West Sussex back roads and a new (to me) hill
Longshot
Posts: 940
On Saturday I decided to head out of Surrey and head for the coast, making the most of the decent weather - it might be the last chance for a while to get a dry ride in. I decided to head for West Wittering so started off through Guildford, then Godalming and down to Milford.
I had been looking over the route beforehand and had spotted a nice looking back road route that started in Wormley. Turn right off the main road towards the station and follow Combe Lane before turning right into Prestwick Lane and then Pook Hill (which turns into West End Lane). Right at the end on to Killinghurst Lane, left on to the Petworth Road, and then right on to Jobsons Lane through Dial Green. The totally unexpected piece de resistance was then turning right at Lickfold on to Highstead Lane which leads into Easebourne Street at the summit of Bexley Hill - I wasn't expecting nigh on 20% ramps on the way up - it got to the point where I couldn't choose between keeping the front wheel on the ground or getting traction with the back wheel on the greasy surface. Then down into Easebourne and on into Midhurst.
Those 12 miles of roads between Wormley and Easebourne were wonderful. Quiet rolling country roads with very little traffic (although the route over Bexley Hill is in part single track so you may have to bail out of the climb if you meet something large-ish coming the other way). I would happily ride that route over and over.
Just wanted to share.
I had been looking over the route beforehand and had spotted a nice looking back road route that started in Wormley. Turn right off the main road towards the station and follow Combe Lane before turning right into Prestwick Lane and then Pook Hill (which turns into West End Lane). Right at the end on to Killinghurst Lane, left on to the Petworth Road, and then right on to Jobsons Lane through Dial Green. The totally unexpected piece de resistance was then turning right at Lickfold on to Highstead Lane which leads into Easebourne Street at the summit of Bexley Hill - I wasn't expecting nigh on 20% ramps on the way up - it got to the point where I couldn't choose between keeping the front wheel on the ground or getting traction with the back wheel on the greasy surface. Then down into Easebourne and on into Midhurst.
Those 12 miles of roads between Wormley and Easebourne were wonderful. Quiet rolling country roads with very little traffic (although the route over Bexley Hill is in part single track so you may have to bail out of the climb if you meet something large-ish coming the other way). I would happily ride that route over and over.
Just wanted to share.
You can fool some of the people all of the time. Concentrate on those people.
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If you didn't turn right for the hill - you could carry straight on down through Lodsworth, which brings you to the A272 earlier. You can either turn right and go along the A272 - but it's a pretty shite road - busy with fast cars - quite a few will be "entitled" too ...
or you can turn left towards Halfway Bridge and take the turning south there - you've got several ways through - either east via Duncton and up Duncton hill - or west to Cocking and either up Cocking hill - or carry on west and go to South Harting - and try that climb up there - of the 3 hills - Cocking is the easiest - but you're on a busy A road again - only until you get to Singleton - then you can nip up over Goodwood if you like the climbing
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Some nice cat4 hills around South Harting...
Hill Lane (known as "Turkey Island" for some reason)
B2141 from B2146 in South Harting centre
B2146 from South Harting centre heading south past B2141 turn off
North Marden climb on B2141 heading towards South Harting
Rogate climb heading north
"Slade Lane climb"
Milland Hill (which is supposed to be ~20% towards summit)
Hill Brow
(plus if you head towards Hawkley there's a handful of steep climbs in that area)
Short but steep ramp in West Marden heading towards Forestside
If you like modest sized hills, it's a great area to visit.================
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NitrousOxide wrote:Some nice cat4 hills around South Harting...
Hill Lane (known as "Turkey Island" for some reason)
B2141 from B2146 in South Harting centre
B2146 from South Harting centre heading south past B2141 turn off
North Marden climb on B2141 heading towards South Harting
Rogate climb heading north
"Slade Lane climb"
Milland Hill (which is supposed to be ~20% towards summit)
Hill Brow
(plus if you head towards Hawkley there's a handful of steep climbs in that area)
Short but steep ramp in West Marden heading towards Forestside
If you like modest sized hills, it's a great area to visit.
West Marden after a coffee stop in Compton is an interesting one if the legs haven’t got going again!
Some great cycling in this area.0 -
Welcome to the delightful cycling of West Sussex and East Hants, but please keep quiet about it, we don't want our quiet lanes getting crowded!0
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Clickrumble wrote:Welcome to the delightful cycling of West Sussex and East Hants, but please keep quiet about it, we don't want our quiet lanes getting crowded!
Noted.You can fool some of the people all of the time. Concentrate on those people.0 -
Yep - I live near Steyning but the triangle between Petworth Haslemere and Midhurst really is a special part of the country.
Bexley Hill is a good one huh?! Kind of like Barhatch but a bit shorter and probably in worse condition. Saves the best to last. The road north from Tillington towards Lurgashall is a beaut too, mainly downhill, but very narrow and probably best avoided after a lot of rain. There's a nice road running west to east through Ebernoe...0 -
Slowbike wrote:If you didn't turn right for the hill - you could carry straight on down through Lodsworth, which brings you to the A272 earlier. You can either turn right and go along the A272 - but it's a pretty shite road - busy with fast cars - quite a few will be "entitled" too ...
or you can turn left towards Halfway Bridge and take the turning south there - you've got several ways through - either east via Duncton and up Duncton hill - or west to Cocking and either up Cocking hill - or carry on west and go to South Harting - and try that climb up there - of the 3 hills - Cocking is the easiest - but you're on a busy A road again - only until you get to Singleton - then you can nip up over Goodwood if you like the climbing
There's an Octopus of sorts around Goodwood if you like climbing...
OP - there's a climb off Jobsons Lane to Blackdown which is the highest point in the county. Nice pubs in the area too...0 -
Coming from Jobsons Lane, turning towards Lickfold there is a tasty little hill on 'Quell Lane'. one to check out if 20%+ is your idea of fun.
and the pub in Lickfold is pretty good too...0 -
NitrousOxide wrote:Some nice cat4 hills around South Harting...
Hill Lane (known as "Turkey Island" for some reason)
B2141 from B2146 in South Harting centre
B2146 from South Harting centre heading south past B2141 turn off
North Marden climb on B2141 heading towards South Harting
Rogate climb heading north
"Slade Lane climb"
Milland Hill (which is supposed to be ~20% towards summit)
Hill Brow
(plus if you head towards Hawkley there's a handful of steep climbs in that area)
Short but steep ramp in West Marden heading towards Forestside
If you like modest sized hills, it's a great area to visit.
This
Also jump the other side of the A3 and there's some more.
Butser Hill
Harvesting Lane (different route up Butser)
Beacon Hill
Winchester Hill
A few miles south and there is Portsdown Hill (with multiple routes up it)0 -
Dannbodge wrote:
I have done it but can't find it on Strava. I hadn't done no7 before, it was really nice. None of them are that major, nothing like Bexley, but for me it is a good ride over there and then doing all 7 didn't leave me with much to get home!
I was being modest - I added 3 more ! https://www.strava.com/activities/14138 ... 5125273633. No wonder I felt strong in the spring last year! I just went to the top by the grandstands and then went down each hill, turned round and came back up.0 -
Mr.Mouse wrote:Coming from Jobsons Lane, turning towards Lickfold there is a tasty little hill on 'Quell Lane'. one to check out if 20%+ is your idea of fun.
and the pub in Lickfold is pretty good too...
Is the Lickfold Inn back open now? I used to frequent that in my yoof but it got closed after a certain Chris Evans bought it, that was many years ago mind!
Yes Bexley Hill is a bit of a pig, love that area and know it well living in Chichester.0 -
been open a few years now. TBH its more of a foodie pub, and part owned by a guy that regularly appears on Saturday Kitchen etc.
They do have a very nice bar snack menu and a pleasant garden out back which has on occasion offered a nice break whilst recovering from the many ups and downs in the area.0 -
as noted above, the road into Hill Brow from Fernhurst is a good one, its fairly consistent until you get to the MTB trail junction and then it starts going up and just gets steeper until the top.
also worth some of your time is to take the left turn off the Petworth Road ( away from Jobson's lane ) towards Shillinglee and through Plaistow etc. Coming into Bedham Hill ( via Glasshouse Lane ) from the North and crossing to Coates. its then easy to hook up to Duncton Hill or some of the others mentioned above from there.0 -
Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:Mr.Mouse wrote:Coming from Jobsons Lane, turning towards Lickfold there is a tasty little hill on 'Quell Lane'. one to check out if 20%+ is your idea of fun.
and the pub in Lickfold is pretty good too...
Is the Lickfold Inn back open now? I used to frequent that in my yoof but it got closed after a certain Chris Evans bought it, that was many years ago mind!
Blimey, there's a name from the past. Used to get in there for a few pints in the early '80s.......
IIRC it was a Free House then - I mostly drank Gales I think.FFS! Harden up and grow a pair
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Seeing some place names I haven't heard of for years here! I went to school in Midhurst for a bit and it's a lovely part of the world but I've have never cycled around there. Must try it sometime.Vaaru Titanium Sram Red eTap
Moda Chord with drop bars and Rival shifters - winter/do it all bike
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I’m sure at some point in the distant future I will have a heart
Attack on Bexley hill0 -
Dannbodge wrote:
http://benracesbikes.blogspot.com/2013/ ... lenge.html
This site explains a route to follow
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