Ridgeways and Rivers. Commons and Canals.

Description

Apart from a short section of the Via Francigena, most of my bicycle adventures have been on continental Europe so I was glad to take the opportunity to return to the UK and visit friends and family all within cycling distance of each other.

This is my usual sort of adventure cycling route. Trying to find the best bits of existing routes, and linking them up for something new and different. And to some extent being a little unsure of what the route might be like.

It feels very rural but you’re never far from a village or town, in fact you’ll pass through many of them; this is southern England after all.

The trail starts in Chichester, with its picture postcard cathedral and central cross. The best way out of Chichester is on an old railway line that takes you towards West Dean. This route turns off some way before West Dean to get up into the hills, passing The Royal Oak pub at Hooksway.

We then follow the ridge of the South Downs for about 8km with superb views to both sides, before descending towards Cocking; be sure to stop at the cycle cafe, Cadence.

Cocking to Stedham is off road on very overgrown bridleways and open fields.

After Stedham and its ancient bridge over the Rother there’s a muddy ascent to Titty Hill and on to Liphook where we join King Alfred’s Way across Bramshott Common.

Its then on up to Hindhead and The Devil’s Punchbowl. This is the only real “climb” on the route.

There’s then many different paths you can take towards Farnham; I can really recommend the more Westerly route called the Devil’s Punchbowl Loop rather than the official King Alfred’s Way. Shortly after is Hankley Common with a fair share of sand if you take the wrong paths.

Farnham is a pleasant town to stop.

The route continues over ancient commons and unkempt heaths until starting on the Basingstoke Canal towpath just outside Fleet. Its then a very easy 8km along the side of the canal before turning up towards Reading.

This is a 20km or so stretch of varied small quiet roads, forest paths and cyclepaths. My main issue there was lack of supplies: few villages and closed pubs/cafes. I eventually found a farm shop with a great cafe.

Reading itself is the largest town on the route. You enter town firstly via the business park (grim) on the edge of town and then via the path beside the river Kennet (lovely), eventually merging with the Thames. The route passes through a very modern (grim) built up riverside area with plenty of chain restaurants and bars.

Reading to Goring is on the Thames Path, but still part of King Alfred’s way which heads off to the West at Goring. Make sure to take a small detour around Mapledurham.

At Goring we head directly North East following the escarpment of the Chilterns, a route known as the Icknield Way, a quite isolated part of the route on a well signposted bridleway.

Eventually you come to Princes Risborough which is a tough place to love, but has some places for refreshments.

Then its a very steep path up on to the Chilterns. The route to Beaconsfield takes in plenty of boggy bridleways yet passes through a few rather trafficated villages such as Great Missenden, which I thought sounded quite nice in a Cotswold way but really isn’t.

The final few km into Beaconsfield is on roads that get much busier with unreasonably oversized cars and their ignorant owners. This was the only point on the route I felt the standard cyclist vulnerability to motor traffic.

And that’s it. This route passes through some of the most densely populated areas in Europe and yet is almost all on no or low car traffic rights of way. You’ll be out in nature yet never too far from a quick coffee or beer and a chat with some random local.