Biggest Climb in SE England?

charliew87

Hi all,
What's the most you can climb in one ascent in SE England?

I've done Box Hill, Leith Hill, Newland's Corner, Reigate Hill & others in the area loads of times.

Most elevation gained (according to Strava) is Box Hill from the Rykas roundabout to the top which registers as 582ft.

Anything 600ft+ nearby?

barrybridges

Most of the Surrey/Kent hills can compete with that, although I would caveat this by saying don't take your elevation data from Strava for comparison! Strava segments don't always begin at the lowest point on the hill.

Certainly around here you've got Ide Hill, Toys Hill, Chalkpit Lane and Westerham Hill which are comparable - elevation wise - with Box Hill.

I doubt you'll get 600ft+ nearby as Box Hill is pretty much the peak of the North Downs.

ctc

It's Walbury Hill just outside of Newbury at 297m

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walbury_Hill

peat

How did i not know that was there?

Actually, i was cycling from Great Bedwyn down into Hungerford at the weekend and thought 'Cor, that looks a biggy'. Will have to get over there and check it out.

simona75

As a regular up and down Walbury Hill I can heartily recommend. Its part of a collection of hills around the North Downs (I wont call it a range!) such as Faccombe Hill, Linkenholt Hill and Ham Hill. You can actually achieve the magic 100ft of climb per mile in this area which isnt easy in the South East.

charliew87

simona75 wrote:

As a regular up and down Walbury Hill I can heartily recommend. Its part of a collection of hills around the North Downs (I wont call it a range!) such as Faccombe Hill, Linkenholt Hill and Ham Hill. You can actually achieve the magic 100ft of climb per mile in this area which isnt easy in the South East.

Walbury looks good. Unfortunately I live 80 miles from there, looks a bit more Central than South Eastern.

Anything in Surrey/Sussex/Kent?

t4tomo

charliew87 wrote:

Walbury looks good. Unfortunately I live 80 miles from there, looks a bit more Central than South Eastern.

80 miles is a decent warm up for the legs, what are you moaning about man?

ransos1

t4tomo wrote:

charliew87 wrote:

Walbury looks good. Unfortunately I live 80 miles from there, looks a bit more Central than South Eastern.

80 miles is a decent warm up for the legs, what are you moaning about man?

Yeah, but it's 80 miles back again!

itboffin

simona75 wrote:

As a regular up and down Walbury Hill I can heartily recommend. Its part of a collection of hills around the North Downs (I wont call it a range!) such as Faccombe Hill, Linkenholt Hill and Ham Hill. You can actually achieve the magic 100ft of climb per mile in this area which isnt easy in the South East.

Yup folks this is the highest point in the SE, Its included in a few of the local sportives and that ridge is my twice daily commute, sometimes Garmin says 800ish ft sometime 1000ft I think generally that whole ridge will be abnout 850-900ft and more than enough to stretch your legs.

charliew87

£15 return train from Waterloo > Andover - might do it that way.

davep1

There's Blackdown between Lurgashall and Haslemere, highest point in Sussex. I think it is just under 600ft. If you're down this way, there are lots of lovely quiet roads south of Blackdown, quaint villages and pubs.

Then there are plenty of other climbs near the South Downs, Bury Hill is a major-ish road so better for high speed descending. Duncton Hill is a good one too; narrower than Bury and sharper corners at the bottom.

Nearer Brighton there is Ditchling Beacon, which is how the L2B crosses the Downs, there are also a lot of hills in Brighton.

Near Box Hill is Pebble Hill Road, which has a really nasty ramp up in gradient near the top, much much harder than Box Hill. It climbs up from Betchworth and you can turn left at the top and head back to Box Hill.

Near Caterham you've Barcombe Rd, another steep bit near the end to catch you out.

White Down Lane near Abinger Hammer is a good one too.

gavinbay

I do a fair number of hills when in the UK - as has been mentioned Blackdown is good, along with White Down and the steepest hardest one is Barhatch on the North Downs.

This route takes in some of those http://app.strava.com/activities/61427307

Then back down South, Bury, Duncton and the Beacon - but by far the toughest is Bignor - hark back to your geography lessons and recall what a double chevron on a hill means, Bignor has two of them!

Bignor on Strava is Glatting Lane http://app.strava.com/activities/57487958

Reason I'm a hill addict is that I spend a fair amount of time in the French alps (been out here three weeks with another three or four) and need to get the legs used to some gradient.

My current rides here http://app.strava.com/athletes/398695

simona75

charliew87 wrote:

£15 return train from Waterloo > Andover - might do it that way.

You would be better off getting the train to a place called Whitchurch just before Andover, much nicer route up to Walbury Hill from there. Can send you some routes from there if interested

davep1

Great post Gavin, thank you. Would be off to Bignor this weekend if I didn't have a Legs of Steel recce!

(Just had a look at the map so I can get there, Glatting Lane is slightly west of the hill you went up. Is it a tough climb too do you know?)

gavinbay

The Strava segment for it is wrongly named as Glatting Lane, there is also another segment called "missed glatting lane" on it's actually Roman Road and only is basically a lane up to the South Downs way, beware road surface is a bit suspect at times, go easy on the descent!

This is where it is - note the double chevrons I was on about

itboffin

simona75 wrote:

charliew87 wrote:

£15 return train from Waterloo > Andover - might do it that way.

You would be better off getting the train to a place called Whitchurch just before Andover, much nicer route up to Walbury Hill from there. Can send you some routes from there if interested

Good advice, plenty of lumps (cols) to bag around the area, actually i really like the two little hills and descent to Watership Down

davep1

GavinBay wrote:

The Strava segment for it is wrongly named as Glatting Lane, there is also another segment called "missed glatting lane" on it's actually Roman Road and only is basically a lane up to the South Downs way, beware road surface is a bit suspect at times, go easy on the descent!

This is where it is - note the double chevrons I was on about

Finally made it over to Bignor this morning, that is a tough climb! The surface is loose and bumpy, and it kicks off with the steepest part that takes in a left right corner. The second half isn't so bad, but still a first gear climb for me.

Ed-tron

As mentioned above, as you ride in the area, you can work in a loop that takes in Leith Hill, then continue up to the A25, then take White Down Lane. Not massive in terms of height, but definitely a short sharp shock and a bit twisty, whereas on Leith and Box Hill you can easily get in a rhythm.

http://www.strava.com/segments/3090633

So whilst no single huge climb, you can do a route that does Leith Hill, then White Down Lane, then go east on Ranmore Common, then head over to Box Hill which is pretty close.

Whenever I do Box Hill I always do the Olympic type Loop, so dont stop at the café but continue over the top and go round the back sort of anticlockwise.

AchillesLeftKnee

charliew87 wrote:

Most elevation gained (according to Strava) is Box Hill from the Rykas roundabout to the top which registers as 582ft.

From the bottom of Barhatch Lane to the highest point on Winterfold (turn left at the top of Barhatch and keep going) would be there or thereabouts, but a much, much nastier climb than Box Hill.

If you approach the Abinger Road climb of Leith Hill via Mole Street then it'll add about another 150ft to the southern climb of Leith Hill. They're not exactly steep feet, but if you're looking for straight up n' down numbers then that'll probably get you over the 600ft mark.

max1234

Tanhurst lane is another good hill in the area - it used to be a potholed mess but was resurfaced a week ago.

Austin316

DaveP1 wrote:

There's Blackdown between Lurgashall and Haslemere, highest point in Sussex

Is that Fernden Lane? That's the toughest climb I've done in the south east. Very steep.

AchillesLeftKnee

max1234 wrote:

Tanhurst lane is another good hill in the area - it used to be a potholed mess but was resurfaced a week ago.

Ooh, will have to get that one a try again. Have they gone for something nice n' smooth, or is it a spray n' pray?

max1234

AchillesLeftKnee wrote:

max1234 wrote:

Tanhurst lane is another good hill in the area - it used to be a potholed mess but was resurfaced a week ago.

Ooh, will have to get that one a try again. Have they gone for something nice n' smooth, or is it a spray n' pray?

Nice and smooth the whole way - completely transformed.

davep1

Austin316 wrote:

DaveP1 wrote:

There's Blackdown between Lurgashall and Haslemere, highest point in Sussex

Is that Fernden Lane? That's the toughest climb I've done in the south east. Very steep.

Austin, it's in that area, but I haven't been on Fernden Lane so I don't know for sure. Might have to come and have a look! I get to Blackdown by coming up Jobsons Lane from Dial Green/Lurgashall, turn left on to Jays Lane then turn right on to Tennysons Lane.

I'd say Barhatch Lane and Bignor Hill are the two hardest; for me Barhatch takes the prize because it gets harder at the top. Bignor is the other way, if you get past the first third or so you can grind out to the top knowing it doesn't get worse.

adamcdaniels

Biggest but not necessarilly best climgb in the Southeast is the 8km from Frensham Pond to the top of the old A3 on Gibbett Hill at Hindhead, rising from 63m to 272m (the highest tarmac in the Southeast). You need to go onto the cycle path (right fork just before the National Trust car park) it was the A3 until the mid-60s and has recently been resurfaced. Get there early to avoid the dog walkers. If you carry on past the top you end up on the other old A3 and go down to Tuesley.

Not hugely challenging as it is a very easy gradient except just after Churt, so I would go for Lickfold to Haslemere up over Blackdown via Roundhurst Lane and Tennyson Lane, as a challenge. 35m to 246m in 6.31km.

If you want a challenge, try them both on a route that loops around and takes on Blackdown, going up Jays Lane (enjoyably vicious) to the same high point on Tennyson Lane (maxing out at 25%), and Quell Lane (that's Fernden Lane taken from the steeper South) which is properly evil (maxing out at 31%).

fuzzdog

To add to these, in the same area there is a climb that I think is steeper than all of these although the sign only says 17% but it has to be much more. If you ride south passing the lickfold pub, up a short rise and then turn right running alongside an area of open green. On google maps it's called Highstead Lane turning into Easebourne Lane after you go over the top. The Hill is Bexley hill between Midhurst and Furnhurst. There are several ways over it. Another tough route is a left turn off the A286 heading south just after Fernhurst. That takes you up past the Duke of Cumberland pub. But Highstead lane takes the biscuit in my book. It starts easy and gradually gets harder and harder. when you think you are at the top you go round a bend and you have a short rest bite before it kicks up again and then gets almost impossibly steep and you will need all you have to get to the top. Honestly.The hardest hill I know. I don't know what the altitude gain is though.
I only go there when I am feeling super strong.

ugo.santalucia

adamcdaniels wrote:

Not hugely challenging as it is a very easy gradient except just after Churt, so I would go for Lickfold to Haslemere up over Blackdown via Roundhurst Lane and Tennyson Lane, as a challenge. 35m to 246m in 6.31km.

I bet I.K. Brunel would have gambled to build a railway track up that...

davep1

fuzzdog wrote:

To add to these, in the same area there is a climb that I think is steeper than all of these although the sign only says 17% but it has to be much more. If you ride south passing the lickfold pub, up a short rise and then turn right running alongside an area of open green. On google maps it's called Highstead Lane turning into Easebourne Lane after you go over the top. The Hill is Bexley hill between Midhurst and Furnhurst. There are several ways over it. Another tough route is a left turn off the A286 heading south just after Fernhurst. That takes you up past the Duke of Cumberland pub. But Highstead lane takes the biscuit in my book. It starts easy and gradually gets harder and harder. when you think you are at the top you go round a bend and you have a short rest bite before it kicks up again and then gets almost impossibly steep and you will need all you have to get to the top. Honestly.The hardest hill I know. I don't know what the altitude gain is though.
I only go there when I am feeling super strong.

It is steep, but I would say Bignor and Barhatch are tougher. After you roll over the top, there is a long descent to Easebourne near Midhurst, I keep meaning to go and do hill repeats up and down both sides of this one.

davep1

adamcdaniels wrote:

Biggest but not necessarilly best climgb in the Southeast is the 8km from Frensham Pond to the top of the old A3 on Gibbett Hill at Hindhead, rising from 63m to 272m (the highest tarmac in the Southeast). You need to go onto the cycle path (right fork just before the National Trust car park) it was the A3 until the mid-60s and has recently been resurfaced. Get there early to avoid the dog walkers. If you carry on past the top you end up on the other old A3 and go down to Tuesley.

Not hugely challenging as it is a very easy gradient except just after Churt, so I would go for Lickfold to Haslemere up over Blackdown via Roundhurst Lane and Tennyson Lane, as a challenge. 35m to 246m in 6.31km.

If you want a challenge, try them both on a route that loops around and takes on Blackdown, going up Jays Lane (enjoyably vicious) to the same high point on Tennyson Lane (maxing out at 25%), and Quell Lane (that's Fernden Lane taken from the steeper South) which is properly evil (maxing out at 31%).

I've done Fernden Lane heading south, the downhill felt proper scary. Will have to go back and try it in the other direction.

davep1

Went up Quell Lane today, lovely. It has two steep parts but they're short and the bit that separates them means you get a bit of recovery. I'd still give it to Bignor or Barhatch

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Holy thread revival, Batman! :eek:

Having yesterday got back from a midweek break at Longleat Center Parcs, where I took a Forme hybrid (1x8; rim brakes; wish I had got the model; I've come across one model that is ~16Kg) hire bike up some of the local cat4s and created a new cat3 up Gare Hill (simply extending the cat4 down to the lowest point ~2.5 miles away), I was doing a little googling about hills near Southampton I've yet to try... When this old thread came up.

The cat3s up Petersfield's Bell Hill come in at just under 600 feet difference, the biggest (but not most popular is "Warren Corner" at ~574 feet over 3.29 miles https://www.strava.com/segments/7723919

In terms of difference, "River to hilltop summit" comes in very close to the above at ~571 feet, but it's not a categorised segment in its own right being ~6.39 miles (it does include an incline with two overlapping cat4s) https://www.strava.com/segments/16422570

Getting a little dubious, but in terms of elevation difference, setting off from the Woodmill bridge over the River Itchen or from the bridge in Botley over the River Meon and climbing to the summit of Butser Hill would be ~860/840 feet respectively.

But as a proper segment, that is a cat3 in its own right, the best I've spotted so far around Southampton is on the Isle Of Wight with ~801 feet of difference over 2.02 miles https://www.strava.com/segments/9109765