Not one White horse but two
This route from Cherhill takes in not one but two white horses, although Cherhill White Horse is the closest to the start of the ride we don't actually go near it until the final descent. The first horse is in fact the Devizes White Horse which we don't see until the return journey.
The route is at it's best in the dry, making it pretty much a summer only route, the chalk base not lending itself to wet weather. That being said in the dry it makes a great ride. It's a mixture of gravel track and wooded single track, with only a little road. Each woodland offers option of trail choice and the option to ride a few different lines.
The First section is a climb over the White Horse hill before dropping down the first descent, open single track down to the first gravel track. The gravel tracks in this ride although there to connect the single track sections are fast and flowing. The first feature is a bomb hole on top of a hill, this creates a little bit of a playground for mountain bikers. The next two sections of single track are actually quite close to each other, although the ride between the end of one and the beginning of the other is a little bit further.
These two wooded sections of single track again offer the option to ride a few different trails before continuing on. The route then winds its way back to the Cherhill White Horse passing the Devizes White horse on the way. The track between the two white horses are fast gravel track (careful not to overshoot the turnings), before climbing back up the first descent.
Cherhill Mountain Bike Route
Distance | 26km |
Time | 1.5-2.5hrs |
Climbing | 640m |
Starting location | Monkton Combe |
Pubs, cafes | The Whitehorse |
Parking | Street |
Route | View route on Strava |
Photos | View Photos on Flickr |
Videos | View Videos on YouTube |
Above the white horse is the Lansdowne monument
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