In a line
Another tasty selection of mostly day rides doable on any all-terrain bike, with detailed descriptions, big maps and free tracklog downloads from the Forest of Dean all the way to Lands End.

What they say
Gravel Rides South West England features 24 cycling routes, ranging from 16 to 180 kilometres, showcasing the extensive gravel trails of the West Country. Gravel enthusiast and experienced route creator Katherine Moore has taken her love of the South West and extensive local knowledge to put these routes together – each one is a delight and shows off the highlights of this diverse region of England. Ride mining trails and coastal gravel in Cornwall, remote trails on Dartmoor, a tour of Exmoor tea rooms in North Devon and Somerset, flint and chalk tracks on the Old Chalk Way in Dorset, fast-rolling gravel roads on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, and trails past the remains of old tramways and collieries in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. The featured routes include both classic routes in well-known areas as well as some lesser-known gravel riding gems – there is something to discover for both new and experienced gravel cyclists.
Each route includes all the information you need to help you plan your ride, interesting background information about the local area, types of terrain covered and refreshment recommendations in addition to detailed route descriptions, stunning photography and overview mapping. Downloadable GPX files of the routes are also available.
This book is full of practical tips and advice on all aspects of gravel riding, including the bike itself, essential kit to carry when out on a ride, and bikepacking if you want to extend your adventures.
Paperback rrp £25 (Kindle £8.99), 222pp, 55 maps, First edition 2025

Paperback review copy supplied (and images below) by Vertebrate Guides.

• Comprehensive and varied selection with 24 routes covering nearly 1500km
• Double-page outline maps to help see the big picture
• Route start/end points use public transport services, where possible
• Improvements in layout and info over earlier biking titles like Bikepacking Wales
• Downloadable gpx tracklogs. What else do you need?

• Would be good to have at-a-glance route data incorporated into the maps

Review
Like the Bikepacking Wales book reviewed earlier and tested soon after, this is another selection of great rides right across England’s Southwest by cycling writer Katherine Moore. Pitched towards the current craze for gravel bikes – the ‘SUP boards’ of pedal world – routes are rated from 1-5, with about half in the far west rated 4 or 5. That may be down to elevation changes or off-road surfaces when tackled on a high-geared, thin-tyred rigid gravel bike. In Gloucestershire and Wiltshire the going must be flatter and smoother as ratings are easier. Wherever you go, you’d imagine you can drop a grade or so on a hardtail MTB let alone a full-sus e-SUV like my Tero X5. Using another paddling analogy, gravel bike routes are a bit like canoe paddles: you know the latter will be a doddle in a more versatile kayak or packraft.

Ten pages set the scene and practicalities in the Southwest, including nav, access, gear and planning your trip. After that, it covers each of the six counties with most routes around 60km, or a full day’s ride pedalling a gravel bike, and if I’m honest, about the limit on my e-bike depending on terrain. All are loops, often starting at a train station, a nod to car-free sustainability.

Route descriptions has been improved over the Wales book by cross referencing numbered notes along the trail to the map (as below). This greatly helps engagement with what’s ahead, though I still think little warning icons for tight spots and stiff climbs would help for those looking to dodge effortful episodes, especially as a day wears on.

The one route in the book I know well was the 69km, Grade 5 ride around the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. I’ve done most of it over various rides (below) but still found some off-road links to try later. Note the author’s choice but put together by the Woods Cyclery shop, it did seem to include needlessly hard stages including one rough climb west of Kingston where you’ll be lifting your bike as much as pushing it. (One of my mini projects is to cook up the Ultimate Purbeck MTB Day Ride with no pushing/lifting).
Of course as with all guides, you don’t have to ride anything by the book. Gravel Rides South West England lays out an easy way to explore just the tip of the region’s potential. At £25, it’s a five more than the Wales book, but significant improvements have been made in the format and presentation. If you spend a lot of time in the area, like me you’re bound to find a few juicy routes you’ll want to try.