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Glorious Bike Rides
Glorious Bike Rides
Route directions PDF (right click to download)
GPX file (right click to download)
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The Hatch pub just north of Kidd’s Hill looked promising, though we rode past it.
The Duddleswell Tea Rooms provides light meals substantial enough for a lunch. Look out for Duddleswell Rarebit and the apple pie.
Leaving High Hurstwood on Burnt Oak Road, Classic Cars of Kent is worth a stop. Fifty or so classic cars lovingly restored, including Midgets, Sprites, TRs, an Austin-Healey 3000, a couple of E-types and Ferraris and a Lamborghini. Sean’s enthusiasm is infectious. See http://www.cckhistoric.com
Finish with first-class fish and chips in Tunbridge Wells: the Downtown Fish Bar, 38 Little Mt Sion, Royal Tunbridge Wells TN1 1YP.
Just did this one today. Fantastic ride and the rollercoaster adds an extra challenge.
I you are a road biker as myself, I would suggest avoiding the NCN off road bit early on. Instead, keep straigh on Corseley Road towards the B2110 until it meets again with the route.
Great ride!
Me and a mate did this ride today. Beautiful crisp autumn’s day. We both found ‘The Wall’ as punishing as the name would suggest! It would be folly to underestimate the short distance, as it more than makes up for it in the vertical climb. Probably the hardest ride I’ve done
I did this ride this week. I found it really tough: it was a relatively short distance for me, but the ups and downs made it much more challenging. It was a beautiful sunny day. My highlight were the views on the B2026.
Looking to add in a few lost lanes to make a loop from Haywards Heath and cut out the Ashford ‘lolly stick’ as its a much easier train access. Any suggestions to joining it up in HH? i’d just plug it into Komoot otherwise, cheers 🙂
Just did this tour, lovely nature and rolling hills going up and down (though mostly up). Just two comments: Tunbridge Wells High Street is one-way (northbound), so on the outward journey it would make sense to directly go via London Road instead. On the way back, going through the high street was a great end though.
Secondly, when doing it on Father’s Day Sunday, consider booking a table in one of the pubs ahead of time.
This is a REALLY nice ride. The roads are very quiet and the countryside is lovely. If you are travelling up from Brighton then you can start the ride from half way round. We parked at Shepherds Car Park at Fairwap.
Rode this route yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed! The “Forest Way” railway path between Groombridge and Hartfield was excellent. As well as the many pubs en route, there’s also “Nick the Butcher” just as you come into Hartfield, which combines a meat counter with deli and farm shop. I bought a few picnic bits which I enjoyed on top of the Forest as a reward for the punishing Kidd’s Hill climb. I’ve explored this area quite a bit but the lanes after Fairwarp were nearly all new to me – some leg-sapping climbs back towards Groombridge, but quiet and beautiful. Thanks Jack!
Lovely route. Offroad section fine on 35mm slicks in summer. Bit of mild bog dodging going on but thats england!
I did this today anti clockwise as per the route. It’s a nice ride – bit lumpy as others have said but none are really brutal and just take it steady on Kidd’s hill and it’s rewarding at the top. It’s kind of either up or down most of the way. You go through some pretty villages and hamlets. Road conditions are ok ish but there are a few potholes on some of the southerly roads which can be tricky to pick out when under tree cover.
Stopped to look at the old tree in Rotherfield but I think the supported tree in LL ride 3 at Crowhurst is more impressive.
Refreshments at the Blossom and Bean cafe just north of Rotherfield which was excellent – lots of cake choice and I had a brilliant cheese scone which did me for lunch too! It’s a quirky place and has what seems like a proper kitchen in it with all the workers buzzing around which seems different to elsewhere.
I uploaded the route to OS maps with the phone attached to my quad lock and took a physical map also just in case.
Took me just under 3 hours plus stops but wasn’t in a hurry. Somehow managed to do an extra 500 ft climbing but that was back and forth a few times for pictures.
Notes from 2024:
– The Duddleswell tea rooms is no more sadly – but promises to re-open soon.
– That hill hasn’t gotten any flatter.
– The Kings Arms in Rotherfield appears to be a popular stop for cyclists; a garden full of ’em, and bike racks.
– Glad I caught what I fear is the last short-sleeves ride of the year.
– Jack is still better than Komoot/Strava!