Cotswolds Mountain Biking Guide

Well researched and ridden, each route features:

» Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps » easy-to-follow directions » details of distance, timings and difficulty gradings » refreshment stops and local knowledge A Bonus Section includes details of the technical riding at Leckhampton Hill, the extensive trail network at the nearby Forest of Dean, and top tens for singletrack, downhills and climbs.

PRICE: £14.95

660f Cotswolds MTB Covers & Spine.indd 1

660F VG 12/09

Cotswolds Mountain Biking – 20 Classic Rides features 20 of the best mountain bike rides in the Cotswolds, between 14km and 77km in length, suitable for all levels of mountain bikers.

COTSWOLDS MOUNTAIN BIKING – 20 Classic Rides

designed & published by Vertebrate Publishing

20 Classic Rides

Written by

Tom Fenton 08/12/2009 10:24

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20 Classic Rides

Written by

Tom Fenton 660f Cotswolds MTB Inside.indd 3

08/12/2009 10:40

20 Classic Rides Copyright

© 2010 Vertebrate Graphics Ltd and Tom Fenton

Published by Vertebrate Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, or mechanised, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems – without the written permission of the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-906148-14-0 Front cover photo: Tom Fenton descending from Bury Ramparts on Route 17.

Back cover photo: Stinchcombe Hill singletrack near Dursley.

Photography by John Coefield.

All maps reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright. 100025218 Design and production by Nathan Ryder. www.v-graphics.co.uk

Every effort has been made to achieve accuracy of the information in this guidebook.

The authors, publishers and copyright owners can take no responsibility for: loss or injury (including fatal) to persons; loss or damage to property or equipment; trespass, irresponsible riding or any other mishap that may be suffered as a result of following the route descriptions or advice offered in this guidebook. The inclusion of a track or path as part of a route, or otherwise recommended, in this guidebook does not guarantee that the track or path will remain a Right of Way. If conflict with landowners arises we advise that you act politely and leave by the shortest route available. If the matter needs to be taken further then please take it up with the relevant authority.

PLEASE GIVE WAY TO HORSES AND PEDESTRIANS.

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Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii How to Use this Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii Rights of Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix The Bike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x Essential Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x General Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi In the Event of an Accident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii Rules of the (Off) Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii Planning Your Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii Maps & Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii Cotswolds Mountain Biking – Area Map & Route Finder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

SECTION 1 – Classics

SECTION 3 – Enduros Enduros Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 13 u Crudwell Classic – 44km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 14 u Birdlip – 29km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 15 u Snowshill – 30km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 16 u Bisley – 30km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 17 u Cam & Uley – 25km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 18 u Wotton-under-Edge – 21/40km . 111

SECTION 4 – Killers Killers Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Classics Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi 1 u Cotswold Water Park – 15km . . . . . . 5 2 u Cold Aston – 13km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3 u Blockley & Broad Campden – 21km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4 u Charlbury Classic – 29km . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5 u Bredon Hill – 20km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

SECTION 2 – Epics

19 u Nailsworth to Wotton-under-Edge – 59km . . . 125 20 u Winchcombe Beast – 77km . . . . . . 135

SECTION 5 – BONUS SECTION Bonus Section Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Leckhampton Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Top Ten Climbs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

28

6 u Winchcombe & Cleeve Hill – 20km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7 u Charlbury & Shipton – 28km . . . . .

8 u Bibury – 30km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9 u Guiting Power – 28km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 u Castle Combe – 27km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11 u Naunton – 34km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 u Nailsworth – 30km . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33 39 45 51 57 63 69

Epics Introduction

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

151

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

152

The Forest of Dean Top Ten Downhills

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

154

Top Ten Singletracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Appendix

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

158

ROUTE GRADES u = MEDIUM u = HARD u = EXTREME (see page viii)

CONTENTS

v

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The author and hazel woodland take a break above Uley

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Introduction Ask any mountain biker about the Cotswolds and they’ll tell you about mud.

I’m going to do the same.

My first Cotswolds ride was in the gloopy depths of winter. The ground was covered in a glue-like mire which stuck to everything. My bike doubled in weight. My wheels jammed. I slipped over, threw the bike into a ditch and sulked.

The following descent saved the day. I slid sideways between trees, slithered around corners and, when the inevitable finally happened, landed in the now welcome thick and soft mud.

Thanks to that descent, I ignored the mud and carried on riding in the Cotswolds.

I’ve been out in proper ‘winter wonderlands’ when thick, clean snow has blurred the lines between bridleways, fields and lanes. I’ve kicked up smoky clouds of dust as I sped along sun-baked trails and I’ve ambled easily through summer evenings. I’ve hit the root-infested downhill runs at Leckhampton Hill as hard as I can and have definitely enjoyed a post-ride beer or two in village pub beer gardens.

I’ve had a lot of fun.

Do the same. Ignore the mud or pick a dry day and you’ll find some great trails.

There’s riding in the Cotswolds for everybody. In the east, the rolling farmland, beautiful scenery and miles of easy tracks are unbeatable for a relaxed day out. Over to the west, the steep-sided hills and thick woodland create enough technical descents and tricky climbs to satisfy the most demanding rider. And if they don’t, the tight corners, slick roots and big jumps on the downhill runs at Leckhampton Hill definitely will do.

Tom Fenton

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INTRODUCTION

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Wo

M50

A40

Glouc

Cotswolds area map and route finder

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

xiv

Cotswold Water Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p5 Cold Aston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p9 Blockley & Broad Campden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p13 Charlbury Classic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p17 Bredon Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p23 Winchcombe & Cleeve Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p33 Charlbury & Shipton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p39 Bibury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p45 Guiting Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p51 Castle Combe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p57 Naunton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p63 Nailsworth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p69 Crudwell Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p79 Birdlip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p87 Snowshill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p93 Bisley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p99 Cam & uley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p105 Wotton-under-Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p111 Nailsworth to Wotton-under-Edge. . . . . . . . . . . p125 Winchcombe Beast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p135

A48

FOREST OF DEAN Stonehouse

17

M5

Dursley

Nailswo

18 Wotton-under-Edge M5

Thornbury

A4 M5 A46

M4

Yate

M4

Bristol A46

A4

Bath

COTSWOLDS MTB – 20 CLASSIC RIDES

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S

A419

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Stratford-upon-Avon

A422

Worcester

A429

A46

M40

A44

Pershore M5

A38

Evesham Shipton-on-Stour

A46

A44

Broadway

5

M50

A46

15

A429

A44

3

Snowshill

Tewkesbury

Moreton-in-Marsh

M5

20

6

A429 A44

Stow-on-the-Wold

9

Cheltenham

11

A40

Leckhampton Hill

M5

Gloucester

Banbury

Chipping Campden

A436

A429

4

2

Shipton

7

A40

Northleach

14

Chipping Norton

Charlbury Charlbur

A44

A40

Burford

A417 A429

Painswick

A40

16 Stonehouse

A417

Cirencester

A419

sley

8

Bibury

Stroud

A419

Nailsworth

12

Fairford A419

19 1

A433

Tetbury

nder-Edge

A429

Cricklade

13

A419

Malmesbury

A433

A420

Swindon

A46 A429

M4

2 mi 5 km

M4

M4

M4

10

Chippenham

A346 M4

A4

6

A350

h

A350

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Cotswolds AREA mAP & ROUTE fINDER COTSwOLDS – AREA MAP & ROUTE FINDER

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1

SECTION Classics

A quick blast after work, a night loop you can finish before your lights die, or a ride to squeeze in when time is short. That’s a classic. They’re not long, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy…

Good, solid rides that all riders should enjoy.

Classics sponsored by www.sealskin z . c o m

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leafy woodland near cleveley (route 4)

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Take care at the CotswOld Water Park! (Route 1)

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COTSWOLDS – CLASSICS

3

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02 Cold Aston

13km

Introduction

Fields of sheep, pleasant countryside and easy-but-enjoyable riding. This is a winner if you’re after a short/quick/easy (delete as appropriate) ride. Similar in distance to the Water Park route, this is a noticeably harder ride. While never difficult, there are loose tracks, rutted fields and a couple of steep sections to contend with – it’s a proper bike ride!

Despite crossing a couple of fields which can get a bit soggy in wet weather, the route does well in winter. Set right in the middle of the Cotswolds, the scenery is every bit as picturesque as you might expect and the villages along the way – Hazleton and Cold Aston – add a bit of rural charm, which is always nice.

SALPERTON PARK

0

Leave Cold Aston on the road, spinning easily past farms and into the countryside.

The tarmac surface soon begins to deteriorate, rapidly turning into a wide stone-based track. This runs all the way to Hazleton via a couple of fast descents and taxing climbs. It also passes through the outskirts of Turkdean – a village with roots tracing back to Roman times. Dropping away from Hazleton the return leg of the ride begins, rattling across farmland to Notgrove. From here, a particularly pleasing bridleway straight-lines its way up a narrow strip of woodland, dodging roots and ploughing through piles of leaves all the way back to Cold Aston.

ALTITUDE PROFILE

Metres

255

The Ride

0 Km

2

Cold Aston

4

6

8

10

12

GRADE: u

Total Distance: 13km » Total Ascent: 300m » Time: 1–2 hours » Start/Finish: Cold Aston Village Centre Start Grid Ref: SP 129197 » parking: On-street, Cold Aston » Satnav: GL54 3BN » OS Map: Landranger 163 PUB: The Plough, Cold Aston, Tel: 01451 821 459 » Café: Bring sandwiches

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02 Cold Aston – GRADE u

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Directions – Cold Aston Head west out of Cold Aston towards Notgrove. Turn L as you leave the village and follow the lane through the farm onto a dirt track. Follow this, ignoring all turnings, to the road in Turkdean.

2 At the T-junction, turn R and then immediately L, passing through the farm and

through a gate onto a wide track. Follow this track into and along the valley to two gates. Go through the left-hand gate and climb gradually to the village of Hazleton.

3 Once in Hazleton, turn R at the first road junction and go SA at the crossroads. Go SA

over the house drive and follow grassy tracks along field edges. Drop through woods and keep SA up the obvious track. Go through the gate and turn R at the T-junction.

4 Follow the wide track past the houses and continue SA into fields. Drop SA to a gate

and turn R beyond it, aiming for a lone tree. Go through next gate and turn L uphill, following grassy tracks and a tarmac lane to the road.

5 Turn L and then R to Notgrove. Continue SA at the road junction and follow the road

to a sharp hairpin formed by a stone wall. Follow bridleway signs through a wide metal gate and drop across the field beyond before climbing to a second gate. Turn R and then L onto an obvious bridleway running through the narrow woods. At the road, turn R and ride back to Cold Aston.

10

COTSWOLDS MTB – 20 CLASSIC RIDES

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02 Cold Aston © Crown Copyright and/or database right. All rights reserved. Licence number 100025218.

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02 Cold Aston – GRADE u

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Well researched and ridden, each route features:

» Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps » easy-to-follow directions » details of distance, timings and difficulty gradings » refreshment stops and local knowledge A Bonus Section includes details of the technical riding at Leckhampton Hill, the extensive trail network at the nearby Forest of Dean, and top tens for singletrack, downhills and climbs.

PRICE: £14.95

660f Cotswolds MTB Covers & Spine.indd 1

660F VG 12/09

Cotswolds Mountain Biking – 20 Classic Rides features 20 of the best mountain bike rides in the Cotswolds, between 14km and 77km in length, suitable for all levels of mountain bikers.

COTSWOLDS MOUNTAIN BIKING – 20 Classic Rides

designed & published by Vertebrate Publishing

20 Classic Rides

Written by

Tom Fenton 08/12/2009 10:24