While this route is mostly on quiet lanes, the distance is quite long and there a some unavoidable sections of road which can at certain times be a little busy. For these reasons it’s probably not an ideal choice for families or less confident riders. At Markyate, temporary construction requires a short diversion north on the A5, turning sharp left onto the High Street, rejoining the route on Buckwood Road.
Map (zoom in for more detail)
Download file for GPSDirections and GPX
Route directions PDF (right click to download)
GPX file (right click to download)
Best to keep something in the tank for Piper’s Hill, I found. And then the hill that follows that. Nitpick: the route directions say A4164 but it’s the A4146.
Thanks for spotting that typo, Charlie. Will correct the notes.
Great route – thank you very much. This is the first time I have done a ride like this. I was inspired to buy the book and keep riding after doing the London to Brighton this year. I love the book (great photos) and look forward to doing more of the rides.
The directions are great – just one comment that at 10.2k the left turn onto Buckwood Lane is actually onto Buckwood Road; it becomes Buckwood Lane later on I think.
Best wishes
James
Thanks, James, really pleased you enjoyed it. Thanks also for spotting the error in the directions – I’ll fix that and upload a new version.
If there was watercress I didn’t spot it!
I did this ride today (sunny Sunday) and it was sublime! I would say 80% felt like perfect lost lanes and the rest were pleasant roads that we’re a bit busier. I had no trouble with traffic at all. Hardly any cars on the single track from Pipers Hill (thankfully, as that hill is quite tough). Just missed the Hub which closes at 3pm on a Sunday. Overall, I loved it! Thanks Jack!
PS: Have you thought of trying to sell your book through Oliver Bonas? They sell a few books and yours would make an ideal gift. It would appeal to them I think because it’s so beatifully produced.
I think they already do stock it – though how prominently they display it is another question!
Hmm… having done several of the rides in the book, I unreservedly put this one at the bottom. Yes. some fab spots along the way, but too many fast narrow roads with vehicles passing too close at over 60, not least the ‘legendary’ ascent out of Ivinghoe, alternating with single-tracks where you or the oncoming car wait in the hedge, as I did at least 5 times, some close scrapes avoided by stopping etc etc. And Markyate has a new housing development making a detour along the A5 a necessity, at least for now. All in all a decent ride on a beautiful summers day, and it won’t put me off trying more, but I will be looking for warning signs that a route might be sub-par.
Hi Giles
Sounds like you experienced that ride on an unusually busy traffic day. Very sorry to hear about that. When local friends and I have ridden it, it’s been pretty quiet. Thanks for the heads-up on the diversion around Markyate, that’s a pain.
Jack
http://www.strava.com/activities/82165430
The ride was good as usual. The map above shows the diversion that’s currently necessary at Markyate – mentioned by Giles above.
Did this ride today – roads were wet, muddy and, at one point flooded. However I thought it was a well put together route, had a good few climbs that got the heart pumping and some of the views were amazing. I’ll definitely be doing it again, and a route where two laps would be a good days riding. One point to bear in mind – don’t be put off by the ‘dead end’ sign at Luton Lane (just after you leave Redbourn), as it goes through a set of bollards at the end.
I did it today and i found it amazing! Especially the part arriving at Ivinghoe and after that (downhill) 🙂
True that the cars are sometimes a nuisance but keep in mind that on the weekend especially around the zoo there will be a lot of cars and families..
I think it was mostly quiet lanes with the annoying cars arriving in front of you on a single lane road at the top of the climb making yo stop! But nice ride. I totally enjoyed it and I met countless other cyclist on the road, as sign that the Chilterns are a favourite spot for weekend cycling. The Hub cafe was fantastic!
Thanks for your well thought out routes.
This weekend my daughter, her boyfriend and I spent the weekend cycling in Hertfordshire – did this route and the Hidden Hertfordshire (21) route.
Very enjoyable particularly when we got on to the single track lanes.
Those hills can be a bit deceptive! Tired legs today!
Rode this route on Sunday (17/04/16) using the route directions and have a few comments/amendments to point out:
At distance 22.7 miles: By the Duke of Wellington Pub turn left; no long a pub just an ordinary house.
At distance 36.3 miles; Follow the road round to the right sign post Redbourn; Error you need to turn left. This is also a very large sign confirming this on the road.
Also just to say that we found that approximately 50% of the route was very busy with traffic. It appeared that locals used the narrow steep lane at 32.3 miles Ledgemore Lane as a cut through.. Be warned. Have to say we were a bit disappointed with the route as there was too much traffic especially on the B roads and not that many ‘lanes’ on the route. We didn’t think coming off the Chiltern escarpment was worth it
We will be trying out other routes in the book. Hopefully they will have more quiet lanes.
This is the first of the Lost Lanes routes that I’ve done. Excellent for a midweek ride. Really enjoyed the course. I found it pushed me a couple of times but was easily achievable- see the comment above regarding Piper’s Hill!
Great scenery for the majority of the ride and a couple of slightly off-beat places of cultural history along the way. The Hub in Redbourn is a fab cycle cafe and when I next embark on this route I shall start & finish there
I’ve done this ride a couple of times now and have to say that I’ve found the roads really quite busy and the ride quite stressful. I really wanted to like it because I can get to Harpenden on the train in 20 minutes from West Hampstead. And there are some lovely spots on the ride – the ride up Ivinghoe Beacon is satisfying and stunning and the Hub Cafe serves great cakes. But sadly there are just too many busy roads for me. There must be quieter roads around Harpenden. A number of the roads are fairly busy two way B roads with traffic passing you very fast. A lot of drivers were good and left plenty of room but there was the odd idiot too. I also came across a lot more trucks, HGVs and big vehicles than on previous rides I’ve done. The second half (after Ivinghoe Beacon particularly) is much nicer than the first – both in terms of the scenery and level of traffic.
I’ve loved so many of the other rides from this book but this one just hasn’t been as pleasant to ride.
I think I’m going to try to find a quiet route from Harpenden station to Codicote (looks like it will be about 10km across) to meet the Knebworth ride and save me having to get to Kings Cross. By comparison the Knebworth ride is so much quieter.
I did this ride today. It’s Easter Sunday and I started very early, so maybe that’s the reason the traffic was reasonable. But I can imagine on a normal day, those narrow lanes can be rather stressful. Also a couple of places were flooded due to the recent rains, but nothing major and I could easily pass through them.
Generally I enjoyed this route, specially the second half. The climb to Ivinghoe Beacon is long but not too steep. The view is amazing. For me it was the Pipers Hill (kilometer 50.1), the super narrow super steep lane that was a killer.
I followed the route direction (pdf) and noticed a few things. I’ll list them here to help out the future riders:
@10 km: “Cross straight over to A5”. On the map it is A5183 and not A5.
@22.8 km: B4145 should be B440.
@51.6 km: B4146 should be B440.
Note by James above:
“just one comment that at 10.2k the left turn onto Buckwood Lane is actually onto Buckwood Road; it becomes Buckwood Lane later on I think.”
I agree.
Notes by Joe Wright:
“At distance 22.7 miles: By the Duke of Wellington Pub turn left; no long a pub just an ordinary house.”
Correct.
Really nice ride along this route on Saturday – it can be a little busy in places but not too bad. Lovely lunch stop at the White Horse in Eaton Bray and another break for ice cream at the top of Ivinghoe meant it wasn’t too strenuous.
Really like this route (Thanks Jack!). Nice bit of climb, beautiful lanes.. Have done it maybe once a year for the last few years, here are some reflections from a recent ride:
– Careful on Bison Hill, after the zoo. There’s sizable potholes. It’s very picturesque, but keep an eye on the road surface and keep it steady! Can be scary there if there is heavy traffic, luckily yesterday it was pretty quiet.
– Optimal schedule for me: do most of route before lunch, then eat to your heart’s content at Alford Arms in Frithsden (call up in the morning to get a table), followed by coffee/cake at the vineyards just behind the pub. The last hour of the route from there is pretty and easy even on a stuffed stomach.
I enjoyed this route on a weekday at the end of April 2019. I like the references to places on the route, met an Australian couple at Bridego Bridge and had a chat about the train robbery. Some roads are a bit busy and perhaps not good for families. I agree with the comment about Piper Hill and admit I walked for 100 yards or so. I generally love the book, especially the photographs and research into places along the route.
Revisiting some of the rides I’ve done over the last few years.
This doesn’t feel a classic ‘lost lanes’ ride, there’s just too many B roads, but it’s still an enjoyable circular with a couple of hills to test the legs. Tempted to use this as an access to the Chilterns Cycleway which looks worthy of further exploration.
On the way back to Harpenden I diverted onto the Nickey line, an old rail trail between Redbourn and Harpenden. It’s a bit lumpy: good for a hybrid or touring bike but on a road bike you might want to stick to the original route.
Traffic was just fine on a Summer Sunday morning, leaving Harpenden around 10:30am.
PS the diversion at Markyate doesn’t apply any longer, the road has reopened so you can avoid the stretch of the main road.
I received Lost Lanes as a present and I love it; so inspirational. I’m used to doing slightly longer mileage so I often add on a few extra miles to the routes.
For the Chiltern Rendezvous ride – local to me – an interesting extension is to visit a spinney with a monument commemorating the efforts of local villagers and others who fought a two-and-a-half-year campaign to stop what would have been Britain’s biggest airport being built there. More here: https://stewkley.org.uk/airport-monument-and-spinney/
You can find monument at the junction of Dunton Road and Stewkley Road about a mile west of Stewkley. Afterwards, take the left turn (now heading South) towards Cublington and then to Wingrave. From there, go left onto Leighton Road to rejoin the route.
This diversion adds around 13miles to the route and the roads are undulating, but not hilly.
Great route, not busy at all today. Didn’t find the B roads too intimidating and worth it to link up the lost lanes. Definitely felt the hills towards the end!
Completed most of this route last Tuesday so roads were pretty quiet and B roads not an issue but noticed when a few trucks went by. As I was in my car and wanted to avoid paying for parking I snipped off the section to and from Harpenden and parked in Redbourn so I could spend my money in the cycling café instead enjoying a cake (afterwards).
Sadly I have never seen so much fly tipping in my life on the 1st half of the ride but on the southern sections it was a lot more pleasant. Enjoyed this route and the views from Whipsnade and Ivinghoe were excellent.
Rode this one today on a scorching early-summer Sunday and very much enjoyed. A very convenient getaway from London with only about a 30-minute train ride from St Pancras to Harpenden.
I noted the comments above and would agree that this one probably isn’t the best for families, though even on a Sunday the traffic wasn’t too bad on the busier sections and I imagine on a weekday it would be fine. The note above about the diversion at Markyate no longer applies and you’ll find a nice new pedestrian footbridge there complete with rideable ramps. The descent after Whipsnade Zoo is a corker but don’t get distracted by the views as the junction at the bottom comes up fast!
I rode on 25mm road tyres and got on OK though there are several gravelly sections of lane for which a wider tyre or gravel tread would be preferable. After Piper’s Hill the road narrows to a true single-width section and I had to backtrack to allow a vehicle to come the other way as the passing places are few and far between. A nice run back into Harpenden and straight back on a train – very handy. Thanks Jack!
Enjoyable ride today. At Markyate use footbridge to cross over. Instead of Duke of Wellington pub there’s a red post box at the turn off. The hills were manageable though close attention to road surfaces is advised on some descents. Few shops until you get to Redbourn.