Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The ride
From Marlow car park and the visitor centre the circuit crosses the dam to Plummer, follows the south shore to the village of Perry, loops round the nature reserve and its woods at the western end, and comes back along the north shore through Grafham village. The reservoir was built in 1965.
It is 14.3 km (8.9 miles) round with 38 m of climbing; allow about 1 hour of riding. The grade is Easy. From the visitor centre to the far end of the dam is smooth tarmac. Beyond that the track is a mix of tarmac, compacted limestone and compacted soil, muddy after rain, and gently rolling with a few steeper pitches in the reserve. Children and trailers manage it well; road bikes are happier on the dam.
Most of it is traffic-free. Through Perry the way uses a shared path beside the road, 200 m of residential street and a cycle track past the sailing club; on the north shore it follows a quiet lane for about 2 km through Grafham village. Between Plummer and the dam the track is open to anglers' cars. Livestock graze the reserve from April to November.
Marlow car park is pay on exit and has cycle hire, with a child trailer available, a café and toilets. There is a second café at Mander car park in Perry.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The waymarked circuit of a reservoir built in 1965, now a nature reserve at its western end
- Smooth tarmac from the visitor centre across the dam; stone and earth track beyond, muddy after rain
- Beside the road through Perry on a shared path, and along a quiet lane through Grafham village
- Cycle hire and a café at Marlow car park; a second café at Mander car park in Perry
Getting there
Start: Marlow car park · Pay and display. 52.29891, -0.29148
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Cambridgeshire: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths and roads change, and surfaces vary with the weather. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; ride to what you find, give way to walkers and horses, and carry what you need to mend a puncture.