Richmond Park 4 Hill Challenge

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Kingston upon Thames, England, GB

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Route Overview

Steve Wells

Road cycling addict...

13 mi.

678 ft.

A great little sprint round Richmond Park taking in 4 short sharp hills in a beautiful park; great for a training ride, or if you're short of time. Richmond Park is one of the favourite haunts for all Surrey cyclists due to the stunning scenery and the added frissance that you might have to dodge a deer or parakeet on the way.

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Route Details

Richmond Park is the favourite haunt of all cyclists in Surrey. It's the perfect training ground with a 20mph speed limit and a nice selection of hills. A lap is about 10km and the scenery is lovely.

The main hills are:
1. Bloomfield - left from Robin Hood gate. A bit of a beast topping out at 12 or 13 percent. Go clockwise round the park to avoid it.
2. Dark Hill - right at the roundabout from Kingston Gate. This is fairly short, but has 2 steep sections which may be even steeper them Bloomfield. 
3. Sawyers  Hill - straight on from Roehampton Gate. This only gets to about 7 or 8 percent at the top, but is the longest hill in the park, ending up at Star and Garter. Going clockwise makes this a fabulous descent but beware - the police caught and fined someone doing 48mph down here
1. Star and Garter - straight on from Kingston Gate. This is a long, steady climb up to Star and Garter much used by cycle commuters wanting too avoid the stop start of Petersham Road. Gentle but challenging if you hit it hard.

# Route

This particular route is a nice climb up Kingston Hill followed by a great little sprint round the Park taking in 3 of the best hills. Under 40 minutes is a great time.

The traffic can get a bit heavy, so do it early morning if going for a time. Otherwise, just enjoy the excellent scenery and watch out for the deer.

* Start at @point[The Albert](d,24.61) on Kingston Hill – 57 Kingston Hill, Norbiton, Surrey KT2 7PX. Don’t forget to log your start time!
* Go up Kingston Hill, then carry on down the other side. When the cycle lane ends just before the big roundabout, go along the pavement, then turn left into Richmond Park
* At the roundabout inside Richmond park, turn left up the fairly steep @point[Bloomfield Hill](d,3554.72) then carry on down the other steep hill to the roundabout.
* At the roundabout, turn right – you’ll go up a few small hills, then a road will enter from the left. Opposite this, there is a road/path that says ‘No Unauthorised Vehicles’, or similar. Don’t worry – doesn’t apply to bikes, turn right down this road and carry on until you hit another road.
* Turn right down the hill – this will take you back to the roundabout where you entered the park. This time, turn left, along a nice long flat road where you can really get a sprint on.
* At the next roundabout, turn left up a slight hill. This is @point[Sawyer’s Hill](d,13452.76) – not too steep, but long. Go over the first roundabout, and carry on to the roundabout at the top of the hill.
* At this roundabout, turn left – you can then fly down the hill for a long way until you hit another roundabout.
* At this roundabout, turn left – you’ll now be going back along the road you came up in step 3. Go up the short steep hill - @point[Dark Hill](d,17843.34), then carry on until you go down the big long steep hill, and finish at the roundabout. Don’t forget to log your finish time!

# Points of Interest

@poi[Roehampton Cafe](1832940) - the famous cafe where thousands of cyclist meet on Sunday mornings to start their laps of the park, or a jaunt out to the Surrey Hills.

@poi[The Albert Arms](1832941) - a great pub to meet before starting the route, or a nice refreshing drink or meal afterwards.

# Notes

* Park opens and closes at dusk, but you can still do it in the dark. Great fun at night, as no traffic, but the odd deer may stroll across the road so have good lights.
* If you want to go on the leaderboard, email me at info@hogsmill.com, and I'll update the blog.

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Richmond Park 4 Hill Challenge

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