Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 20 total)
  • Ridgeway advice
  • spaniardclimber
    Free Member

    I’m thinking of riding the Ridgeway this weekend, problem is there is no way of getting by train to the start (Overton hill) nor from the finish (Ivinghoe).

    I was thinking of starting at Swindon and finishing at Aylesbury or, taking a train to Bedwyn and riding to Overton Hill and finish at Ivinghoe and then ride to Aylesbury or Luton, this second option might be too much, and I have no idea how long can it take to do this extra miles.

    Has anyone ridden from Swindon up to Aylesbury? Any other suggestions?

    Thanks.

    muppetWrangler
    Free Member

    Tring Station is pretty near Ivinghoe Beacon and goes into Euston.

    Are you intending to leave a car at the start or are you going out and back by train?

    spaniardclimber
    Free Member

    I could leave a car at the start but then how do I get from Ivinghoe to Overton hill?

    I thought train might be easier, why?

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    Rio
    Full Member

    No point in going to Aylesbury or Luton, particularly as that end of the Ridgeway takes you within a gnat’s whisker of Tring and Wendover stations. Bear in mind it’s not all bridleway at that end, and people will get upset with you if use the footpaths especially in the SSSI.

    spaniardclimber
    Free Member

    I wont ride through the footpaths as its not allowed, my idea is to follow this track http://ridgewaydouble.net but do only one way.

    muppetWrangler
    Free Member

    why?

    i was asking because I was thinking about the easiest route out and back.

    If you’re point of origin is London and you’re happy to start in Swindon then it’s pretty easy.
    London Paddington to Swindon. Then Tring – London Euston for the return trip. By the time you’ve caned it down Ivinghoe Beacon you’re halfway to Tring Station.

    You can get a coach from London Victoria to Marlborough which puts you in spitting distance of the start proper assuming that the coach can take a bike, worth enquiring if doing the whole thing is important to you.

    spaniardclimber
    Free Member

    Oh ok.
    Thanks for the advice, doing the whole route is not important really, I just want to enjoy 2 days of riding.
    Will follow your advice about swindon and Tring, thanks again.

    One last question, what would be a nice village to stay for the night on saturday that is around half way?

    Rio
    Full Member

    So an easy drop down to Tring station at the end, which can also be mostly done on bridleways if you’ve still got the energy!

    muppetWrangler
    Free Member

    One last question, what would be a nice village to stay for the night on saturday that is around half way?

    Around halfway looks like somewhere between Goring and Wallingford. Goring is a pretty small village, and you’re going to be limited for choice of food and accommodation, there’s not a great deal there. Wallingford’s a fair bit bigger (more town than village) and probably offers you more options. Can’t offer an actual recommendation as I’ve not stayed in either but I expect there’ll be options in or around either.

    if I had to pick I’d probably go for Wallingford.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    If it were any other weekend i’d have said you can come kip in my place, i’m <1 mile from your route and about in the middle too, but i have the mother in law over for the weekend taking up the spare room i’m afraid.

    there’s a YMCA type place in Streatley, just 100m from your route near Goring.. that would work well for you. Everywhere else is going to be £70+ per night.

    jimfrandisco
    Free Member

    I’d second Streatley for over night – it’s a YHA rather than a YMCA, so popular with walkers doing the ridgeway and the thames path.
    Wallingford has it’s annual folk and music festival on so accommodation in town is likely to be all booked out.

    The great thing about the Ridgeway is it passes near a lot of places, but not through them…so you have to come off route to find towns/villages.
    Did Wallingford to Avebury last friday and for four hours didn’t see a single other person..

    You can’t really go wrong with most of the route – it’s pretty well signed, but take a map as well as there’s a few confusing bits. eg crossing A34 at East/West Ilsley.
    Camping might be good option – plenty of places to wild camp.
    There’s detail online somewhere about where water taps are on the route which is definitely worth noting.

    Enjoy!

    DavidB
    Free Member

    Water taps are on the Ridgeway double GPX

    TheGingerOne
    Full Member

    Not sure how an underpass beneath the A34 is confusing 😉

    Dickyboy
    Full Member

    Bunkfest on this weekend in Wallingford so won’t be anywhere to stay or camp there

    oldnpastit
    Full Member

    There’s a youth hostel right on the route, near Wantage.

    You could always just bivvy or take a tent.

    jimfrandisco
    Free Member

    ggrrr…there’s always one!

    If you’re heading West then you can stay above East Ilsley on Several Down, go under the A34 further north and along Bury Down…rather than dropping through East Isley which takes you much further south then back up…i assume anyway, can’t work it out on OS map.
    Anyway, unlikely to be a problem for OP travelling East – just had to try and vindicate myself!!

    weeksy
    Full Member

    In neither direction do you head within 500m of East Ilsley, although of course you can see it. but in no way shape or form is it confusing or indeed can be interpreted any other way than the clearly obvious way.

    If you mean at the crossroads at the continuation of Churn road, where you can go striaght on down to East Ilsley, then yes i guess, but there’s a map on that junction along with being very very clearly sign posted at the junction too, that’s about 1/2 a mile from the A34 crossing/tunnel though.

    faustus
    Full Member

    I’d have to agree with weeksy. I’ve done it westward and although i had a map, from Goring to Avebury it was just following the big signs 🙂

    YHA at Streatley a good option for a cheap and comfortable overnight. If you do start at Swindon then you’ll have to go through a fair bit of amorphous suburbia to get to the ridgeway, check out the sustrans map to get a decent cycle route.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    What i’d do personally is Chippenham to Goring if you want train stations.

    The section from Goring > Aylesbury really isn’t as nice or as scenic as the Chippenham side.

    From Chippenham station it’s only 500m to the start of the abandoned railway which starts you off to Avebury, then once you get off the Ridgeway at Streatley golf course it’s only 1/2 a mile up to Goring station.

    I think the overall section is 55-60 miles.

    spaniardclimber
    Free Member

    Thanks for all the great suggestions!

    I think I’ll follow weeksy’s advice and just do the Chippenham to Goring section and go back home the same day.

    Later on I might try the double with bivy etc.

Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 20 total)

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