[Closed] King Alfreds Way - Conditions

The Facebook group is good for this - there is always someone who’s just got back from doing it.

Summary seems to be Winchester to Salisbury overgrown with nettles, ridgeway a bit wet, SDW a bit muddy in the shade. A good day of sunshine today will help.

Cheers Curt, sounds slightly better than expected and hadn't considered the nettles so will cover the knees. I'll check out Facebook too.

Live South of Winch and there's been plenty of showers and/or heavy rain over the last few weeks. It is however sunny and warm today. Son rode Winch to Stonehenge 2 weeks ago and was stung/cut to pieces from brambles so full body cover would be recommended. fwiw my lawn is looking like a meadow!

Have fun!

Im doing it from the 19th, 4 days/3 nights, hoping for some dry weather next week to dry it all out.

I'm doing it at end of July, it'll be dusty then I'm sure 🙄

The section south of Reading was muddy when I rode it a couple of weeks ago. You will get nettle stings on the section to Avebury. I was glad I took my mtb instead of gravel bike, as it has wider tyres.

I think this might be the bit where King Alfred goes and hides in a swamp

I think this might be the bit where King Alfred goes and hides in a swamp

👏 bravo!

Got back yesterday. Winch to Old Sarum a bit mucky and overgrown (lots of crappy field edge riding straight from the 80's) Ridgeway fine, South of Reading utter shite, the rest ok.

I think this might be the bit where King Alfred goes and hides in a swamp

Yeah, but he did come back and give the Danes a good kicking…

Quick follow up. Rode counter clockwise starting in Reading and finished in Winchester but instead of staying overnight and completing Sunday decided to head home as it wasn't enough fun with the mud. I dont regard myself as a fair weather cyclist but it was too hard going with steady rain most of the day plus my bike was getting a right hammering, Ribble CGR with 42c WTB Resolutes were struggling and the bike was caked in crap. Ridgeway was mostly ok until near Avebury when it got muddier then both on and off the Plain was sticky. The killer was between Amesbury and Winchester where it was a total slog which extinguished my morale. If it was November then I could probably have pushed through but its not on in July! Good call to cover the arms and legs, there is a lot of greenery on the trail, hearteningly there we loads of other riders which was good to see. Will wait till it is much drier next time, sorry for being a miserable sod 🙂

Weather forecast for the rest of the week is looking good,hot and sunny by the weekend and most of KAW drys out pretty quickly

That's a shame terrynutkins, the weather really hasn't been too kind at all recently. Yep, can imagine Amesbury to Winch being a slog especially with all that slippy chalk. If it's any consolation it's raining very heavy now and as dark as anything. Those trails will seriously be in need of a gang of scythe operatives!

Back from a 3 day clockwise loop starting and finishing in Liddington. Everything pretty much dried out, with only a handful of larger puddles remaining. Not too overgrown,certainly all rideable just had to keep hands away from nettles and brambles. Water was a bit of a balancing act, the SDW taps were a bonus, plus the outside ones on the Tilshead petrol station and behind the NT barn at Avebury were great. Passed and got passed by lots of other riders doing the same route over longer / shorter trips, was just a little too hot 🙂

I was chatting to a cyclist outside the Red Lion in Avebury this afternoon, and he and his three mates had just finished the King Alfred Way, having started in Avebury. The chalky mud splashed all over one bike and the owner’s helmet showed that there’s a few muddy spots - there’s a very big puddle by the farm as you leave Avebury on the Herepath, but the Ridgeway above Avebury is bone-dry, perfect for riding.

We’ve just begun it!! I’m first driver, so I’ll find out at elevenses how they’ve gotten on, but looks great from where I’m parked!!