The Hidden Wonders of Zone 6: Boundary Rides Gift Guide Book and All 10 Rides
Ten gravel rides. Thirty discoveries. One circle round London.
The Hidden Wonders of Zone 6 is a printed A5 gift guide book and the complete Boundary Rides collection in one: GPX routes and ride guides for all ten rides, from Rainham round the capital's outer edge and back again.
Most people only pass through the outer suburbs. These rides stop to look. Each one runs station to station by bridleway, byway and cycle path, past a church beside a factory, a medieval wall painting, a world garden dreamed up in captivity and a steel figure standing in the Thames.
A whole circuit to collect. Or simply your next good day out.
As featured in Cyclist magazine and recommended by the London Cycling Campaign.
What's in the Box
The guide book: 32 pages, A5, with an illustrated map of the whole circuit, a route map for every ride, three discoveries per ride, seven wonders to look out for, a discovery passport and a For and From page for gifts.
The downloads: a QR code and web address in the guide book open a download page for guide book owners, with the GPX file and ride guide for every ride.
The rides: ten rides of 22 to 37 km, around 306 km (190 miles) in total.
Includes: printed guide book, 10 GPX route files and 10 downloadable ride guides
The Ten Rides
1. Rainham to Harold Wood
2. Harold Wood to Enfield Lock
3. Enfield Lock to Mill Hill Broadway
4. Mill Hill Broadway to West Ruislip
5. West Ruislip to Feltham
6. Feltham to Cheam
7. Cheam to Whyteleafe
8. Upper Warlingham to Knockholt
9. Knockholt to Erith
10. Erith to Rainham
Ride them in order or in any order you like. Ride 10 crosses the Thames at Dartford by vehicle transfer.
Seven Wonders Along the Way
A church beside a factory at West Thurrock. A medieval wall painting at Chaldon. Redwoods in Havering Country Park. A garden imagined in captivity at Lullingstone. A steel figure in the Thames at Rainham. The wartime secret listeners of Trent Park. The landscape that changed Darwin's thinking at Downe. The guide book explains each one and leaves room for your eighth.
How the Downloads Work
Scan the QR code in the guide book, or type the web address printed beneath it, to open the download page. Choose a ride, download its GPX file and ride guide, then open the GPX in a phone app or load it onto a Garmin or Wahoo. Free apps such as Organic Maps and OsmAnd can display GPX routes. Download before you set out, as signal is patchy in places.
What are Boundary Rides
A series of easy-going adventures exploring the edge of London, one gravel path at a time. Each ride starts and finishes at a railway station, linking together the hidden corners, green spaces and unexpected stories that make London's outer limits so fascinating.
Is this ride collection for me?
The rides range from gentle riverside days to hillier outings on chalk and forest tracks. Every ride guide has its own grade and surface notes, so you can choose a day to suit.
Is my bike OK for these rides?
A gravel bike is ideal and a mountain bike works too. Several rides use woodland tracks and bridleways that can soften after rain.