Having lived in North Wales, The Peak and on Dartmoor I now find myself living in Berkshire due to career/family responsibilities etc – you know all that grown up stuff I’ve been avoiding for most of my life!!

It’s been a bit of a shock! Whilst I can find great riding from my doorstep on and around the Ridgeway, on the Hampshire Downs etc, what I’m finding really difficult is places for wild camping/bivving. Everywhere seems so close to some form of habitation and so unlike anywhere else I’ve lived.

Anyone got any good sites in the area (Ridgeway, Watership Down etc) they wouldn’t mind sharing?

Many thanks

There’s the obvious one on the Ridegeway just up from Harwell, between Harwell and Ginge, commonly used for camping. Was used lots by people for the knocking down of the power station towers in Didcot.

I’m not sure what the rules are on where you can or can’t crash out though. There’s tonnes of riding around this way i can show you though around the East Ilsley and surrounding areas to Newbury, Didcot and Wantage.

I’m not sure what the rules are on where you can or can’t crash out though.

Like most of England and Wales it’s illegal/cheeky.

It can be a PITA finding somewhere quiet. Even if you find a promising bit of wood on the map, you get there and find it’s fenced of for a pheasant coop.

Think of it more as a way of doing 60+ mile loops outside of your usual from-the-door riding, rather than as wild camping. The bivi just has to be part of the ride rather than the event itself.

Arrive late, hide yourself as well as possible in the corner of a field, make no mess, leave early, and take everything with you. Same rules as everywhere else, it;s just that you’ll be able to hear the M4 once everything else is quiet.

There’s a couple nice spots between Compton and Blewberry.
Quiet, secluded and nicely elevated. There’s an option of wooded or small clearing. The spot drains fairly well too.
If I wasn’t so local, I’d go bivi there.

There’s also a couple places near Wantage that I’ve been told are good, and you are actually allowed to bivi there.

If you want any of the location info, drop me an email.

I’m in a similar position, and have a few places in mind. Sound advice about arriving late and leaving early with low impact, that would increase options. I’ve also had to accept that it’s just not the greatest territory for multiple days sleeping out, and for me it’s not so appealing kipping in the corner of a field not far from home.

Places to consider:
Couple of spots on the Wayfarer’s way that are fairly quiet
Quite large woods near Bucklebury and Cold Ash possibly OK
Off-side of some locks on the Kennet and Avon are good – there are quite a few locks that have a good flat space on the non-towpath side and are fairly quiet, seen people camping on them before in my boating days 🙂 Just need to cross the lock over the gates or bridge.

Basically anywhere where you can’t see habitation from the level of the tent/tarp/bivy means that they can’t see you unless you flash bright lights around all the time. You can use day trips to suss places out. Once you get away from tracks and paths no-one is going to know you are there.

It’s a lot easier in summer when leaves and foliage are at their height, can be a bit tricky at this time of year.

Edit: kipping locally is useful for testing things out – if it all goes belly up then bailing out and getting home isn’t a big deal. Doesn’t feel special/different though, I’ll grant you.

If you want any of the location info, drop me an email

Have sent a PM

Couple of spots on the Wayfarer’s way that are fairly quiet

Yeah …that’s the kind of thing I’m thinking!

locks on the Kennet and Avon

…just a bit too close to the mass of humanity for my liking!

it’s not so appealing kipping in the corner of a field not far from home

..totally get that. Bucklebury Woods are 10 mins from my door and part of my regular commute!!

Some of the locks are nice and quiet with no boats that nearby, in between Kintbury and Hungerford for instance. But know what you mean – there’ll still be dog walkers etc. coming along fairly early.

Apart from overnighters, i’ve decided that longer trips will be elsewhere: most likely Wales.

I live pretty close to the Wayfarers Walk & often head out to the Savernake Forest, Avebury (Ridgeway) area via the West Wilts Way.

You can also pick up the Test Way near Combe Gibbet & Walbury Hill. Where you’ll find some spots.

Join the Berkshire and surrounding areas microadventures group if you’re on FB? They often head up to Watership Down so should know some spots – not been out with them yet but hoping to tag along this year.

it’s not so appealing kipping in the corner of a field not far from home

It is if you a 5 and a 2 year old at home!
My last bivi was off the Ridgway, about 30mins from home.
Waking up to dawn and bird song rather than kids shouting was bliss…

you get used to being closer to civilisation. people aren’t looking for you, so won’t see you: a dog walker once walked past me & a mate having breakfast – bout 50 yards away – looked right past us.

i like to arrive at dusk, set up camp without a torch – flashing light in the woods might attract attention – get settled down as it gets dark.

Reading based here and I’ve often thought about trying to find a ridgeway spot somewhere past Ilsley for a (summer) night solo Bivi…

I guess some pins dropped in a googlemap might be useful if anyone ever wanted to share some intel…

Join the Berkshire and surrounding areas microadventures group if you’re on FB

This is a thing? I might just have to look that up.

Perfect place about 2 miles past ilsley mate.

There are quite a few micro-adventure groups on FB. link to them by region below

Micro-adventure

If you are ten minutes from Buckleberry then you are on my doorstep and those Pheasant ‘coops’ are mine 😀
Seriously, you can ruin a whole seasons work by camping in the wrong place. Partridges particularly hate night time disturbance. It’s one thing being a bit ‘cheeky’, it’s another ruining another’s livelihood.

Also, as you say, this part of Berkshire is practically London! Houses and bloody people everywhere!

I used to work near Coombe Gibbet. I was out shooting foxes in the dark using night vision equipment. For some unknown reason, I decided to put my sidelights on around one field and thank **** I did because I was a few feet away from squashing two MTB’s and a bivi setup! It shook me up for a bit but I’m back to driving around in pitch darkness now 😉

Happy to meet up for rides though 🙂

Infrared spotter and scope means I can see what you’re up to 😀

I was going to say something similar – a lot of commercial shooting in the area. Like it or not it’s a major part of that rural economy.

Infrared spotter and scope means I can see what you’re up toI’m pointing a rifle at you

Adsh- Nope, I have a camera on my roof 😉

I have a remote handle with IR lamp and detachable camera.

I did start to write about the pheasants earlier, especially where you pick up The Test Way from Coombe Gibbet down into the valley around Linkenholt / Faccombe. I rode through there at the start of the season & there were hundreds of them….not too many around now though!

Adsh- Nope, I have a camera on my roof

I have a remote handle with IR lamp and detachable camera.

Very sorry I take it back. Pet hate of mine how what is unacceptable in daylight suddenly becomes ok to some at night time!

Was trying to work out action – M700? NMcK work?

‘some’ years a go a mate and I set off to spend 2 days walking along the ridgeway* with a wild overnight stop. We were awoken in the morning by a very cross man in a landy. The lovely soft green field we’d camped in turns out was on the gallops and there was about to be several half tonnes of prime thoughbred passing through.

* walk up onto the ridgeway, along a bit, find a pub nearby, set up tents and then nob the girls that had come on this adventure with us.

Infrared spotter and scope means I can see what you’re up to

Don’t suppose you took any film, I can’t remember if she was nice or not.

Adsh- No, it’s a Steyr Pro Varmint 🙂

.223 with 60g Noslers @ 3620. Not ultra flat but very very accurate to night vision ranges 😉
It’s wasted with the Photon on it but I bought a .17 hornet and all of a sudden the .223 seemed overkill for small quarry.