Quite fancy doing a bikepacking trip along The Ridgeway. Nothing too extreme. Just thinking of a one way trip over two (or maybe three) days.
Any suggestions for overnight camp/bivvy sites and how to get back to the start on public transport would be gratefully received.
The one piece of info I can offer is to stop in at the Bell at Aldworth for lunch and ale. I've walked from Overton Hill to Streatley before, was pretty pleasant but did it in a day so didn't camp anywhere.
Public transport - looking at it you should be able to get a train from Cheddington to Pewsey via London, then from Pewsey it's only about 9 miles to Overton Hill.
[url= http://ramblingman.org.uk/planningatrip/planning_a_trip_on_the_ridgeway ]Ridgeway info[/url]
There's a campsite at the Youth Hostel on the Ridgeway above Wantage and another about 1/2 a mile off it at Uffington that I know of.
The Bells my local. Definitely worth stopping for a pint and a roll. Nice family and lots of local ales.
The Bell is excellent. Often pop there from Streatley on a Friday night with some mates. Few beers, then bomb down the ridgeway in the dark, slightly worse for wear. Been a few crashes in the past, especially when you get to the water pipes at the bottom...
There is the Youth Hostel in Streatley, which is good. Well used to people doing the same sort of thing. Makes life easier from a camping point of view.
Any suggestions for overnight camp/bivvy sites
There's loads of options for bivi spots, main thing is getting out of the wind on the western half. Depends how low-key you want to be as a lot of it is farm fields so needs some discretion.
http://ridgewaydouble.net/ - useful GPX avoiding FPs on the eastern end, a couple are contentious and popular so best avoided. There's better MTB alternates in places if you have a look with online mapping or get some local knowledge.
The Ridgeway is, as it's name suggests, situated on the top of a big ridge and therefore it can be windy. Camping on the top of the ridge in the wind is therefore not a great idea. I once thought that the ditches of Barbury Castle would provide some protection from the wind and make a great bivvy site - I was wrong, it blew a gale and nobody got much sleep.
Whatever you do, find some protection from the wind.... 😀
I did Isle of Dogs to Bath via the Ridgeway over 3 days back in the nineties. Day 1 - Isle of Dogs to Henley via the Thames path, Grand Union Canal then some road bits. Day 2 - Henley to Avebury - Henley to Goring via road then over the Ridgeway to Avebury. Day 3 - Avebury to Bath, road to Devizes then the Kennet and Avon Canal.
I was shagged by the end of it. But I look back on it very fondly now.
Did the Ridgeway a couple of weekends ago. My top tip if staying near Uffington, is don't rely on the Fox and Hounds serving evening meals (even though confirmed the day before!) and cycle to the White Horse in Woolstone instead, for a superb meal and couple of pints! All doable on a CX bike and hopefully the trail will have dried out a bit since my trip!
me and a mate rode from Wallingford to Bath a few years ago, combining the ridgeway with the canal tow path. we camped out at the Barge Inn at Honey Street. thoroughly recommend it! I used to work there years ago, very fond memories....
Did the double last year, took bivvy bag only & the thought of kipping in that spurned us on to do the whole ride in one.
Handy campsite right at the foot of Ivinghoe Beacon. We started and finished there.
Wayland Smithy and Liddington Hill both offer sheltered woodland spots
Excellent -- thanks guys. Some good tips there. Time to get the maps out and look at the calendar!