The Hurtwood in the heart of the Surrey Hills National Landscape has become one of the most popular places to ride a mountain bike in the South of England – despite having no official mountain bike trail. This 2,000-acre area of common land is centred around the Pitch and Holmbury hills. It has spectacular hilltop views across to the South Downs and Central London, just 30 miles away, and a maze of trails that crisscross the forested hills and are enjoyed by lots of mountain bikers. However, it doesn’t take long to notice that none of the tracks are signposted (though if you look on Strava, almost every inch of it is named!). Neither are they graded or inspected. And there are no convenient maps in the car parks to direct you to Barry Knows Best, Supernova, Yogurt Pots, or anywhere at all. That’s because – and this may come as a bit of a surprise if you’re aware of the area’s reputation for great riding – there are no official mountain bike trails here.