand Traverse

Routes around Reigate and Redhill

Route 7 Oxted and Bletchingley loop

Route 8 Box Hill–Banstead Heath loop

Route 9 Warlingham–Biggin Hill loop

Routes around Maidstone and the Medway Valley

Route 10 Oldbury Hill and Mereworth Woods

Route 11 Meopham–Wrotham loop

Route 12 Bearsted, Detling Hill and Blue Bell Hill

Routes around Ashford

Route 13 Bilsington and Faggs Wood loop

Route 14 Wye Downs loop

Routes around Canterbury

Route 15 Chartham Downs loop

Route 16 Chilham and King’s Wood loop

Route 17 Rough Common–Blean Wood loop

Routes around Elham and Temple Ewell

Route 18 Elham Valley loop

Route 19 Alkham–Barham Downs loop

Route 20 Temple Ewell loop

The Downs Link

Appendices

Appendix A: Camping and accommodation

Appendix B: Bike shops/bike hire/bike mechanics

Appendix C: Useful contacts

Ordnance Survey provide map coverage of the North Downs in 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scales (see www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/leisure).

The most up to date 1:50,000 scale Ordnance Survey mapping is used for the routes in this guidebook. At the time of going to press, the information on the maps included in this guide was accurate. A note of caution: the status of some rights of way may be changed over time. Most often – although not always – cyclists have been granted greater access rights with footpaths and other rights of way being ‘upgraded’ to permissive bridleways. Older copies of maps may contain information that is at odds with what is included here.

Roughly half of the 250km NDW National Trail is currently off-limits to bikes. However, at the beginning of 2013 the NDW National Trail’s Steering Group commissioned a survey to assess which parts of the trail and nearby rights of way that are currently off-limits could be made accessible.

Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer series

137 Ashford, Headcorn, Chilham & Wye

138 Dover, Folkestone & Hythe

145 Guildford & Farnham

146 Dorking, Box Hill and Reigate

147 Sevenoaks & Tonbridge

148 Maidstone & The Medway Towns

149 Sittingbourne & Faversham

150 Canterbury & The Isle of Thanet

Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger series

178 Thames Estuary, Rochester & Southend-on-Sea

179 Canterbury, East Kent, Dover & Margate

186 Aldershot & Guildford, Camberley & Haslemere

187 Dorking & Reigate, Crawley & Horsham

188 Maidstone & The Weald of Kent

189 Ashford & Romney Marsh, Rye & Folkestone

Harvey Maps publish two lightweight, waterproof 1:40,000 single sheet maps showing the whole of the NDW: North Downs Way (East) and North Downs Way (West): www.harveymaps.co.uk.

Digital Ordnance Survey mapping of the region is available from sources including www.memory-map.co.uk and www.anquet.co.uk.

We do not yet have any updates available for this book

We are always grateful to readers for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground. If you would like to send some information to us then please use our contact form. They will be published here following review by the author(s).

The North Downs is a paradise for mountain bikers, with a vast area of bridleways and tracks. Many people use Garmins and the like for routefinding these days but this book offers so much more, with practical advice and extra information, as well as OS map extracts.

Cycle, November 2015