Swindon area – what's the riding like?

We currently live in North Hampshire, riding is mainly Swinley Forest, Caesars Camp etc. We’re starting to seriously consider moving west so we can get a bit more living space and maybe improve quality of life.

We’d look to stay fairly close to the M4 so I can commute into the Thames Valley for work if need be (I can work from home in my current role, if we had the space) so Swindon is about as far as we’d want to go really.

All other things aside, what’s the riding like round there? I’d imagine road riding is good/hilly, how about MTB? I enjoy anything so no doubt could find some good long bridleway hacks, but something a bit more lively nearby (ie night ride rather than drive to Wales) would be enticing.

Ta

Well, the M4 takes you straight down to Wales, you can cut across to the Forest of Dean, where you can spend hours riding the hidden trails north of the cycle centre, and riding south towards Wroughton will get you onto the Marlborough chalk downs, where there are many miles of byways and bridleways.

Isn’t there a good track round the back of a building society near there?

As CZ said, plus a half-hour drive North gets you into the deepest darkest Cotswolds, where there is lots of lovely riding, road and MTB.

And as Lister said, there are of course the infamous woods behind Nationwide 🙂 (Google the Croft Trail)

The problem with Swindon is not the riding; it’s, well, Swindon…

Go for a day out, its only an hour away.

Its hardcore round here. We’re a mecca for world class downhillers, and the town centre is full of rad, sick gnarly kids here for the skillz riding.

No, actually its rubbish (expected swear filter to take that out, sorry).

Plenty of good road riding up North to the Cotswolds, or South to Marlborough Downs. Good mountain biking is rare though – most of it you need to drive to. Either the Forest of Dean, Cranham or other Cotswolds. Fair amount of bridleway pootling, and/or double track riding (like the Ridgeway)

If you can work from home, I’d try the Forest of Dean as you are likely to get more house space for your money there.

Saw this posted last week …http://www.mbswindon.co.uk/prospect-big-bike-ride-2013-charity-event-in-wiltshire-28th-april/%5B/url%5D

Thanks for the replies so far folks.

Yep, I realise that Wales/FoD isn’t far away and this is an advantage, however I was wondering about the immediate area for short local rides, night rides, etc. I have a young family so days out to Wales aren’t really on the cards too often.

Just to clarify, I’m talking Swindon area, not Swindon itself! I’ve no doubt it’s a lovely place but if I wanted to live somewhere like that I’d just move down the road to Basingstoke!

richardk – FoD would be great, however I need to be within reasonable striking distance of the Thames Valley in case I change jobs and need to commute. As for house space – we can get a decent 4 bed detached around Swindon for the price of a mediocre 3 bed semi where we are now.

Isn’t there a good track round the back of a building society near there?

MrNutt spent 13 days bivvying and exploring the mystical trails round the back of the Nationwide…So I’ve heard…

DrP

Tony, Royal Wootton Basset would be worth looking at as well, it’s just the other side of the M4, and is a nice little town.

CZ – thanks, Royal Wootton Basset is one that we’ve been looking at. Seems nice. Any idea what is happening with RAF Lyneham when it’s closed? Just wondering what might happen to the local area as I’d imagine a lot of folks are employed there.

The problem is that due to the chalk, riding can be quite restricted in Winter. I don’t live in Swindon, a different part of Wiltshire.

I find that I’m using the car a lot compared to when I lived close to Swinley Forest.

Don’t know where you live but there is some excellent XC riding not far from Basingstoke. Yes I know but I’ve surprised a few folk by showing them some trails!

My biggest problem with Wiltshire is that the roads are not maintained, in fact they’re bloody awful so much so that I won’t road ride here. The ‘A’ roads are in an unbelievable state.

I thought Lyneham was becoming a training college for the services?

Thanks CG. I’m in Fleet (you used to live in/near Crowthorne IIRC?) so have some great riding on the doorstep and it would be a shame to lose that. Unfortunately it’s just too expensive round here, hence we’re thinking of heading west.

Surprised to hear about the roads not being well maintained, I guess we’re somewhat spoilt round here as it’s the same where my folks live (North Kent).

No idea what’s happening with Lyneham, just that the repatriations had stopped there because it was closing/had closed.

Tony, Lyneham is going to be a tri-services engineering training unit, bringing together all the current establishments onto one site.

Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, does it mean three lots of squaddies fighting in the streets?!

Wouldn’t have thought so, it’s engineering types, not grunts!
What the Navy bods will do, being so far from water, though…

tony – yes, I’m from Sandhurst so could ride to Swinley from home and, believe me, really do miss that!

Could you not consider the M3 corrridor?

We could consider M3 corridor, however most potential future employers that I can think of (outside of London) are in/around the M4 corridor so it makes more sense there.

My missus is from Little Sandhurst, we’d love to move back there.

I work in Royal Wootton Bassett, and used to live here years back. No real military feel to the town – it’s very separate/distinct from Lyneham.

There’s enough diversity in employment in the town, so its not dependent on Lyneham. Not sure how turning it into a college will change that though (if it does).

RWB is a good place to live, but the comment about riding is still valid. You’ll have a 30min ride on roads to get to any offroad stuff.

Richard – out of interest, if you still work in RWB why did you move and where to?

Hi Tony – moved out because there wasn’t a house here that we liked. Wanted to move up from a 2 bed, and there was no 3 or 4 bed houses for sale in the town that we liked – very little choice at all, just 1 or 2 of each size.

This was 9/10 years ago, and when we sold, ours was the only 2 bed house for sale, didn’t even get to market, it sold within 24hrs to someone on the agents waiting list.

There’s a big spate of building going on now, so this problem shouldn’t exist any more.

Friends have lived in WB for around 12 years and, as Richard says, there is building going on.

Driving from WB into Swindon at peak time is a nightmare apparently.

How about the Vale of Pewsey? A346 takes you to Swindon.

Thanks. Seems like there’s a bit more choice now in the 4 bed market, which is where we’re looking. Seems like the market moves a bit slower there than where we are at the moment too.

Do you mind if I drop you an email for some specific info? One house I’ve been watching for a while looks great on paper but any local info would be appreciated (eg how busy are the roads).

CG – it is a nightmare to get to Swindon. If you are going to the M4/Thames Valley then it is slightly better as the jams are on both sides of the M4.

Edit – sure Tonyd, if my email isn’t in my profile, then I’ll drop you a note

CG – thanks. Pewsey looks nice but might take a bit too long to get to the M4? Marlborough looks nice to, we’ve seen a few houses on rightmove that look OK there although it’s still a little pricey. Guess it’s still just about in commuter land.

Any of the villages to to the south of Swindon like Bishopstone, Liddington, Chiseldon, Wanborough will give you MTB trails and v close proximity to the M4. Marlborough is a good option, also the villages surrounding it like the Ogbournes or Aldbourne. Again MTBing without having to use a car. Don’t totally dismiss Old Town in Swindon as its not like the rest of Swindon and you can cycle out to the Ridgeway from there.

After Cumbria, Wiltshire has the most bridleways and BOATs of any English county trouble is its mostly non-technical double track stuff but nonetheless in places like Tan Hill you can get a really good days riding in with a bit of a wilderness feel to it. Also the combes to the south of Hungerford can feel a bit like wales if you plan a good route. Don’t bother MTBing Wiltshire in winter though as the chalk and clay make it a muddy hell.

Road riding is good and what I do most of. I must obviously use different roads to Cinnamon Girl as I’ve no problems with any of the roads in the Marlborough, Swindon, Calne, Devises, Pewsey, Hungerford area.

Thanks uponthedowns. Even non-technical double track would be good as they’ll make for good family rides, so long as they’re nicely countryfied 🙂 I realise I’m never going to get the perfect mix, but it’s nice to understand what I might be signing up for. I enjoy road riding too and have to say the area as a whole always appeals whenever I drive through – rolling hills, big skies, lovely.

There is plenty of countryside riding around Swindon. I live in the town but can ride to the trails in under half hour to either the Wanborough or the Chisledon side.

A lot of its not particularly technical but even in the winter (normal winter) most of its rideable or you just have to pick your route more carefully. Also avoiding any lanes that have been “Chalk Capped” is a good idea. As said there are a lot of trails here. I can go out and ride all day.

Get a feel for it by going for a ride out with MB Swindon, just google it and see when their club rides are. Just checked and the Bronze Age Epic on the 23 Feb looks good.

Oh yes and I ride at night as well so quite doable.

As uponthedowns states, huge network of rights of way but do have to be shared with mx’ers etc. Tan Hill is on the Wansdyke, an amazing earthworks, and short-eared owls are to be seen in daylight. 🙂

Agree about riding area near Hungerford, my go-to in Winter and it really is lovely there. Loads of hills definitely!

Wiltshire is definitely a big-sky experience, also quite a varied county as I’m discovering. Interesting stuff to the South too.

Pewsey is definitely commuter-land with its station, Marlborough is most pleasant for shopping although the amount and variety of shops has declined over the years imo.

uponthedowns – where do you ride in Winter then?

Might check out that epic in a couple of weeks, looks interesting.

I live in Swindon. I’ve ridden round here for years. There’s ace riding on and off road. I laugh in the face of the “lack of good riding” comments and just label them “lack of imagination”. There’s plenty to do and those of us that can be half arsed find plenty of riding all year round. MB Swindon has to be one of the most active and friendly clubs there is. The work they have done on the Croft trail is astounding. Again, imagination was all that was needed to turn a shitty little copse into a great off road blast.

Swindon is a town sullied by its centre and west Swindon. Old Town is a nice place to live as are many of the surrounding areas. There’s a great local music scene and some ace off-the-beaten-track pubs, like the Beehive. I laugh at Wootton Bassett as well. The press have turned a mediocre town into a national shrine. I went to school there and also spent many Saturday nights watching bored locals beat each other to a pulp in the Cross Keys/Angel etc… The off road riding around WB is basically non-existant.

Finally we have a local CX team as well if you are that way inclined http://www.laatste-ronde.cx

I grew up in the Pewsey Vale and also in Old Town, Swindon for a bit. the PV is beautiful, lots of nice countryside and some cracking pubs. as peps have already said, there’s plenty of bridlepaths around, and there’s a massive network of country lanes for nice road biking on. Marlborough’s growing a lot it seems with a lot more up market shops than when was a kid (both my schools have been ripped down!). Devizes, Calne, Chippenham, Melksham are all very similar market towns or differing sizes. Old Town’s the only place worth living in Swindon, not that bad really.

worth checking out the Sarcen Trail, organised by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, a 30km or 50km circuit from Stonehenge, or a marathon distance on foot from avebury to Stonehenge. Rare chance to have good blat over Salisbury plain
Sarcen Trail[/url]

I do love the riding here, always cheers me up to get out. I like the way I can ride from my house out in to middle of know where, no one about, brilliant. Not that I’m anti social at all…..

uponthedowns – where do you ride in Winter then?

On the road 🙂

I was liking the sound of Wootton Basset until DavidB laughed at it. Personally I was thinking it might have improved since the repatriations stopped and the TV cameras left (not that I’d know). I must say having grown up in a small town myself and now having two sons I do worry a bit about them spending the weekends fighting, but I guess that could happen anywhere.

Pewsey Vale sounds nice, but could be a bit far from the motorway. So where else? Ideally needs to be an hour from Reading (OK, without traffic), countryside (trees are good), decent schools (primary within walking distance, secondary within cycling), good pubs, stuff for the wife and kids to do in the daytime (playgrounds, playgroups, softplay). And houses need to be cheap, or at least cheap enough to allow me to retire some time before I’m 90.

Presumably around Newbury is too dear? Tadley? When I was looking a couple of years ago I liked Oakley, west of Basingstoke. Village feel about it and quite removed from Amazingstoke!

How about the Candover Valley/New Alresford/Alton vicinity?

Another suggestion – villages around the Calne area?

Cirencester:

Ideally needs to be an hour from Reading (OK, without traffic) – yep, plus regular fast trains from Kemble

countryside (trees are good) – yep

decent schools (primary within walking distance, secondary within cycling) – yep

good pubs – enough in the town, buckets of good country pubs surrounding villages

stuff for the wife and kids to do in the daytime (playgrounds, playgroups, softplay) – er probably

And houses need to be cheap – prices not shocking.

Newbury is a bit pricey, although a couple of places in the surrounding villages have come and gone pretty quickly, with a bit of effort we could have managed those. Oakley, Alton etc a bit too far south really.

Calne looks very affordable actually, so much so that I’ve been wondering what’s up with it!

Cirencester – interesting, hadn’t thought about there. Is it really an hour from Reading?

Cirencester – interesting, hadn’t thought about there. Is it really an hour from Reading?

According to Google, 1hr 4 mins.

About the same by train from Kemble (slightly quicker if you get the direct train)

Also half hour-ish from Swindon, Glaaaacester, ‘Nam, and and hour from Brizzle and Oxford. For somewhere in the middle of the coutryside it’s remarkably well connected.

The prices in the surrounding (cutesy Cotswold chocolate box) villages can be a little ridiculous though.