South East Cycling – #01 Godstone

Inspired by one of my xmas gifts, Tay & I are working our way through Rough Ride Guide's Southeast Cycling book. Recommended by Dave it's an A4, hard-backed but ring-bound folder, each ride printed on one leaf which can then be taken on the ride (a plastic wallet comes in handy here).

To kick off the campaign we headed for route 14 which partly traces the night-hike we took on a whim after the concert at the Orpheus Centre.


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Ignoring the official start we parked up at a small, free (but height restricted after hours) car park on Gangers Hill (see map) and headed south through the woodlands, bridleways & back roads of Godstone.

We'd travelled under a mile before losing eath other for half an hour in Hanging Wood. To make things even harder, horses had recently churned the trails into mud almost a foot deep.

It's a lovely little village with some friendly folk doffing their hats from the seat of their tractors and some interestingly colourful homes. We rode past a pink Tudor house, a cottage with bright yellow shutters and these houses with matching blue window frames.


Once again, forgetting our lights we found ourselves making the last climb back up to the car in blackness. Though the lights of the M25 make for a nice photo I was more impressed with the deer that ran along beside us in the bushes. Had we not been such stealth-riders I doubt we'd have got so close.