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Surrey Hills 2 - the Return

71 km road cycling route633 m climbing2½–4 hoursGPX

Dorking, England, United Kingdom · Road

A hilly 71 km road cycling route from Dorking, England through Coldharbour, Box Hill Village and Ewell, with 633 m of climbing over Box Hill.

Route contributed by Richard Chapman · Created from a ride on Sunday 31st July 2022

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At a glance

Best for
Short, climbing-heavy rides
Distance
71.2 km
Point to point
Elevation gain
633 m
9 m per km
Riding time
2½–4 hours
moving time, estimated
Difficulty
Moderate
Bike
Road bike with sturdy tyres, or gravel bike
from the mapped surface
Surface
Mostly paved
88% paved · 8% unpaved · 4% no data
Traffic
Mostly minor roads
8.6 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 2.9 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more · 6.6 km on cycle paths or lanes
Food & water
Regular
877 cafés and restaurants · 163 shops · 12 water points · 5 petrol stations · 23 public toilets · 119 bike shops
Navigation
GPX download
free, no sign-in
Start → finish
Dorking

Map and elevation profile

Elevation profile

Total ascent
633 m
Distance
71 km
050100150200250300m0 km20406071 km250 m · highest, at 9.2 kmStartFinish

Route description

  1. Dorking
  2. Coldharbourkm 6
  3. Box Hillkm 24
  4. Box Hill Villagekm 29
  5. Ewellkm 42
  6. Raynes Parkkm 50
  7. West Kensingtonkm 59
  8. Kensingtonkm 61
  9. Belgraviakm 65

Starting in Dorking, the route heads through Coldharbour and Abinger before heading to Westhumble and Box Hill Village. The ride features three main climbs: the first begins near 1.7 km, 2.8 km long, gaining 146 m at an average 5.2%, reaching a top height of 238 m. The second climb starts at 13.6 km, 2.4 km long with 118 m gain averaging 4.9%. The third climb starts at 24.1 km, lasting 3.9 km, 163 m gain at 4.2% average. The highest point is at 9 km, 249 m elevation. The route then descends through Langley Vale, Epsom, and several south-west London suburbs, finishing near Paddington in central London.

Why ride this route?

  • Climbs Box Hill (3.9 km at 4.2 %).

Highlights

  • Climb past Leith Hill (294 m)
  • Box Hill Village at 29 km
  • Three main climbs, highest point 249 m
  • Central London finish near Paddington

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

  1. Coldharbour 5.8 km
  2. Abinger 11.8 km
  3. Westhumble 24 km
  4. Pixham 27.1 km
  5. Box Hill Village 29.3 km
  6. Headley 33 km
  7. Langley Vale 36.9 km
  8. Epsom 40 km
  9. Ewell 42.4 km
  10. Stoneleigh 43.9 km
  11. Worcester Park 45.8 km
  12. West Barnes 48.2 km
  13. Raynes Park 49.9 km
  14. Wimbledon 51.9 km
  15. Putney 56 km
  16. Fulham 57.5 km
  17. West Kensington 59.3 km
  18. Earl's Court 59.8 km
  19. Brompton 60.2 km
  20. South Kensington 60.4 km
  21. Kensington 61.4 km
  22. Bayswater 62.1 km
  23. Knightsbridge 64.3 km
  24. Westminster 65.3 km
  25. Belgravia 65.3 km
  26. London 65.4 km
  27. Mayfair 65.9 km
  28. Paddington 67.2 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
ClimbStarts atOn this rideFull ascentTop on this ride
Unnamed climb1.7 km2.8 km · 146 m · 5.2 % · max 11.5 %—238 m
Unnamed climb13.6 km2.4 km · 118 m · 4.9 % · max 12.4 %—226 m
Box Hill24.1 km3.9 km · 163 m · 4.2 % · max 6.9 %3.9 km · 163 m · 4.2 %207 m

High point 249 m at 9 km; low point 5 m. Passes beneath Leith Hill, Dunley Hill, Juniper Hill.

On this ride: the part this route climbs, cut from its own elevation profile. Full ascent: the whole named climb, measured the same way on every ride that uses it (its climb page).

Box Hill · full ascent, starts at 24.1 km

3.9 km at 4.2% · 163 m
50100150200m5.0%4.5%2.7%0 km1233.9 km207 msteepest 5.0%
< 4%4 – 7%7 – 10%> 10%

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

Mostly minor roads and streets on the map; 8.6 km is on main roads without a cycle lane.

Roads
40% minor road · 17% quiet street · 16% path · 11% main road · 16% other roads and tracks
Main roads
8.6 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads
2.9 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Cycle paths
6.6 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Main roads used
Coldharbour Lane (4 km)
Surface
Predominantly paved: 88% is mapped as paved, 8% as unpaved or gravel and 4% has no surface data.
Gradient
18% climbing · 23% descending · 59% flat
Steep sections
3.6 km over 5% · 1.4 km over 8% · 0.9 km over 10% · steepest 500 m averages 11.2% at 15.5 km
Longest descent
3.1 km from 20.7 km, dropping 138 m

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 877 cafés and restaurants, 163 shops, 12 water points, 5 petrol stations, 23 public toilets and 119 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

  1. 0 kmJax · café · 110 m off route
  2. 0 kmSouth Street Pharmacy · pharmacy · 110 m off route
  3. 5.8 kmThe Shop At The Plough · convenience store · 70 m off route
  4. 7.4 kmLeith Hill Tower · café · 190 m off route
  5. 22.9 kmChimney Fire Coffee · café · 70 m off route
  6. 26.9 kmBox Hill Servery · café · 40 m off route
  7. 33 kmHeadley Village Stores and Tea Room · café · 60 m off route
  8. 36.8 kmTexaco · petrol station · 60 m off route
  9. 43.9 kmCo-op Food · convenience store · on the route
  10. 48.8 kmTesco · petrol station · 280 m off route
  11. 49.7 kmDrinking water · 200 m off route
  12. 50.4 kmToilets · 100 m off route
  13. 56 kmPutney Library · toilets · 60 m off route
  14. 58.1 kmBalfe's Bikes · bike shop · 40 m off route
  15. 59.7 kmDrinking water · 90 m off route
  16. 63.7 kmMount Gate Toilets · toilets · 50 m off route
  17. 65.3 kmHyde Park Corner · bike rental · on the route
  18. 65.9 kmEsso · petrol station · 150 m off route

Need to bail out?

  • 24.1 km — Box Hill & Westhumble (station), 380 m off route
  • 37.7 km — Tattenham Corner (station), 1.3 km off route
  • 44 km — Stoneleigh (station), 100 m off route
  • 55.8 km — Putney (station), 120 m off route
  • 65.3 km — Hyde Park Corner (station), 70 m off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Worth a stop

  • 12.2 km — Abinger Motte (archaeological site)
  • 21.7 km — Radius Bench (viewpoint)
  • 27.1 km — Box Hill Viewpoint (viewpoint)
  • 51.2 km — Southside House (attraction)
  • 56.8 km — Fulham War Memorial (monument)
  • 66.4 km — Speakers' Corner (attraction)

Stay after this ride

  • Vicarage Private Hotel · hotel · 310 m from the finish
  • RGH Staff Hostel · hostel · 200 m from the finish
  • Royal Garden Hotel · hotel · 160 m from the finish
  • Hux Hotel · hotel · 230 m from the finish
  • B’Shan Apartments · apartment · 250 m from the finish

Start and access

Starts at Dorking. Mapped within a short walk of the start and finish, from OpenStreetMap.

At the start

Bikes and repair
Cogs Bicycle Workshop (140 m)
Food and coffee
Jax (110 m), The Cricketers (90 m), The Queen's Head (200 m)

At the finish

Food and coffee
Candella Tea Room (250 m), Cafe Jumo (250 m), Orée (570 m)

Know before you go

  • 7.3 km longest stretch without café, shop or water between 12.2 km and 19.5 km
  • 8.6 km on main roads without cycle lane
  • 2.9 km on fast roads (80 km/h+)
  • 8% gravel or unpaved surface

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

6 photographs from the road

About this route

Ridden by
Richard Chapman
Date ridden
Route line
Built from a GPS recording of the ride.
Elevation
Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services
Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
GPX
Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added
Page last updated

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