The autumn equinox already: the evenings are drawing in! One afternoon this week I managed a local circuit (see
map). I went up the A246 to East Horsley. I did not wish to take my life in my hands, so, from East Clandon where the dual carriageway ends, I used the pavement beside the road: a bit naughty, but this pavement is little used by pedestrians. I then made my way up Green Lane and over Ranmore Common (phew, a stiff climb on what turned out to be a very hot, rather humid, afternoon). Descending to West Humble, I stopped for a cuppa at the friendly Pilgrims Cycles in the old station.
I used the good cycle path beside the busy A24 into Dorking, and took mainly backroads through the town, to pick up the NCN22. A relatively new off-road route has been created to Westcott, and judging by the number of people using it (school kids, dog walkers, strollers) it is a real asset to the local community. I then followed the NCN22 to Shere, a really pleasant ride through woods and fields at the foot of the Downs. After a steep descent to Abinger Hammer, there is a short stretch on the busy A25, but then you peel off to approach Shere on a bridleway across meadows overlooking the village church from the South. (This Abinger-Shere stretch can be a bit muddy in winter.)
I returned to Guildford via the dreaded climb up Combe Lane (as used in descent in the 2012 Olympics: I can get to the sharp hairpin OK, but walk the rest), and the fantastic long descent on Staple Lane to East Clandon, on which there were great views over London.
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| NCN22 twixt Dorking and Westcott |
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| NCN22 Twixt Westcott and Abinger |
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| Shere church from NCN22 |
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| View from Staple Lane above East Clandon |
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