Why this ride
A 373 km one-way ride from near Epping, about 5 h 21 of riding. On the way it passes Harlington, near Marlow, in Capel and Mitcham. The climb of the day is near Kemsing. Much of it runs through woodland.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Surrey Hills and Box Hill Bends · short arc
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 373 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 21
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Fuel stop near Epping
Planning note
Surrey Hills and Box Hill Bends is where the day begins. Next is London motorcycle escapes return.
2. Harlington, on the way back
John Bunyan was arrested near Harlington in November 1660 for preaching without a licence, and he was taken to the manor house in the village to be questioned before being sent to Bedford jail, where he spent twelve years and began writing The Pilgrim's Progress. The house still stands, and an oak in the area, known as Bunyan's Oak, is said to be where he preached.
Read the complete Harlington, on the way back write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
London motorcycle escapes return comes up about 73 km into the recorded legs. Next is Food stop near Marlow.
3. Food stop near Marlow
Marlow has one of the prettiest Thames frontages anywhere, and the white suspension bridge is the reason. It was designed by William Tierney Clark and opened in the early 1830s, and Clark went on to design the Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest, a much larger cousin built on similar lines. Stand by the river on a summer evening, with the church spire behind the bridge and rowers sliding past, and it is hard to imagine a more English scene.
Read the complete Food stop near Marlow write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
A break here. Next is Photo stop in Capel.
4. Photo stop in Capel
Planning note
Photo stop in Capel, about halfway. Next is Surrey Hills and Box Hill Bends checkpoint 8.
5. Mitcham
Mitcham once smelled of lavender. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the fields here supplied much of London's lavender and herbs for perfumes and medicines, and the name still turns up on local street signs. Today it is a dense, busy South London district, but it has kept two large open spaces: Mitcham Common, a wide area of grass, scrub and ponds, and the old cricket green, where the game has been played for centuries, and which the locals will tell you is one of the oldest cricket grounds in the world.
Read the complete Mitcham write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Finish at Surrey Hills and Box Hill Bends checkpoint 8. That is the ride. Next is High point near Kemsing.
6. High point near Kemsing
Planning note
High point near Kemsing is the summit of this stretch. Next is Scenic stretch in Grays.
7. Scenic stretch in Grays
Planning note
Scenic stretch in Grays closes the day.
Leg by leg
Fuel stop near Epping to Harlington, on the way back
Fuel stop near Epping → Harlington, on the way back is 73 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Food stop near Marlow to Photo stop in Capel
Food stop near Marlow → Photo stop in Capel is 88 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Photo stop in Capel to Mitcham
Photo stop in Capel → Mitcham is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
High point near Kemsing to Scenic stretch in Grays
High point near Kemsing → Scenic stretch in Grays is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.