[Closed] Wiltshire and Dorset trails

Ridgeway is bridleway or byway all the way, so no legal problems riding it. Even where its not byway farm vehicles use it, so most is wide, firm going on chalk, few muddy bits here and there. I've done Goring on Thames to the end near Avebury then carried on over Tan Hill and along the edge of Salisbury Plain to Westbury a couple of times. Nice 60 - 70 mile day. Not the most technical riding, but some great views, on a summer day its like being in a Mint Sauce strip. Doesn't go through anywhere much, so if you want pub / cafe stops you'll need to divert off it a bit.

Not ridden Ackling Dyke, but some of the drove roads SW of Salisbury are OK, usually on gravel / chalk with some heavily overgrown bits unless they've been cut recently. A354 isn't that busy most of the time but is straight, so traffic can be fast. I'd be inclined to be cheeky unless the footpath is an obvious no go.

Hope this helps

Wansdyke is worth a look. You can get on it just south of Avebury.

Thanks for the replies. 🙂

swamp_boy - I just love the idea of point-to-point rides and the Wessex Ridgeway takes in some gorgeous countryside through to Dorset. May well plot a route on the mapping software and see how it works out. Have done some of the Salisbury drove roads but was most disappointed not to be able to see the Fovant Badges. 🙁

Squirrel - there was a Forum Ride last year that took in the Wansdyke, an amazing sight. Bloomin' hard work on that grass though. 🙄

CG I did a great Ridgeway ride in May, starting from Avebury. It was lovely, as said above it's not technical. I came off it to do a circuit and go back to Avebury, and to practice my map reading! Part of my route was Wansdyke also. I fancy doing the whole lot to Oxford at some stage. Horse rode on the Marlborough Downs over summer, also looks good for bikes - meaning to go and investigate. Don't even know where Ackling Dyke is though.... Needless to say would love to come along if I can make it and you want company!

PS you need to be other side of A30 to see the badges, rather than on Shaftesbury Drove.

Waves to Anna. 😀

It would be such fun to do a Wiltshire "Relics Ride" but we really need a local. MrNutt/Count Zero - can you hear me? 😉

Ackling Dyke actually starts from your neck of the woods, check out an OS map and see the 'Roman road' marked. It can easily be joined from the Ox Drove, by Knighton Wood, then heads in a SW direction.

Thanks for tip about Fovant Badges, there are some minor roads near the A30 - would these be any good for viewing? Assuming of course that the A30 is busy?

Ackling Dyke...If you mean the footpath near Oakley Down don't worry about it, its just a straight grassy but lumpy section that is totally illogically classified as a footpath and takes but a few minutes to negotiate.

To avoid the A354 (always a good idea) a couple of km further north., head south east onto Martin Down along Bokerley Ditch then make your way up to Penbury Knoll, go beyond it and then take the downhill NW towards Pentridge before heading west to rejoin Ackling Dyke where it becomes a footpath. If you don't fancy climbing up to Penbury Knoll then just turn south to Pentridge and then west to join the Dyke at the same point.

CG - keep heading south west until you get to 'the other Ridgeway' in Dorset - my old stamping ground betwixt Weymouth and Dorchester.

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It's bridleway all the way, iirc, and takes in some spectacular viewpoints. Chalky like your Ridgeway, so can be a bit slippery at times, but when I was there last (see above 🙂 ) it was glorious. That pic is taken to the east of Weymouth on White Horse Hill, but the riding stretches waaaay east if you want, and heads towards Hardy Monument and beyond in the west - basically following the inland route of the SW coast path. Of course there's some more technical riding either side of it as you lose altitude but it's still good fun.

Just a thought!

😉

C_G - Talking of Dorset riding, watch this space for details of something happening down here soon (no idea what or when though).

igtretd - thank you, looked at the map and can follow your instructions. 🙂

gonetothehills - what a lovely pic! Checked the mapping and indeed there are stacks of bridleways in that area. Could do with a month's tour of Wiltshire and Dorset. 8)

rusty - ooooh, I need a date to put in the diary. 😀 Feel free to e-mail [s]cos I don't want to be left in suspense.[/s]

CG if you ride the real ridgeway stop at Wayland smithy near Uffington, strange place eery yet peacefull yet some folk and some dogs get freaked by it

when yer back to the Q's then lass

saladdodger - I've walked The Ridgeway! Probably shouldn't admit to this but did have a picnic at Wayland's Smithy. 😳

I will be back to the Q's before the year is out, struggling with health issues so just not inflicting myself on any group rides. Actually I want to have another pop at The Chimney ... on a full suss this time though. 8)

CG - It's always amazed me the sheer volume of bridleways in that neck of the woods - it's all good old skool mountain biking (I recall a decent unplanned dismount on that stretch of the Ridgeway on an old steel Rockhopper, with white Onza Porcupines giving no traction in the wet in about, ooh, 1992 maybe...) but great fun nonetheless.

I'm lucky enough to live on the edge of the White Peak nowadays and whilst the riding here and the Dark Peak is utterly immense, there's nowhere near so many bridleways when you look at the maps, compared to that part of West Dorset.

Ooh argh! 🙂

keep heading south west until you get to 'the other Ridgeway' in Dorset

+1

Yup. One of my most memorable rides. Yeovil(ish) down to Abbotsbury and back, on the most *beautiful* summer's day, with a pub lunch at half-time and in great company. Superb stuff.

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Blimey O'Reilley - it was 6 years ago 😯

gonetothehills - yes, the OS shows loads! But it goes without saying that the chalk needs some respect ...

Thurman - that is a nice pic, where exactly is it please?

There's something about big sky rides, isn't there?

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