39 miles down National Cycle Network Route 21
Sunday 17 March 2002.
Intro: It’s worth writing up this fascinating route. If you’re doing it on your own or for the first time or fifth, the Sustrans Downs & Weald Cycle Route map is essential. The route is well signed for perhaps 80% of the way but the too many gaps will make you lose the route. (That map shows the route all the way to Brighton…. (we’ll do those 65 miles one long summer day)….and with branches off to Eastbourne etc too. Sustrans do a very good telephone order service: 0117 926 8893, the only London shop I know that always has all their maps in stock is the wonderful Stamfords in Long Acre). OS Landranger map 187 (Dorking and Reigate is helpful too).
So, six of us met at the Cutty Sark on the day. Warmish and sunny, with loads of cloud. West over Creek Road bridge and then sharp left down Copperas Street and into Lewisham and Creekside past the new Laban Centre and the still not finished Halfpenny Hatch footbridge just south of the rail-lift bridge…then onto the Waterlink Way bike path along the Ravensbourne at Deptford Bridge. Three more joined us here. The river here is being steadily liberated from its concrete channel by the making of islands and reed beds. There are kingfishers hereabouts. Cross the busy A20 and down through surprisingly quiet and rural Ladywell Fields and over the railway on the spiral slopes to Catford Bridge. (4 miles from Greenwich). Through a small trading estate and housing and its now the Pool River.
Then Bell Green, Sydenham and Beckenham and into the big marshes of South Norwood Country Park and out into Addington and alongside the Croydon tramway for a bit. (13 miles). The greenery here is interestingly post-industrial.
Out of New Addington the North Downs start and the route rises to 200 odd metres. Just after Fickleshole the track surface turns into bridleway earth and mud. There’s a big slippery descent into a lovely lonely valley, and a climb out the other side. All very horsey round here.
All very isolated here suddenly, there are lunch pubs off the route in Walingham and Woldingham, but we pushed on. The route meanders all over in these parts and following it is tricky, but very worth it. All small lanes and car-free bridlepaths. A lot of old quarries here, and the big Gravelly Hill. I went ahead up it. And waited. I wasn’t aware that several small dogs from a permanent travellers caravan site had bitten two of us, and there’d beeen an understandable row with some kids and a parent who denied all. Bad.
Then and a clever tunnel under the orbital M25. (26 miles). It was now around 2pm and we hadn’t even stopped for coffee. Lunch places seemed miles away.
Then into prettyish Merstham. I think it’s on the route of the big London to Brighton ride. Now 2.30pm. All the pubs had 12-2pm lunch signs outside. The Feathers looked rather fine, so I asked. Yup, we do food all day. It’s a big well-modernised foodey pub with good beers and a big up-marketish menu. They didn’t mind our muddiness at all.
We’d now done the advertised 30 miles (oops) and 5 of us got the train back from here.
Four of us pressed on to Gatwick. The route through Nuffield Marsh is well signed…….but the marsh is just that and we squelched the mile through it, a lot of bike carrying here. And the heavy rain started.
Redhill. (31). A good route through that small town and then good lanes into Horley (37) with its excellent local bike network.
Out of town, then into old park and lots of ponds……then a short tunnel under a big road, and into Gatwick airport. The signs direct you into a goods lift that transport up into the bright lights of the airport departure terminal. (39 miles).
A 200 metre walk to the trains, and just time to grab a tea before our London one.
We were all soaked and it was good to get into the warm train. I kicked my tea over. We were back at London Bridge around 6pm. It was great to soak in a hot hot bath.
Verdict: really good traffic free route out of London with undulating Downs and muddy tracks. Lots of drop-out stations. The signs must improve. A great summer ride.
BAM
23 March 2002
gatwick.