Map (zoom in for more detail)
Directions & GPX etc
Route directions PDF (right click to download)
GPX file (right click to download)
TCX file (right click to download)
Glorious Bike Rides
Glorious Bike Rides
Route directions PDF (right click to download)
GPX file (right click to download)
TCX file (right click to download)
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Don’t do this route on a road bike with slick tyres! Not sure if the road conditions had deteriorated in the recent past, but the two long stretches of gravel road was really too painful on my steel framed roadie. Though really beautiful, completely empty, at parts i felt like i could be in North America/ Scandinavia…. and I usually enjoy the off-road bits thrown into lostlane routes. However, for this one, I really advise having a mountain bike, or at least a cross bike with thick and knobbly tyres.
Also if you’re taking a train from Waterloo to Salisbury, don’t invite your friends! You need to book a spot for your bike on the train days in advance, and it was really hard to get 2 spots on the same train.
Hi M,
Glad you enjoyed the experience. I rode it a couple of times on my tourer with 35mm tyres, and one time was with a friend on his road bike with 25mm tyres. We didn’t have any trouble apart from the odd soft bit, as it was late in the year and there’d been some heavy rain.
Jack
Ticking these rides off, so far done 3, 6, 8 and 10. All been done on a road bike with 28mm tyres. Really enjoying being under biked, reminding me pretty heavily of Paris-roubaix.
This is the only one I would have taken my gravel bike for as there is beautiful long stretches of flint strewn road. Bleedy gorgeous, but a long walk out if you get a unfixable flat and road tyres are less adept at handling this.
Had a spectacular ride through the lost lanes of Grovely Wood today. I live four miles away but I had no idea that Grovely held such treasures until I read your book. I am looking forward to trying out some of your other routes. Thank you!
We loved this ride, done on two carbon fibre roadbikes with 25mm tyres (not ideal, but we were fine!) So many miles of ancient highways through deep forest, yet with pretty good metalled surface, or compacted gravel. We were amazed by how Jack had found these routes, and knew they were cycleable – you wouldn’t guess from the maps. There’s also another swim (in the Nadder) in a wonderful deep green tree lined pool just near Messums gallery in Tisbury (51.0658, -2.0705, by the side of Court Riad about 100m south of the junction). We started in Stockton, went clockwise, and ate (then wild camped) at the Beckford Arms – superb. Dan Start
My partner rode this yesterday (17/05/24) on a gravel bike and loved it, but said there was some steep gravel and also mud in the forest, wouldn’t have thought a road bike would be suitable.
Have just completed Lost Lanes No. 3 today on my trusty hybrid bike. And what a day! The route is a spectacular feat of route planning by Jack. The ride through Grovely Wood is awe inspiring and I had the Great Ridge all to myself. I even shouted with delight on the descent in to Chilmark. A great day with 27 Celsius and lots of clear lanes. Thank you Jack!
My long-suffering teen and I did this with 32mm tyres and survived to tell the tale. On the hottest day of the year, the route wasn’t easy, but Groverly Hill and other woodland sections offered welcome respite from the heat and traffic. You should add Ginny’s Cafe (Boyton, BA12 0SS) as a pit stop – a cyclist-friendly family-run farm cafe that also hosts many audax controls. Thanks for the route!
Thanks, Dulce, for the feedback and the recommendation of Ginny’s Cafe. Seems like it opened well after the book was published but it looks great, and a welcome addition to the delights of the Wylye Valley.