FREEMAN ROSS HAMILTON'S GUIDE TO CYCLING
27 JANUARY 2025
Once a relatively sparsely populated and rustic area despite its proximity to London, present-day Surrey is prime commuter-belt territory. Even so, the county has not lost its rural charm. As well as boasting many Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is England’s most wooded county. Moreover, Surrey has a long connection with cycling. When the riding craze first hit Britain in the 1800s, the Surrey town of Ripley was quickly dubbed the ‘Mecca of all good cyclists’. Surrey roads made up much of the annual RideLondon event, itself an extension of the 2012 Olympic road-cycling route.
His book details 21 hand-picked rides, ranging from 14 to 44 km. Most are aimed at beginners and leisure cyclists, while some offer adventurous riders a more challenging experience. The book details cycling routes between Medieval churches, along a Roman road, visiting Guildford Castle or Newark Abbey, a four-thousand-year-old yew tree, biking between nature reserves and country houses, or having a drink at the UK’s smallest pub."