KING ALFRED’S WAY
(5 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 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, through quiet suburbs, and then the rolling Hampshire countryside. Quiet country lanes and sleepy 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 find an abundant nature reserve home to orchids and butterflies. On a clear day you will have views of the King Alfred’s Way 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. You then reach the centrepiece of the richest prehistoric landscape in the world: Stonehenge. Beyond you scout around the Salisbury Plain Training Area. Grassy bridleways climb Salisbury 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 recently converted to resemble an Afghan town. Next up is Tilshead, where you rest your head for the evening.

Day 3 starts out nice and easy, traversing the Vale of Pewsey. The steepest trek of the day up Tan Hill follows your crossing of the Kennet and Avon Canal before you encounter the circa 5000 year old Avebury Stone Circle. At the end of the day you join The Ridgeway, thought to be Britain’s oldest road; spanning from Wiltshire to the Thames, which is littered with historic sites.

Day four’s ride continues on the mainly traffic-free Ridgeway, where you can catch a glimpse of ancient carvings of horses on the chalk grasslands. You will 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 from here. Once you leave the Ridgeway there’s a bit of a steep climb before Coombe Park on 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 arrive at the day’s destination, Riseley.

On day five King Alfred’s Way becomes busier and sandier. This is the most densely populated section of the tour. It is however also mostly traffic free or very quiet. Straight out of Riseley 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 hedgerows 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. Early in the day 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. The climb up Gibbet Hill into the Devil’s Punch Bowl will test your legs but over 13km (mi) of downhill will give them a chance to rest before arriving at camp 6, outside Liphook.

The home not-quite-straight! Or flat for that matter. This section has the meanest climbs and descents of the whole tour so exercise caution and make sure your brakes are in good working order before you set off. The majority of the day is along the well-marked South Downs Way. Pass through Queen Elizabeth Country Park, past Old Winchester Hillfort and Beacon Hill towards Gander down where you catch a glimpse of the final destination of Winchester. Before the finish line you exit the South Downs Way at Cheesefoot Head. This is 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 seven 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 and we can talk through options to extend your stay and personalise this basic itinerary.