A killer loop of the Quantocks
The Quantock Hills is a range of hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty consisting of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land.
This ride takes in the full extent of the Quantocks from the north at Quantoxhead to the south at Triscombe. Starting at the western side of the Quantocks in Halford, the ride starts with a climb which sets the scene for things to come, the theme of the ride being climb, descend, repeat...
If the full ride of 30km+ and 1000m of climbing is too much the ride can be split into multiple rides as it crosses itself several times. For most of the ride once you reach the top of the climb it's time to head on down and when you're at the bottom it's time to head back up. The descents vary in technicality nothing to dramatic, although should you wish to you can hear off into the trails at Triscombe for some added adventure.
The climbs whilst they are long and steep in places there is nothing too technical, just rewarding views at the top out to the Bristol channel to the north and somerset to the south. Having said that the climbs and descents are mega technical don't be fooled into thinking this is an easy ride. The length and amount of climbing in the ride do make it a challenge. The first time I ride it we had to admit defeat about halfway round as the rain was coming down that hard it was impossible to read the map and visibility was so bad we couldn't see where to go anyway.
On a good day this is an epic ride that makes it worth travelling for. If you are travelling any distance it really is worth staying for more than a day as there is plenty of other riding, either local exploring more of the Quantocks or the trails at Triscombe or to Exmoor.
Quantocks Mountain Bike Route
| Distance | 32km |
| Time | 1.5-2.5hrs |
| Climbing | 1100m |
| Starting location | Holford |
| Pubs, cafes | |
| Parking | Car park |
| Route | View route on Strava View route on Garmin Download GPX |
| Photos | View Photos on Flickr |
| Videos | View Videos on YouTube |
South West Mountain Biking, covering the Quantocks, Exmoor and Dartmoor with routes that take in different terrains for all abilities. Grab a copy on Amazon now.
Don't forget to check out my favourite South West routes!
Did you try this out? Comment here!