King Alfred's Crown

 Brian mentioned King Alfred's Way recently.  Funnily enough, I've been taking a look at it, too, and I know that a number of Wayfarers are interested in it.  I did two half day rides, an afternoon and a morning with an overnight in a pub.  The plan had been to get the best of the weather, but it didn't quite work out like that.

I started near the Countess roundabout on the A303 near Amesbury, a busy spot on a busy road west.  Maggie pulled the Land Rover up on to the verge, I pulled the bike out of the back, rode through a hole in the hedge and I was on King Alfred's Way.  The 21st century was gone. This is the Stonehenge to Chirton section of the Cycling UK Guide, but I interpreted the route fairly freely.

For the first few miles I could see Stonehenge, which looked busy, and what looked like a New Age Travellers' Camp nearby.  I contented myself with a view from a distance.  The CUK route leads you to the South, using the Imber Range Perimeter Track, but it doesn't sound too good in the guide, with suggestions of mud and mountain bikes.  I went a little way North, on to Salisbury Plain, and had some good and very interesting riding.

Salisbury Plain is a military training area.  It is criss-crossed by a number of very good byways, which have public rights of access 'regulated by flags'.  This means that if the military is flying a red flag you can't use the track, which is no more than common sense.  I have ridden there before, and have found the Army to be punctilious and courteous in telling cyclists what they can and can't do on a given day, so I set off expecting a good ride.

It was better than I might have expected.  As far as I could tell, there was no military activity at all on this grey August afternoon, and I could ride where I liked.

The access gates to each track were locked open, the danger boards were locked up, I rode diagonally across the South West corner of Salisbury Plain, coming to some attractive, but very lonely, spots.

The local flora and fauna has flourished in a century or more of military occupation, with huge flower meadows, rabbits, hares and birds.  But the isolation fostered considerable care - a minor spill would have been very inconvenient.  The was no cell coverage, so my tracker wasn't working, and it was quite possible that no-one else would come along for several days.  A proper adventure.

I rejoined King Alfred at the White Horse Trail above Market Lavington, and set off along the ridge towards Chirton.  I made another of my route modifications here; CUK takes you down a bridleway which it warns is steep and brambly, but there is a perfectly sensible country lane nearby, with a surface and no brambles.  We'd call it a bostal here, and I took that.

There are a few choices of this sort in the CUK route.  If there's a bridleway round one side of the church and a country lane on the other, you know which one they're going to choose.  I made my selections as I went along.

Lunch at the Kings Arms, All Cannings, very pleasant and a proper country pub.

After lunch, a new set of ridges, over Tan Hill towards Avebury.  A big climb, rewarded with big views. followed by a tricky descent, again in a very solitary spot.

CUK rightly warns about part of the descent, but after this the difficulties were over and I rode on to the pub and supper.

I liked the pub, I've been there before.  Maggie didn't, too much pub for her.  She had believed the description on the web-site (or perhaps what I had told her).  Anyway, in the morning I set off, avoiding the section of Ridgeway near Avebury, which I have ridden before.  Avebury would have been busy, and it's a tricky section of riding in good conditions, which largely they weren't.  I picked up the Old Ridgeway at Hackpen Hill, which is becoming a bit of a cross-roads for me, and rode along to Barbury Castle, where the 'New Ridgeway', a National Trail, takes you straight through the hill fort.  Quite impressive, followed by a lovely ride along Smeathes Ridge, steadily descending to the village of Ogbourne St George before climbing again to re-join the Old Ridgeway at Liddington Cross.  

Steady, easy riding from here to Wayland's Smithy, the Uffington White Horse and then the Blowing Stone Hill.  Those of you who know 'Tom Brown's Schooldays' will know the Blowing Stone, as will those who have done the eponymous Audax.

My ride ended here, and Maggie and I met for lunch.

I found these sections of the Way to be very enjoyable.  The Way is clearly popular, there were quite a number of bikes out, some people heavily laden and probably doing the whole thing.  I did sixty-six odd miles all told, I'd say that fifty or sixty miles a day would be quite do-able, but a change in the weather could dramatically reduce that.  You need at least a gravel bike, surface and gradient conditions vary a lot. Some sections can be muddy or slippery, and might justify a mountain bike.  There are trade-offs to be made.

The route isn't sign-posted, but some signs are being erected, and local businesses - pubs, camping-barns, shops - are advertising their services.  So I think that it is becoming 'a thing', which is good.

Lastly, my bike.  I took the Jolly Green Giant, as I have for a number of these rides.  It's built for this; a big engine, very clever traction and gradient control systems, big brakes and chunky 45mm tyres.  Fills in the gaps in my own capability.

Mark