The Surrey North Downs are Cycle Orbital’s biggest challenge, and the east section from Westerham Heights in Arc 5 High to Walton the more dissected, though the lip of the escarpment is followed faithfully (when M23 and M25 allow).
At Winders Hill Spoke 3 with NCN 21 join: Spoke 5 Low has converged a few yards to the east at Gangers Hill. After a short off-road section, bizarrely, being in such deep countryside, past a factory depot 0.4! Take steps R and short bridleway to avoid an unrewarding loop; head L for bridge over the A22. On the steep climb that follows, L 0.9 on a bridleway that emerges with the North Downs Way at the fine viewpoint on Gravelly Hill 1.4. (You can stay on the steeply climbing road, Tupwood Lane, if you wish). At Gravelly Hill there is access R from Caterham, then Spinoff 6 NCN21 dives L 1.5 down for Redhill Gatwick and Brighton.
Cycle Orbital clings to the scarp edge (now the Pilgrim’s Way too), and at 2.6 White Hill Lane (L for Spinoff 6 NCN20, shortly to merge with NCN21 at the M23/M25 junction below) it’s an off-road section to 4.2 Tollsworth Manor Farm. 4.5 join B2031 briefly; signal R for straight on at bend 4.9. Dean Lane leads down to the 5.8 A23 trunk road; turn R on slip road, and mercifully a controlled crossing awaits. The road up to Chipstead Church 6.3 is one-way at 6; until cycle-only contraflow is adopted, rather than detour R on Church Lane Ave and Star Lane you might take the hill at a walk.
Now on Hogscross Lane and High Road you have earned three miles of open road gentle ascent (turn R Babylon Lane 8.5) to A217 busy trunk road 9.2. Either walk across the dual carriageway in two stages or use the roundabout for Stubbs Lane. At Mogador 10.1 you are off-road on bridleway through Corporation of London heathland and woods, until the landscape opens out crossing a golf course. The B2032 is another busy road to cross 11.3, thereafter a quiet run into Walton-on-the-Hill, which has all facilities for a stop (including a bike shop).
