Redhill – Nutfield Marsh – Bletchingley – Tandridge – Blindley Heath – Smallfield – Horley
This is a repeat (sort of) of a ride we did on 27 July 2014. If you want a flavour of it, do look at Suzanne’s amazing, record-breaking (well, it would be if there were any records to break) “acrostic” ride report here.
We’ll start off across Nutfield Marsh, with its associated lovely nature reserves, along NCN21, then continue south-eastwards, passing through Bletchingley and arriving at our lunch stop, the Griffin (which is in the process of changing its name to The Brickmakers, which was apparently its original name) in Tandridge Lane.
In the blurb back in 2014 I referred to “the ominous cow-infested swamps of Blindley Heath”, which was a reference to an earlier ride we did in September 2008, from which we were lucky to escape alive, though not unmuddied. Happily I can confirm that we will be skirting the Heath this time, not going through it. We return along Croydonbarn Lane to Smallfield, then Horley. If, as last time, there is a collective wish to continue to Gatwick through the lovely Riverside Garden Park, we can do that, and get the train from Gatwick.
Practicalities:
Start at Redhill station down side (platform 3) exit at 11:00
Getting there: Take the 09:42 Bedford train from Brighton and change at Three Bridges.
Getting back: Trains from Horley are hourly, at 1 minute past the hour. Trains from Gatwick are more frequent.
Length: About 19 miles
Duration: About 5 hours
Terrain: Mostly quiet lanes and good quality Sustrans-standard cycle path (NCN21) May be a bit muddy for a brief stretch near Bletchingley.
Undulations: Not many.
Undue undulations: None.
Jim.
