POWER TO THE PEDAL

After an adventure on home turf? Grab your bike and set off on one royally good new cycling route

Ten thousand years of history, 220 miles, four counties, one cycle route — all hail the King Alfred’s Way, southern England’s new off-road cycling trail.

Named after the Anglo-Saxon ruler of the ancient kingdom of Wessex, the trail kicks off in England’s former capital, Winchester, before winding its way through four counties. Riders can expect a score of the region’s best-known historic sites on the way, including: Stonehenge, Avebury, Salisbury Cathedral and Iron Age hill forts at Old Sarum, before finishing up at Winchester Cathedral, where the ninth-century ruler was originally laid to rest. The region’s natural beauty is highlighted just as much its heritage, too, with the route crossing a mix of terrains and ecosystems, such as Salisbury Plain, ancient Surrey heathland and challenging chalk uplands in the South Downs, making it a must for serious cyclists.

Three years in the making for charity Cycling UK, the launch of King Alfred’s Way is good news for riders looking to seamlessly crisscross the South on two wheels. The route links up with other regional paths such as the South Downs Way, the Thames Path, and the riders’ route along the North Downs Way, which launched in 2018.

The wider aim, however, is an ambitious one: to connect the whole country with a vast web of longdistance, off-road cycling routes that link the UK’s landscapes and heritage hotspots — in much the same way the country has been open to walkers for decades.

A detailed map can be viewed online, where riders can check out an extensive guide to the trail and download route files (GPX format) to follow on the go. cyclinguk.org/kingalfredsway CONNOR MCGOVERN