KING ALFRED’S WAY
(4 days riding)

Our driver be at your nominated collection point at the pre-agreed time to load your team and all of their kit. When you arrive at the camp just outside of Winchester, we will cook your first hearty meal and go over your personal King Alfred’s Way adventure then leave you and the team to rest for the evening.

Westgate of Winchester Castle in the centre of this historic city, England’s original Capital from Roman times until the Norman Conquest, is the official starting point of King Alfred’s Way. Your day begins with a short 3km (2mi) ride with lots of twists and turns out of the city. Soon you reach quiet suburbs, and finally the rolling Hampshire countryside. Quiet country lanes and small villages dominate today’s ride. The steep, off-road climb out of Broughton may be better on foot in wet conditions. At the top you will find yourself in an abundant nature reserve home to orchids and butterflies. On a clear day you will have views of the next few days path to come and Danebury Hillfort too. As you head towards Old Sarum – the earliest settlement of Salisbury – be cautious at the road crossings on the A338 and A303. Soon you will reach the centrepiece of the richest prehistoric landscape in the world: Stonehenge. Beyond Stonehenge you scout around the Salisbury Plain Training Area onto Salisbury Plains. Grassy bridleways climb the plains to reward you with magnificent views across the Wiltshire countryside. The exposure of the Plain can amplify the effects of the weather so approach with suitable gear for the day! Be particularly cautious whilst riding near SPTA as it is an area of active military practice. You will also pass the MOD training facility Copehill Down. Originally built in 1987 to resemble a typical German village, it was converted to resemble an Afghan town recently. The first day in the saddle ends with a nice and easy section traversing the Vale of Pewsey before you get to Chirton.

Day 3 starts out crossing the Kennet and Avon Canal then on to the steepest climb of the day, up Tan Hill, then on to the approximately 5000 year old Avebury Stone Circle. After Avebury you’ll get to the almost traffic free Ridgeway, thought to be Britain’s oldest road spanning from Wiltsire to the River Thames. Along The Ridgeway you can catch a glimpse of ancient carvings of horses on the chalk grasslands, pass by Wayland’s Smithy – an early neolithic chambered longbarrow, Uffington Castle – a fantastic iron age hillfort and Segsbury Camp – the birthplace of King Alfred himself. This is another exposed section of the tour so pack for all-weather conditions. Following the chalk ridge of the Berkshire Downs is relatively straightforward and takes you towards camp 4, by Compton.

Day 4 is the longest but flattest of the tour with only one big climb, but it’s a doozy. Once you leave the Ridgeway you reach The Thames Path, which you’ll follow until Whitchurch-on-Thames. The next village is Maple Durham, where The Eagle Has Landed was filmed. Once you get beyond the sprawling metropolis of Reading, you’ll follow along quiet country lanes and single track paths, across the Kennet and Avon canal for the second time. A few miles after cautiously crossing the M4 you’ll join The Devil’s Highway for a time, then pass Bramshill Plantation and on to Hazeley Heath RSPB Nature Reserve, home to Nightjars, Red Kites and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, amongst others. This whole area was part of the GHQ defence line and is littered with WW2 pillboxes in hedgerow and military training facilities. This is the most densely populated section of the tour and the amount of other path users will probably reflect that. Fear not though, it’s mostly still traffic free or very quiet. You’ll skirt past Farnham Castle and Farnham park, Waverly Abbey, through Farnham Heath RSPB Reserve before Frensham Ridge. Here you will be rewarded with beautiful views of the Surrey Heathlands. There are more MOD sites to pass through from this point on Hankley Common including the Lion’s Mouth, a Normandy landing training ground built by Canadian troops. This leads to the Thursley Common Nature Reserve, where the track becomes sandy and the pace inevitably slows just before you come to rest for the evening.

The home (not very) straight! Or flat for that matter. This section has the steepest climbs and descents of the whole tour so exercise caution and make sure your brakes are in good working order before you set off. You’ll start with the climb up Gibbert Hill, one of the highest points in Surrey and into the Devil’s Punch Bowl, which will test your legs but you’ll be rewarded with around 10km (6mi) of downhill after. The majority of the days riding beyond the Punchbowl is along the South Downs Way, which is very well marked so the navigation should be easy on you at least. You’ll pass through Queen Elizabeth Country Park, past Old Winchester Hillfort and Beacon Hill towards Gander down, where you’ll catch a glimpse of the final destination, Winchester centre. Before the finish line you’ll exit the Southdowns Way at Cheesefoot Head, where Eisenhower briefed US troops prior to the D Day landings. The last 4km (2mi) are pretty much all downhill until you set eyes on the Statue of King Alfred himself as the grand finale of your tour.

You can have a well-earned sleep in on day six whilst we make you a breakfast as unhealthy as you would like! After breakfast we’ll whisk you home, unpack and redistribute your kit before driving off into the sunset.

If you wish to extend your King Alfred’s Way adventure there are a myriad of options along the route. From mountain bike parks to water activity centres, just get in touch via our Personalised Adventure page and we can talk through options to extend your stay and personalise this basic itinerary.