BOAT/UCR: Old Guildford Road

Location: Mytchett Place Rd, Pirbright, Surrey GU16 6, UK
  • Overall Rating: 3
  • Location: Deepcut, Surrey.
  • OS Explorer Map 145, 'Guildford & Farnham, Godalming & Farnborough'.
  • Starting OS Grid Reference: SU911550
  • Starting GPS Co-ordinates: N51 17' 12.98" W000 41' 37.65"
  • Finishing OS Grid Reference: SU900560
  • Finishing GPS Co-ordinates: N51 17' 45.78" W000 42' 34.64"
  • To see: the Army Medical Services museum, Royal Logistical Corps Museum, the Basingstoke Canal, and WAY too much cool Army stuff!
  • ALWAYS follow the Greenlane Code!
NOTE: This lane is occasionally closed due to military training exercises. You can check the status of the ranges, and your right of access to MoD land, on their official website here. Take time out to read it. After all, do you really want to be used as target practice for an Apache gunship?! 

Old Guildford Road is technically a BOAT and a UCT spliced together. It runs through the central part of Pirbright Common, an immense military range for the training up new recruits from nearby Deepcut Barracks.  The surface of the lane for the most part consists of long earthen stretches interspersed with large patches of compacted rubble. As such, although the lane is wide, well kept and therefore an easy drive, it's very hard-going on your suspension. Large bumps and water-filled holes are as common as they are regular. 

The lane heads north-west from it's easily 'miss-able' junction with Mychett Place Road where it rounds Tunnel Hill. It's more or less a dead straight line through mostly coniferous woodland for around 750m, where it jinks slightly to the west, changes status to a UCR, and continues almost die-straight past the wreck of a burnt out Peugeot that some filth has abandoned there (see right), on to it's junction with the B3012 just south-east of Frimley Green. A brief but worthwhile drive, especially if you get to see some Army Land Rovers at it.

Whilst you're here, why not check out the Army Medical Services museumRoyal Logistical Corps Museum, both of which lie very nearby. There are also at least five other museums in the area, which is far too many to list here. The Basingstoke Canal also runs past the northern end of the lane.

One last word of caution: The noble British 'Tommy' regularly lurks in this area, so try not to mess yourself when one of our fine fighting men or women burst out of the undergrowth at you. I suspect they enjoy it.

Statistics:
Total Time: 0:07:08
Moving Time: 0:07:04
Distance: 2.11km
Average Speed: 17.73km/h
Average Moving Speed: 17.93km/h
Elevation Gain: +8m
Min Elevation: 172m
Max Elevation: 180m


View Old Guildford Road in a larger map

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