(Disclaimer: I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing this, though I was very impressed with how well my trusty Dawes performed on these rough and rocky tracks. Hats off to the Schwalbe Marathon Plus touring tyres too for keeping me puncture-free and well and truly gripped to the ground.)  

Following a circular loop, you ride through ancient transport routes and visit old battlegrounds, with historic sites including Winchester and Salisbury cathedrals, Stonehenge, Old Sarum hill fort, the Devil’s Punch Bowl, Roman roads, Saxon camps and Iron Age hill forts, and much, much more.  

Here’s a breakdown of my two-wheeled adventure, the kit I used, the scenes I saw and the lessons I learnt along the way.

Bikepacking Kit

Shared across our two bikes, here’s a brief breakdown of some of the kit my cycling partner and I brought along for the ride…

Bags

• Chrome Industries Urban Ex Pannier 2.0  
• Chrome Industries Doubletrack Feedbag  
• Ortlieb Gravel Pack  
• Ortlieb Handlebar-Pack QR  
• Ortlieb Roller City Panniers x2 
• Wizard Works Voila! Snack Bag x2 

Other Equipment

• Camping essentials
• Garmin Edge 530 

• Bike lights and bike locks
• Bike tool kit including spare inner tubes x2
• Miscellaneous clothes and food items (lots of flapjacks, coffee and Supernoodles)   

Day One: The Sludge

Beginning in London, we set off train-bound for Winchester in the early hours of the morning. Once we arrived, we fuelled our bodies with a trusty Gregg’s and hit the road.  

After meandering through the hilly suburbs, we were led through concealed bridleways into the expanding Hampshire countryside. These tracks were a mix of gravel, grass, paved roads that had weathered charmingly out of place, and an intense splattering of mud. 

Though we knew the prior week’s rainfall might have altered the trails, we were hoping most of the mud would’ve dried in time. Alas, we were wrong. But we adapt; we overcome. It inevitably slowed us down but was nevertheless fun to navigate and trudge our way through.

As the route continued, the mud eased, and we made our way across quiet fields, quaint villages and old Roman roads sheltered by tree tunnels towards Salisbury. We passed Old Sarum hill fort, the river Avon and views of Stonehenge in the distance, before heading towards Tilshead to call it a day.  

We scouted the surrounding areas for an appropriate wild camping spot and rested our weary limbs for the evening. By this point, our remaining energies could only rustle up Supernoodles and cheese rolls for dinner, a slightly odd combination but one which nonetheless filled the void. Accompanied by a slightly warm beer, we quickly got tired and gave in to sleep. 

Day Two: Hills, Drills And Thrills

Having now gotten more used to the terrain and settled into the route, we awoke feeling confident and ready to make up our mileage that was lost to the mud. In the tender hours of sunrise, we packed away our tent, grilled some sausages while charging our gear on the Biolite stove, and set off towards the Salisbury Plain Military Training Area. 

To be honest, it was quite weird cycling over this landscape. The prospect of hearing gunfire or bumping into a tank kept entering my mind, though the fields themselves were actually wonderfully peaceful. It’s worth noting that if a red flag is flying on any of the fields, you do not cross. It means a Ministry of Defence exercise is in progress and there’s a real and immediate danger in passing through. 

Thankfully, our cycle remained peaceful and relaxing, with spectacular views across undulating hills and small towns obscured by fields of cows grazing in the sun. 

After making a slightly precarious descent out of the training area, including a minor nosedive into a bush – see picture attached – and some scattered carrion, we headed up towards the North Wessex Downs into the heart of Wiltshire.  

One of the most challenging ascents of this section was definitely Tan Hill. Situated near Allington, Tan Hill’s summit is 965 ft high, and you can really feel it on the way up. The terrain is a nice traffic-free tarmac road though, and the views are absolutely worth the challenge. From the summit you can see across Wiltshire for miles, with the sound of bleating sheep as a fitting backdrop.  

The road then turns to gravel as you make an awesome descent towards Beckhampton. At this point, however, we realised some screws had disappeared from my friend’s pannier rack making it shake and rattle with each pedal stroke. 

We swiftly decided to make a detour to The Marlborough Bike Company to fix the pannier (thanks guys) and then on to the Wellington Arms for a pint. We might have gotten slightly carried away here and so decided to relax and camp at the Posten Hill campsite in the ancient Savernake Forest for the night – a place I definitely recommend visiting. 

Grilling burgers and vegetables on the stove was a much-needed variation on the Supernoodle special, made all the easier by the handy Biolite FlexLight attachment for cooking in the dark. With full bellies, and slightly aching bums, we got some rest for the mighty Ridgeway that lay ahead.  

Day Three: The Ridgeway

The Ridgeway, otherwise known as Britain’s oldest road, was my favourite section of the KAW trails we tested. It begins near Avebury and covers 87 miles if you go from end to end. Our route covered roughly 30 miles or so, however, and was really quite spectacular.  

Related: Guide To The National Trails Of England And Wales

After a steep climb up White Horse Hill near Uffington, the route is predominantly single tracked grassy paths with a few chalky and rubbly sections thrown in the mix. It’s clearly waymarked and very isolated, with panoramic views for miles. The sun really came out on this day too and illuminated the surrounding fields for the entire ride.  

Leaving the Ridgeway for Pangbourne involved some immense descents giving you a hell of a lot of speed. We flew along these tracks and eventually reached the Goring Thames Path which takes you along a forest trail next to the river.  

This section would have been a dream for a mountain biker – there were twists and turns in amongst the trees, and chain-busting inclines mixed with hair-raising declines all throughout. 

Once we made it off the path, we travelled down to Pangbourne to our last camping spot – Meadow Farm campsite. After setting up camp and regaining the will to move, we indulged in a pub dinner, a walk along the Thames and a slight collapse into our tent. A day well cycled it would seem. 

Day Four: Homeward

As much as we wanted to finish the whole loop, sadly life persists beyond the trail, and we had to think about getting home. We had a slow campsite breakfast, hacked off a bit of the mud from our bikes, and rejoined the King Alfred’s Way route.  

From Pangbourne, we sauntered our way along more of the Thames Path and through Mapledurham, before heading into the hustle and bustle of central Reading via the canal path.  

London-bound, we talked about when we’d next get the chance to finish the route, and which kit items we’d use next time. Each trail, after all, is unique, and practice makes perfect. 

On the whole, being able to cycle through ancient lands and rediscovered bridleways with nothing but our legs as engines was an awesome experience. Though the Ridgeway was my favourite, each and every section provided stunning scenery and the chance to try something new each day.

Being able to cycle through Hampshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire in just a few days is no average weekend either. From the never-ending countryside views to the terrain changes around each corner; I can’t wait to see what the final Surrey section has in store. Until next time King Alfred.  

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