We always hear about great cycle routes in Surrey. The challenge comes when you’re not all on bikes and therefore don’t need a full on cycling trail. POD has come on leaps and bounds with her cycling since she got her new bike at Christmas. With us mostly on foot, we’ve been on the hunt for places that are great for her to enjoy the independence cycling brings but not too challenging for the two of us! Here are our favourites so far.
The River Wey and Godalming Navigations (National Trust) are walking distance away so ideal if we’re wanting somewhere close. There are 20 miles of these waterways in all but we typically take a much shorter route and loop back on ourselves towards Stoke Park. The canal paths are wide and flat so they’re great for cycling plus she POD check out the locks en route.
Alice Holt Forest (Forestry Commission) is where we’ve been the most for POD to practice her cycling. There are numerous cycle routes and waymarked trails plus we can hire bikes for ourselves if we want to as well. We have done a few times now and it’s a lot less challenging cycling with POD rather than trying to keep up with her. Before Christmas POD would spend more time walking than she would cycling, there’s no stopping her now. She loves her Frog bike and only gets off it temporarily now to climb trees.
Two places we’ve explored on foot before now but will be great for cycling are Bookham Commons and Abinger Roughs (both National Trust). Bookham Commons has footpaths and bridleways set in 450 acres of ancient oak woodland, grassland plains, ponds and wetlands with Abinger Roughs offering woodland with ancient trees and grasslands. Both have trails that are suitable for budding cyclists.
Finally, we’ve discovered Virginia Water Lake is brilliant for cycling. There is lots to explore at Windsor Great Park but the 4-mile loop of the lake is an ideal length for POD to cycle and for us to walk. There’s plenty to see along the way like the cascade waterfall, monuments and the one hundred foot totem pole with trails either concrete or waymarked.
We’re hoping to find more cycling trails of a similar length to Virginia Water over the coming weeks. If you know of any in Surrey or the surrounding areas where POD can cycle but we walk (or run!) do let us know!
Virginia Water is my favourite, I practically live there when the weather’s dry x
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