Remember the furore when plans were announced to do away with railway station ticket offices? After such an outcry locally, it amazed me that while buying the train ticket for my most recent cycling trip, I observed the majority of people walking straight past the ticket office to use the machine. When it comes to saving any amenity, it's the usual thing - use it or lose it. I used it!
Soon, I was being whisked across the Weald on Kent to Tonbridge and the Surrey town of Redhill. Upon alighting in the Dorking, the drizzle intensified to a steady downpour, so I eschewed my plan to cycle to Leatherhead and caught another train. Why Leatherhead? In truth, the hotel was cheap. Now, this may seem an unusual choice for a 'short break' destination, being a place that you usually bypass on the M25 without so much as a thought, but I can confirm that it is a pleasant little town and it was the home of Michael Caine for many years. And not a lot of people know that! The many-arched road bridge over the River Mole is perhaps the town's most striking feature. The Mole discharges into the Thames in West London.
On the day of my visit I frequented the local branch of Wetherspoons and asked the friendly barman what the 'must see' features of Leatherhead are. He struggled to come up with any and consulted an equally bemused local. In short, it's not a tourist hotspot. I also found a pleasant 'local' down by the river.The weather was slightly better the following day and I rode northeastward. I bridged the M25 on a footpath which led to the suburban Green Lane. Eventually I picked up a wooded byway. The fallen leaves were a particularly striking russet in this area. Climbing steadily, I eventually turned right onto another byway which was once part of Stane Street, the Roman road that ran from London to Chichester. The modern A29 is a significant part of this route and the 'South Downs bridleway' section is a lot more open than its 'North Downs' counterpart which undulates through woodlands, eventually descending to the village of Mickleham.
Here, I did a U-turn northward to ride a loop on farm roads almost back to Leatherhead and down along the sweeping curve of the A24 (the London to Worthing road), which must be one of the most picturesque sections of dual carriageway in the southeast. The above photo reminded me of the 1990s TV series 'Twin Peaks' somewhat. Alas, there was no diner serving cherry pie, but there is a cafe which is claimed to be the oldest biker cafe in England.
I was unlikely to fit in with the 'Easy Riders' on my pushbike, so instead I chained up my steed and sprinted over the seventeen stepping stones across the River Mole (learning from observing the people before me who got wet feet by taking it slowly). I then climbed the stepped path up Box Hill to the summit, with stunning views over Dorking town to Leith Hill, six miles away, which is the highest point in Surrey. Whilst Box Hill is on the chalky North Downs, Leith Hill is on the Greensand Ridge which runs parallel to the Downs. A long-distance footpath, the Greensand Way, follows the ridge all the way from Hamstreet in Kent to Haslemere in the southwest corner of Surrey. I once wrote a book about hiking this route called 'Mud, Sweat and Beers.' Kindle or a physical copy? It's up to you!
I descended from the busy viewing platform via Zig Zag Road, where a lot of cyclists were testing their mettle on the ascent, replicating the cycling event in the London 2012 Olympics. The Olympians, however, had to do nine laps, which must have been absolutely gruelling. I cut off one of the zigzags by using a steep footpath, which was slightly perilous in flat-soled shoes.
Tweaking my brakes, I returned to my bike and rode the paths beside the A24 and A25 to Brockham, a pleasant village around a central green – typically 'Surrey' in feel. I headed for the pub and a man let me put my bike in a shed, informing me that he hoped to fill this with meerkats. Well, why not? I had visited this pub in 2006 on a the aforementioned 'MS&B' walk, and I guess this is what makes the perfect exploration – something old, something new. Adventure with a splash of nostalgia!
Next up, was Reigate. The town centre had the feel of a country town which wouldn't have seemed out of place in the Kentish Weald. I rode through a road tunnel where the access to Reigate Caves can be found, and as I pounded the A25 to Redhill the drizzle began again, and in the words of the gambling adverts, 'When the fun stops, stop.' So I did, and caught my three trains home.
And that was 2024. Not the most cheerful year in terms of world news. When COVID struck, wars stopped, homeless people were brought in from the cold and people worked together to defeat a common enemy (the virus). As soon as it was over, the fighting began again and the homeless were booted back out onto the streets. It's not a good advert for our species, and goodness knows what 2025 will bring now that the Americans have decided to take a second trip to 'Trumpton.' Testosterone is back in fashion around the globe. It looks like humanity had a go at tolerance and went back to hate again en masse. Something old, something new, hey? :-(
