Most of my rides out of London are done from memory. Routes I’ve learned way back from older relatives and riding friends. With maybe a few adjustments over the years that changes over time make necessary.

The ride I led for Lewisham Cyclists needed a bit more work than this though, as I’d decided I’d like to link up Trevereux Hill and Old Polhill to fill our shorter third Saturday ride slot. Both these hills were regulars in my riding once, but for some reason I’ve stopped using them. Another of our ride leaders reminded me about Old Polhill recently and it seemed to offer a pleasing kind of symmetry to do a couple of “roads that are no longer roads” ride.

Well, it’s not really possible to make that a shorter ride from Lewisham itself. To qualify as a shorter countryside ride for Lewisham Cyclists, it needs to be about 35 miles or less. But we’ve recently begun using trains to the edge of the Oyster zone and starting our rides from there. Losing 15 to 20 miles of busy city road means extra miles threading your way through those country lanes in Surrey and Kent, and made linking those two climbs easier.

So, train to Knockholt. Then off, no hill to climb before our first descent! That made a change. The train has already wound its way through a tunnel over the first climb we usually hit when riding out of London.

Star Hill was the descent I’d chosen. I’d recced the ride over the previous couple of weeks in sections on early evening rides with a friend who lives out here. We had descended Brasted on one version. But it’s surface is terrible, even by Kent councils country lanes standards, it’s narrow, has a very, very steep section and drivers use it much more than they used to. We climb it to get back over the North Downs quite often, but its descent is much less safe. So, I scrubbed that as an option.

Star Hill is wide, better surface, and although probably a bit busier with drivers, there’s much more room for them to pass safely. In fact, you can descend so fast, the sharp bend on the way down means most drivers actually don’t pass you anyway.

At the roundabout at the bottom we turn right to use this section of B road to get up to the Pilgrims Way. It can be busy, but you’re not on it long and soon heading up to the ever popular sweep along the North Downs ridge that is the Pilgrims Way.

It’s easy to see and feel why this stretch is so popular, and has been for generations, with cyclists. The views are beautiful, it’s still not too busy with motor traffic and it rises and falls just enough to make even the least fit of us feel we are flying along! And it gives you the pick of routes up or down to make any number of excellent ride choices back to or away from the city.

And there’s also the VeloBarn at Betsoms Farm, on the junction with Westerham Hill for excellent coffee. We were only a few miles into our ride at this point but it made a good necessary toilet stop!

Our choice of descent off the ridge was Clacket Lane, which delivers you to the A25, the big road which hogs the low valley run east to Sevenoaks round here. Cross that to Moorhouse Rd and a climb up to Limpsfield Chart. Tucked into the woods, a few houses, green, old church and access to the top of Trevereux Hill.

I’d never descended this before although had climbed it many times quite regularly until a decade or so ago. Although steep, a bit rough potholes and gravelly, the lack of motor traffic means you can easily pick a safe enough line down. Great for gravel bikes but even on my road bike with 23’s it was fine, if a bit bouncy here and there. All adds to the fun and adventure!

The middle section of this ride twists its way along fairly flat land along the northern edge of Sevenoaks Weald. We stopped by the pond at Four Elms for a quick picnic. I’ve often stopped here in the past before heading up Toys Hill. A last chance to fill up the energy stores. This time we were taking an easier climb up but less steep means longer and the Ide Hill climb is still tough. A couple more miles of gentle countryside then feel if the land under the wheels starts to slowly change until you’ve gradually clicked down through your gears and you’re definitely going up something a bit steep.

I’ve always thought Ide Hill gives you about a mile of climbing up about 300 ft but now there are websites that tell you that kind of stuff. You can discover the actual Climb stats here

The climb takes the easier way up in these parts. Toys and Yorks are the two climbs either side, both harder, busting straight up the steep kick near the end of this hill, rather than following the contours round, like Ide Hill. Yorks is easily the hardest of the two. We had a Catford CC veteran riding with us, who, like me, had climbed Yorks in the past, although much faster than I ever did! As we regrouped at the top of Ide, in front of the cafe, looking out and over the Weald, Bough Beech reservoir glistening in the sun way below and beyond us, he gave us an interesting insight into the history of the old Catford club.

Then we were off again, last curve round and up, then a rolling glide along the top of the Downs before crossing high over the A21 (which is motorway sized at this point) and then heading on a long descent to Sevenoaks.

Into Knole Park, where once again I failed to find the exit I wanted, straight on to St Julian’s Rd. Ended up exiting via a short walk through woodland. Down into Seal, picking up an old track I was amazed to find still there which pops out further up on the Childsbridge Rd then another rider took us on to the bridleway to Otford station. A few riders opted to leave us here but four of us continued on to the last climb, Old Polhill.

I was glad they did. I’ll be honest and admit the times I’ve climbed this on my own, it’s felt a bit lonely and creepy! Even on a sunny day the short tunnel on it is dark and damp and although the rest of the climb is up a lovely wooded hillside, it does have a lost and lonely feel, like many of these forgotten roads do. And I’ll admit to always having had a rather over active imagination. A riding companion or two transforms it for me into an interesting and pretty route up the hill. And no motor traffic means you can pick the easiest line up with no worries at all. Hard to imagine it was once the main road down here.

At the top, our quickest rider was already chatting to someone outside the open door of the impressive building there. For a second, I thought the old pub (which it once was) had been opened up again. But, no, it’s still just a furniture shop, albeit an attractive and welcoming one! For anyone interested, a link to the buildings history. http://www.dover-kent.com/2014-project/Polhill-Arms-Halstead.html

We were soon back at Knockholt. Time for a little chat and review of the ride in the few minutes before the train pulled in.

I’ll do this ride again. Loved it. Old Polhill was a lovely way to end it and would be terrific at bluebell time I reckon. Also, thinking about a longer version that could go further south.

Thanks to all who came along.