Top five gravel stages in Richard Burns Rally

Having already covered the best asphalt stages in Richard Burns Rally, I have turned my attention to collating a list of the best gravel stages you can sample in Warthog Games’ epic rally sim.

As before, this includes both the original stages and those you can find through the uber-popular Rallysimfans mod, which unlocks a ton of new content, improvements and helpful utilities for the 2004 sim.

Naturally, this is a subjective list of what I believe are the most engaging gravel stages in the game, based on a combination of their layout and aesthetics (albeit heavily weighted towards layout)

Remember to let us know your favourite gravel stages from RBR in the comments below!

5) Wythop

The most modern stage on this list, Wythop was added to RSF just this year. Notably, Wythop is a 1:1 recreation of the real-world location, which is used as part of both the classic RAC and Malcolm Wilson rallies.

Located in Cumbria, Wythop was created by modder Edd Hartley and was shortly followed by a reverse-direction version, Wythop II. 

Just like the real stage, the RBR version is a high-speed trip through a typical British forest, featuring narrow, tree-lined sections with substantial elevation changes leading to an enormous flat-out straight section. 

Looks-wise, it isn’t as impressive as the best of RBR’s asphalt stages but it still surpasses the visual sheen of most of the game’s gravel stages, with its short run-time contributing to its addictiveness.

4) Shepherds Shield

Although Shepherds Shield is one of the game’s vanilla stages it still drives brilliantly today, conveying British forest roads in a realistic manner.

Featuring fords, drystone walls and car-attracting cambers, Shepherds Shield is based on a real-world rally stage in Kielder Forest, Northumberland. Although it looks its age in the original game, its updated RSF version looks incredible, and it drives even better, with its open corners allowing you to flick your car from side to side, all the while using the slope of the road to aid grip.

The first sector is a bit of a technical challenge, however, with deceptively tight corners leading through a stream and across a bridge before you can build speed to Shepherd Shield’s most enjoyable sections.

For ultimate rally feels, choose a Group A Subaru Impreza in Colin McRae’s iconic 555 livery and imagine you’re driving to victory on the 1995 Network Q RAC Rally. Go on, you know you want to.

3) Kuri Bush I

Based on a section of the real-world New Zealand stage, Ajnz1’s Kuri Bush is a typical representation of what makes the Antipodean nation’s back roads so great.

Featuring enormously cambered corners, knuckle-tightening speeds and precarious cuts, Kuri Bush is massively satisfying to get right. However, one mistake will likely result in an almighty shunt, so it definitely needs to be respected.

This shorter version can be tackled mostly flat-out, with the first section taken with your right foot planted to the floor before being broken up by a medium-speed right-hander that flows into a terrifyingly blind high-speed crest and into a severe left-hand dip.

What follows is a mixture of technical sections interspersed with flat-chat running all with one thing in common: berms. Yes, Kuri Bush’s roads all feature steep banking, which invite players to carry more and more momentum.

It’s a bit like Kielder Forest, but with the gravel turned up to 11. 

2) Loch Ard

Based on the real-world Perth and Kinrosshire stage, Loch Ard is a rollercoaster ride through the Scottish countryside, skirting along Loch Chon. 

Although it’s far more open than most of RBR’s available gravel stages, there are a few sections to catch out the unwary, with posts, logs and ditches ready to punish those who venture off-line.

The stage was last used on an FIA-sanctioned event as part of the short-lived Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2011, where WRC rally winner Andreas Mikkelsen clinched victory from a star-studded field, including Alister McRae, Craig Breen, Jan Kopecký, Guy Wilkes and 2024 WRC champion Thierry Neuville.

Developed by Eno72, the stage also features a reversed version, with both providing a stern challenge reminiscent of Finland’s rapid and perfectly graded tests. It’s no surprise that it’s a driver’s favourite.

Kris Meeke, 2009 IRC champion and five-time WRC rally winner, once described Loch Ard as “the best stage I’ve ever driven”, which is high praise indeed from a driver who has experienced almost every top-class rally location in the world (including a Mexican car park).

1) Chirdonhead II

There could only be one winner, right? Warthog’s incredible work on bringing Kielder Forest to Richard Burns Rally is best exemplified by Chirdonhead II (and its non-reversed layout, Chirdonhead I).

Using a combination of Ordnance Survey data and location photos, the developers constructed four British stage environments for RBR that felt incredible to drive. Although these were not one-to-one replicas of real-world tests, they captured the essence of British rallying perfectly, with Chirdonhead representing the pinnacle of the game’s vanilla stage lineup.

And it still compares favourably with the best modded stages too, with its configuration boasting high-speed stretches punctuated by deep, cambered bends that encourage you to carry ridiculous amounts of speed.

For many, Chirdonhead II was the stage where they fell in love with RBR; where its physics felt engaging and moreish. That was certainly the case for me, and if you try only one stage in RBR, make it this one.

Honourable mentions

Other high-quality gravel stages include the likes of Carvalho de Rei, Hyppyjulma Gravel, Kormoran, Valstagna Historic Gravel and Sherwood Forest. Additionally, the default Rally School stage is a short blast designed for the game’s Rally School (duh) mode and it’s the ideal place to quickly test cars’ off-road capabilities.

For those craving more speed, however, the game’s original USA-based stages, such as Diamond Creek, Fraizer Wells and Hualapai Nation, are a rapid treat, while those craving a bit more of a challenge may want to sample the game’s default Australian stages, especially the insane (and real!) jump on Mineshaft.

What would your top five favourite gravel stages in Richard Burns Rally be? Let us know in the comments below!