A multi-day, timetravelling route along the newly-created 350km King Alfred’s Way, taking in some top trails in the historic region of Wessex
A vast 350km off-road ride around the historic region of Wessex, passing through 10,000 years of English history along some top trails
For years, Cycling UK (formerly the Cyclists’ Touring Club) have been creating exciting long-distance routes to help people travel the length and breadth of the country on two wheels. Their latest off-road epic, King Alfred’s Way, launched this summer, and we jumped at the chance to try it. The densely-populated South of England may not be the obvious choice for a mountain bike adventure, but Cycling UK researcher Kieran Foster has created a route that feels very remote, while being accessible to a large number of riders. It also links up four National Trails (the South Downs Way, North Downs Way, Ridgeway and Thames Path), opening up many other epic route options.
Time travelling
King Alfred’s Way is very much a historic journey, using ancient tracks and passing numerous Neolithic monuments, including Iron Age hill forts, alongside various sites associated with its figurehead, King Alfred the Great. Born in the year 848, son of King AEthelwulf of Wessex, Alfred become king in 871 and went on to lead the Saxon army, driving the Vikings out of Wessex. It’s beneath the statue of Alfred in Winchester that Russell and I start this huge (350km!) ride. The route takes us out into the Test Valley of Hampshire, famous for its fly fishing in the River Test and its tributaries.
We need to get out of Winchester first, though, and with the bustling streets and morning traffic it’s easier said than done. The distressed bleeps from my Garmin are drowned out as the multiple moving obstacles vie for my attention. Soon enough, however, we leave the hustle and bustle, and spin into the quiet countryside, enjoying peaceful, narrow roads and then some off-road singletrack.
There are lots of twists and turns along this route, and it isn’t waymarked, so I’d recommend getting yourself a copy of the route guide, written by former MBUK tester Guy Kesteven. He studied archaeology, so the guide isn’t just route maps and directions, it’s also bursting with in-depth historical and archaeological information. With the distractions now behind us, we’re able to relax and just follow the GPS, enjoying the route as it weaves along tree-lined trails with morning sunlight penetrating the green canopy overhead. It’s a blissful start, even though we’ve opted to take the rougher route options whenever they’re offered. After taking one of these options and climbing up through West Wood, we’re soon rewarded with some singletrack and wonderful views from the top, before enjoying a long, fast descent back down into the Test Valley.
After ascending out of the other side, we join an old Roman road that takes us along more tree-lined trails to the medieval city of Salisbury and then on to Stonehenge. We decide to take the more direct route (complete with a complementary dice with death across the A303), which means we get close to the stones without buying a ticket. The route now heads out onto Salisbury Plain. Although there are trails straight through the middle, this land is owned by the Ministry of Defence, who regularly train and blow up things here, so access is often restricted (take heed of the red flags). However, King Aldred’s Way skirts around the edge of these ‘Danger Areas’ so there should be no worries about route closures. Look out for soldiers and tanks trundling along these trails, as well as the military helicopters that regularly thunder overhead.
Eventually we drop down off the Plain, back to civilisation, where we get some much-needed refreshments in the village below. Rested and revitalised, we continue over the hillside, crossing the Wansdyke, an early-medieval defensive earthwork, before dropping down the hillside into Avebury, with its intriguing standing stones. Our timing is great and we get to absorb the mystic atmosphere as the sun starts to set, with a cold pint at the Red Lion. We’re not quite finished for the day, though – we’ve got to get to the market town of Marlborough, so we join one of the many tracks across Wessex that King Alfred had built, to enable his army to move around quickly and efficiently in order to fend off the Vikings. As it turns out, it also enables us to move quickly and efficiently to our accommodation and a hearty meal. Both feel fit for a king (or a couple of worn-out cyclists).
Into the breach
Day two starts us along the ancient Ridgeway, traversing a variety of surfaces such as grassy meadows, rutted dirt tracks and wide chalky trails. This section is well-signposted so navigation is easy and we cover the miles quickly, feeling that we still have time to take in the sights and views, such as