Epsom Downs forms part of the chalky North Downs although there are plenty of muddy areas that can get boggy depending on the time of year. There are plenty of cyclists using all of these routes plus hikers, ramblers and horse riders so take care on blind corners and always give way to other trail users. The bridleways can get pretty churned up at peak times. Similarly, the main bridleways are regularly re-laid and have more of a ‘fire road’ character until they bed in properly.

There are dozens of routes that traverse Epsom Downs. We use these main routes as the basis of our rides and tend to add or subtract various sections of trail depending on weather conditions, personal preference or perhaps someone has just discovered a new trail that we haven't ridden before.

So here are the main routes for you:

Epsom Downs easy route 1

This route is around 8 miles and can be completed in 50 minutes weather permitting. A nice route for those freezing January mornings when you don’t want to be out too long or a quick evening ride in the summer.

• To get to the Car Park, follow Tattenham corner road towards Tattenham Corner.
• At the mini-roundabout, turn onto the racecourse, crossing the course and following the road round to the left (if in the car) or the bridleway S.A. (if on your bike) to the car park at the crest of the hill.
• To start the route, exit right from the Car Park for 150 yards, turning left across the racecourse to follow the bridleway. After 200 yards fork left and you will come to the open expanse of down land. Go straight across this to the tree line at the foot of the hill and you are at the foot of Ebbisham Lane which we refer to as the ‘killer climb’. This is really just a gently rising rutted road surface but seems to go on forever, as your legs haven’t quite warmed up yet.
• At the top of the climb, turn right at the road junction onto Hurst Road then a quick left down a nice fast bridleway. Follow this to the bottom then turn right to climb up towards Headley. You will pass under the M25 and end up at the road junction on Church Lane.
• Turn right here, continuing S.A. past the post office and pub on your right and turn left down Slough Lane. About halfway down, turn right onto a signposted bridleway that rises gently. Carry on S.A. past Nower Wood until you come to Mill Way.
• Cross the road and turn right then S.A. for 200 yards until you come to a parking area. Take the right hand fork and follow this downhill for half a mile until you come to a crossroads of trails. Turn right at the crossroads onto Stane Street, a Roman Road (signposted). Follow this back to Mill Way.
• Straight over the road and you are at the foot of the ‘wall’. This is granny ring stuff but not too long a climb. But just when you think you have made it to the top, the ground becomes a morass of mud (in winter) and saps the last remaining bit of energy out of you.
• Straight over The Drive and follow the trail once more. This will lead you back over the M25 eventually coming out at a 30 acres barn. Follow Shepherds Walk up to the top and you are at the junction of Headley Road and Langley Vale.
• On your right is the entrance to a bridleway that takes you across the road and then parallel to the road until the bottomof the hill.
• Turn right towards Langley Bottom Farm, following the bridleway to the left of the farm and after half a mile turn left up a short steep tarmac road.
• Once into the woods, turn right and follow the trail back to the car park

Leave a note on the forum and let me know what you think of the route.

Epsom Downs easy route 2

This route is based on easy route 1 but is around 9 miles and includes a little bit of roadwork but has a fantastic downhill that is well worth the effort.

• To get to the Car Park, follow Tattenham corner road towards Tattenham Corner.
• At the mini-roundabout, turn onto the racecourse, crossing the course and following the road round to the left (if in the car) or the bridleway S.A. (if on your bike) to the car park at the crest of the hill.
• To start the route, exit right from the Car Park for 150 yards, turning left across the racecourse to follow the bridleway. After 200 yards fork left and you will come to the open expanse of down land. Go straight across this to the tree line at the foot of the hill and you are at the foot of Ebbisham Lane which we refer to as the ‘killer climb’. This is really just a gently rising rutted road surface but seems to go on forever, as your legs haven’t quite warmed up yet.
• At the top of the climb, turn right at the road junction onto Hurst Road then a quick left down a nice fast bridleway. Follow this to the bottom then turn right to climb up towards Headley. You will pass under the M25 and end up at the road junction on church Lane.
• Turn right here, continuing S.A. past the post office and pub on your right and turn left down Slough Lane. About halfway down, turn right onto a signposted bridleway that rises gently*. Carry on S.A. past Nower Wood until you come to Mill Way.
• Cross the road and turn right then S.A. for 200 yards until you come to a parking area. Take the right hand fork and follow this downhill for half a mile until you come to a crossroads of trails. Turn right at the crossroads onto Stane Street, a Roman Road (signposted). Follow this back to Mill Way.
• Straight over the road and you are at the foot of the ‘wall’. This is granny ring stuff but not too long a climb. But just when you think you have made it to the top, the ground becomes a morass of mud (in winter) and saps the last remaining bit of energy out of you.
• Straight over The Drive and follow the trail once more. This will lead you back over the M25 eventually coming out at a 30 acres barn. Follow Shepherds Walk up to the top and you are at the junction of Headley Road and Langley Vale.
• Turn right onto Headley Road and then fork left onto Walton road.
• Turn left onto Hurst Road for a fast tarmac downhill followed by a long climb back to the top where you meet the Ebbisham Lane junction.
• Turn left onto the bridleway 10 yards before the junction and you are on a great piece of fast singletrack. Follow this to the bottom, turning left and then first right climbing diagonally across the downs.
• Once you are across the grass and into the tree line, turn right and follow the bridleway back to the car park.

Leave a note on the forum and let me know what you think of the route.

*Thanks to Jules for pointing out the route correction here

The Big Eight

This ranges across the North Downs and so is mainly chalk but there are some muddy areas that can get boggy depending on the time of year. There are more road sections on this route than we normally use but they link some very good tracks and so it’s well worth slumming it for short sections. I am confident the directions are correct but it would be a good idea to plot it on an OS map beforehand (or come out with us and we will show you – much more fun).

• Starting from the car park inside Epsom Downs racecourse, turn right and after about 100 yards turn left across the racecourse. After 200 yards fork left and you will come to the open expanse of down land. Go straight across this to the tree line at the foot of the hill and you are at the foot of the ‘killer climb’. This seems like a gently rising rutted road surface but seems to go on forever, as your legs haven’t quite warmed up yet.

• At the top of the hill there is a small junction - take the road left towards Walton on the Hill. Follow this to the next junction and turn right, then follow the road through the centre of Walton on the Hill.

• At the next junction, turn right and follow the road for about 400 yards until you get to a small roundabout near the Pfizer offices.
• Turn left as though you are going into the offices then immediately right onto the bridleway. Follow the bridleway for about half a mile until you get to a short, usually boggy, downhill that is in a cutting. CARE: You do not want to go to the foot of this descent. Take the small rise to your left which should be signposted 'North Downs Way'.
• Turn left up the small crest and then follow the North Downs Way for about 3 miles. At one point, you come out of the trees to a field and turn right, dropping sharply to go around the outside of the field. Follow the trail turning left at the bottom of the field, along the bottom and then turn left again, climbing sharply. This route joins up with the North Downs Way (NDW) and you can follow the signposts.
• There is short section that is like a fenced alley. When you get to the end of this turn left then right to rejoin the NDW. Continue to follow this, keeping straight ahead at the gate and you will now be heading along the crest of the hill with fantastic views to your right.
• You have now completed the first loop of the figure of eight.
• Keep straight ahead crossing the white bridge over the road at Reigate Hill and you eventually end up at the NT café.
• Go through the car park towards the exit. Go straight over Wray Lane onto a bridleway for a fast, steep, rocky downhill. Keep left until you reach the road at the bottom of the hill. Turn right and you join a road – right again and this leads through a private school. Turn right sharply at the junction onto another rocky bridleway and follow this, slight downhill then climbing gently. The trail levels out and you pass a stable on your right. Keep straight on, meeting the A242. Turn right, then in less than a mile, turn first right and start climbing up another road. Follow this until it narrows and then turn left onto a bridleway that drops down from the side of the road.
• You emerge onto the A217, further down Reigate Hill. Turn left, downhill and follow the road until the bend, taking a bridleway on the right about 10 yards past the 30 sign. This climbs gently, past a green cottage. Keep following the trail and you come to another junction.
• Turn right and start climbing steeply up Colley Hill. This is a very chalk, exposed slope and there are large steps cut out of the slope with a number of water channels coming down the hill.
• Pass the monument and keep on climbing, through the gate to the top of the hill.
• You are now back on the NDW, in the centre of the figure of eight.
• Go straight across the NDW, through the gate heading along Margery Lane. Cross the M25 and down a slight slope to the Margery Wood car park. There is a trail leading straight ahead, near the entrance to the Car Park. Follow this heading towards Mogador. Cross Mogador Road and carry on the trail.
• You are now skirting the edge of Walton Heath golf course. Follow this going straight ahead until you meet the Dorking Road. There is a footpath straight ahead, but ignore this and turn right then left onto a bridleway after about 100 yards.
• There are multiple trails here but keep generally straight ahead heading for Walton on the Hill. You emerge on the green near the Blue Ball pub and the Mere pond.
• Turn left to go through the village again then turn right down Ebbisham Lane.
• You arrive back at the junction at the top of the killer climb. Go past the junction for about 15 yards then turn right down another bridleway. This is another great rocky narrow downhill known as the Gulley. This is because of the gulley that you get stuck in which is so narrow you cannot pedal.
• You finally emerge at the bottom, turning left then a quick right and follow the trail climbing across Epsom Downs. Into the woods at the top then turn right and follow the trail back to the car park.

The trail is 17 miles in length and can be completed within 2 hours. Leave a note on the forum and let me know what you think of the route.

The trail can also be completed in reverse to give you a different challenge.

Box Hill and back

• To get to the Car Park, head towards Tattenham Corner.

•  At the mini-roundabout, turn onto the racecourse, crossing the course and following the road round to the left (if in the car) or the bridleway S.A. (if on your bike) to the car park at the crest of the hill.

• Exit right from the Car Park for 50 yards, turning left across the racecourse to follow the bridleway.

• After 100 yards, fork left following the trail over the crest and down the other side of the hill to Ebbisham Lane

• Cross the horse track and start climbing up Ebbisham Lane (tarmac for 1 mile)

• At the top, turn right at the T-junction, and then after 100 yards turn left onto a bridleway.

• Follow this downhill for half a mile, turning right at the junction to climb towards the M25

• Pass under the M25 taking the left fork towards Headley.

•  At the road, turn left and after half a mile, turn right at the fork and then immediately left onto a bridleway.

• Follow this for 1 mile onto Headley Heath, turning left at the T-junction

• Carry on the bridleway, forking right until you reach Box Hill Road.

• Turn right continuing along the road for a mile and a half to the National Trust Cafe at the top of Box Hill

• After imbibing some suitable refreshment, turn left out of the café, and left again to follow the bridleway past Box Hill fort. This leads to a fast, steep chalky descent to the foot of Box Hill.

•  Turn right onto the Old London Road following this until you reach the T-junction

• Turn right along Headley Road then immediately left onto the bridleway (Downs Road), climbing steeply and skirting the edge of Juniper Hill Wood.

• S.A. at the x-roads onto Stane Street. Continue following this North for approx. 4 miles, forking right at the T-junction and S.A. at the x-roads. Cross the B2033, climbing steeply up next to the golf course.

• Continue S.A. crossing ‘The Drive’ and Headley Road, over the M25 and finishing with a nice fast downhill along Pebble Lane. Exit past the stables, along Shepherd’s Walk to the junction.

• Turn right along Headley Road, forking left along Walton Road. Follow this for a mile. Just beyond where the road turns into the trees, turn left onto a sandy bridleway (Sheepwalk). This is a moderate downhill. At the junction turn left then fork right climbing through the woods.

• This exits onto a tarmac path, climb up this into the treeline and then follow the path back to the car park.

The trail is about 15 miles in length and can be completed within 2 hours. Leave a note on the forum and let me know what you think of the route.

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