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news
Climbing Box Hill (CC-BY-2.0 Sizbut-Flickr).jpgBox Hill closed to all traffic, including cyclists, over Easter weekend in bid to halt spread of coronavirus
Box Hill, the most popular climb for cyclists in southern England, will be closed to all traffic including bicycles over the Easter weekend in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus. The closure will run from tomorrow, Good Friday, through to next Monday.
The National Trust, which owns and manages the beauty spot, announced on Facebook that the decision to close the road had been taken in partnership with Surrey Police and Surrey County Council.
Surrey Live reports that last weekend, hundreds of people ignored government rules on staying at home except for essential reasons, as well a plea from the National Trust not to drive to Box Hill, with many sunbathing and holding picnics on its slopes.
However, the website says that many of the people there dispersed when a police helicopter appeared overhead.
A picture appeared in The Times of cyclists claiming to show cyclists riding up the climb in a group – although a separate image, taken by one of the riders, shows that they were riding well apart.
> Times latest newspaper accused of trying to shame cyclists with dodgy telephoto pics
The rider who posted the image to Twitter also said that people riding there were doing so individually, or with members of their households, in line with government advice.
Even though Box Hill is closed to cyclists over the long weekend, you can still ride it in the virtual sense.
Zwift is running its London International event, which includes two ascents of Box Hill, from tomorrow until Monday.
It forms part of the virtual cycling platform's Zwift Classics series, with full details available here.
The climb of Box Hill's Zig-Zag Road achieved global prominence when it was used in the London 2012 Olympic road races and in Prudential RideLondon-Surrey every year since.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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10 comments
CV19 is a terrible problem, no doubt about that, but it has ushered in a golden age for sanctimonious twattery.
A loop of Box Hill is my new ride to work these days (beats riding into London). I can't say that it's much of a surprise that it's closed for Easter as last weekend the police were up at the viewpoint moving on loads of cyclists (predominantly cyclists because the car parks were closed) who had decided that their exercise regime included sitting around in significant numbers at the top.
The car parks have been closed for some time, with tape and logs. Until very recently there have regularly been drivers who consider that because the tape is broken, or they can squeeze their car in between some logs, that it's OK to park there.
It was nice this morning...
OMG - is the virus riding bicycles now???
Maybe closing one or two of the most popular beauty spots makes some kind of sense, viewed in isolation. But the trouble is that then puts pressure of whoever owns the second most popular ones to follow suit. And before you know it they're all closed because no site manager or organization wants to stick their necks out for fear of getting a mauling by certain sections of the press looking for a crusade to keep them and their readers' desire for righteous indignation satiated.
I get the point but - unlike peds who have a short range, and motorists who tend to drive to a specific spot (be that Box Hill or B&Q) - road cyclists can spread out, and enjoy the journey - rather than head to a top 5 or 10 'spot'.
There's a web of quiet, pretty roads around London (and other places, obvs) which we can enjoy in relative isolation. And normally busier routes may be more appealing with the current lack of traffic too.
For those (and I'm not suggesting you) who struggle to think of anywhere other than more than a few places to head for, this could be an opportunity (and a good reason to invest in an OS map or two!)
No surprise - I'm fairly local to it & despite the car parks being closed there have been parked cars littering the road by the viewpoint all week. Being NT property it's a private road anyway so I guess it's easy for them to close it. I guess Leith Hill will be way busier now
Plus it's always heaving with cyclists whenever the weather is nice - I usually avoid BH on summer weekends anyway unless riding off road.
Enjoy your state sanctioned exercise & stay safe this weekend.
Yeah, that's about right. Close all the parks, National Trust areas and AONB's, thus reducing the space we are 'allowed' into - then complain that people are crowding together when they take their 'one a day'.
Inevitable. There's no way they'd be able to enforce social distancing and with the forecast looking great for tomorrow, you can imagine that Box Hill would be swamped with cyclists and walkers.
Cyclists need to get more creative with their routes instead of the same old Box Hill/Richmond Park/Regents Park/Layhams Road. I live in the area but have been hitting the off road trails, you barely see a soul on them!
In practical terms you're absolutely correct, however, this announcement feeds into (and is no doubt informed by too) a narrative that folk on 2 wheels are a problem that needs dealing with.
I agree. It's easier for some than others but perhaps those who don't realise what's out there could invest in an OS map or two (bought online, obvs) and start to expand their horizons.
The lack of traffic on many roads also means that some routes you might normally avoid (e.g. by using Layhams Road) are currently much more cycle-friendly. Take advantage while you can!