A short spin around the trails in Oxleas Wood and the Eltham Commons. This ride will suit those who merely wish to amble around the woods or those with mountain bking aspirations who want to test the limits. The cafe at the top of Shooters Hill is an ideal place for both a cheap lunch and for cyclists to get back together after they've headed off on different trails.

Report

There were 5 of us at Cutty Sark Gardens, Ian, David, Laurence and 5 year old Nadia with dad Mark. Nadia at 5 years old I think now holds the record for being the youngest person on a Lewisham Cyclists ride and definitely the youngest on one of our more off road/mountain bike rides. Dad was going to be doing most of the work though as Nadia’s bike was a trailer bike.

Our route up to Oxleas was as direct as it could be without going on the busy A2 Shooters Hill Road. Up through Greenwich Park across Blackheath , along St John’s Park under the subway at Sun in the Sands roundabout and past Glenda Jackson’s old house in Hervey Rd. On along Merriman Rd, Farjean Rd. Wricklemarsh Rd, Corelli Rd and Broad Walk before emerging opposite Eltham Common. All these road names don’t mean much to me except that I just read them off a map and they contribute to a quiet ride up to the woods from CSG.

We ride diagonally across Eltham Common to Shooters Hill and then take the road entrance into the woods and Sevendroog Castle. Mark and Nadia take a little fall as Mark tries to turn off his suspension for an easier climb.

The paths are failry wet and slippery but as we emerge from Jack Wood into Oxleas Meadows we are met with a sign that things are going to get worse. We settle for a cup of tea at the café and watch hoards of mud spattered cross country runners struggle up the hill to the car park. Fortunately for us their event was over but we were going to experience the effects on the trails of having a couple of hundred runners having just stampeded over the ground.

Mark and Nadia leave us at the café and head for a tarmac route back to Bromley. Laurence David and I spend an hour or so battling the churned up trail before heading off from the woods over Woolwich Common, through Charlton and Marion Wilson Parks to the Thames Barrier. It was nice to see that a U type barrier had been erected in Hornfair Park, plenty of space to easily wheel your bike around this if not ride it. A couple of times recently I’ve been through here to find the gate locked. This new arrangement should always see the path open here.

Laurence leaves us at the Thames Barrie to head back to Thamesmead and David and I amble along the river stopping on the protected wharf to watch 3 intrepid sailors right there capsized yacht.

3 hours
20 miles

Thanks those of you that came. It was a good day out.

Ian Pendleton.