The Ridgeway National Trail is an off-road trail in south central England. Earlier this year, a few friends and I cycled the route (in both directions) over three days. I thought it would be a good idea to post my reflections on the route and provide (I hope) some useful tips if you are planning to do the same.
- Distance: 87 miles (official route).
- Start: Overton Hill (near Avebury) in Wiltshire.
- End: Ivinghoe Beacon (near Tring) in Buckinghamshire.
- Terrain: Mainly off-road, chalk downlands and forested bridleways but with some quiet lanes.
Firstly, there is lots of useful information about the Ridgeway Trail on the National Trails website. That’s the best place to start when planning your trip. Also, Wikipedia has a section about the Ridgeway.
The Ridgeway map at Ivinghoe Beacon
Our Route Itinerary
We decided to cycle the trail in both directions (from west to east and back), partly because it’s pretty difficult to organise a way of getting from the end of the route back to the beginning again (even with cars), and also because we had three days to do the route. So here’s what we did:
- Day 1: From Marlborough, cycle 4.5 miles to the start at Overton Hill, then cycle the Ridgeway mostly off-road to Stokenchurch (via Streatley and Goring-on-Thames) – total 68 miles
- Day 2: From Stokenchurch to the Ridgeway Trail endpoint at Ivinghoe Beacon (via Tring) and back to Stokenchurch – total 54 miles
- Day 3: Cycle Stokenchurch to Marlborough – total 60 miles (off-road) or 52 miles (by road)
Our route was determined by where we were staying but the overall distance may well be be similar even if you stay in slightly different places.
You definitely will find it easier with Ordnance Survey maps for this route. The maps are Landranger 173, 174, 175 and 165 although 173 only covers a small section at the start. Sustrans also has a map of the Ridgeway.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in the Ivy House Hotel in Marlborough and the King’s Hotel in Stokenchurch, both of which were fine. However, the Stokenchurch hotel is opposite a pub and, with the windows open on a summer evening and late night pub opening on Friday and Saturday, it can be pretty noisy if you in are rooms at the front of the hotel.
In Stokenchurch, we ate a meal at another pub called the Royal Oak (with great Thai cuisine) behind the hotel. In Marlborough, there are pubs and restaurants up and down the wide High Street.
Both hotels provided areas to store bikes, either in a locked room inside, or at the rear in a quiet car park.
Cycling from Marlborough
View over countryside
The first day was mostly off-road over chalk downland and it can be hard physically if you are not used to this. There were some sections that I found quite difficult technically because they were rutted and there were a few tough climbs. However, in the main it was very pleasant open landscape riding with some fantastic views from the Ridgeway over the surrounding countryside.
Like any long distance cycling trip, you should take plenty of water, energy drinks and food with you (for advice about how to carry this, see also Rucksack or Bike Bag?). Be aware that unless you go off-route to visit nearby villages, there were not many obvious food and drink stops for long sections of this first part of the route. However, there are water stand pipes at some points and these were very welcome!
- Tip: Even if you still have water, drinks and food in your bag or rucksack, take every opportunity to top-up when you reach shops. You’ll not always know when the next replenishment stop will be.
This section of the trail was well signposted and we had no major problems finding our way on the off-road sections. However, after Streatley and Goring-on-Thames, the Ridgeway is a footpath in many places so you’ll need to find alternative bridleways. We used the Swan Way for part of this latter section until Stokenchurch. If by any chance you are staying in Stokenchurch, there is a long climb on the A40 for the last few miles (north of Stokenchurch travelling south). Just what you don’t need at the end of a long day!
To Ivinghoe Beacon
The second day was quite a contrast to the first because the bridleways were mostly forested and because we had quite a bit of difficulty finding the way. As mentioned previously, the Ridgway is mostly footpath in this area so we had to find alternative, mostly parallel-to-the Ridgeway, bridleways that allowed cycling. We spent a lot of time looking at OS maps! We followed the Swan and Icknield Ways (I think) and also cycled some quiet country roads before we reached the end of the Ridgeway at Ivinghoe Beacon. The last part of the route was a deceptively long, slow climb from Aldbury to Ivinghoe and the Beacon. The last section is a path up to the Beacon itself. It was a great feeling at the top!
To be honest, we arrived at the Beacon between 3 and 4 pm which was much later than we’d planned. If you get there at a similar time and you need to get to your hotel quickly, take my advice and take a faster road route after the Beacon. That’s what we did to get back to Stokenchurch.
- Tip: Even though it might be tempting to get up late on each day of a cycling trip, my advice is to get going as early as possible. You can often cover a few miles on quieter roads at the start and you’ll finish earlier – giving you more time to relax in the evening.
Back to Marlborough
For the final day, we cycled back to Marlborough via one of two routes. Either off-road using the same route in reverse or by road via Watlington, Wallingford, Didcot, Wantage, Bishopstone and the A346 to Marlborough. I did the road route because by that point I really needed to make sure that I got back at a reasonable time (and because I wanted to watch the England v Germany World Cup game that afternoon). There were no real problems with the road route and much of it was on quiet roads. However, the A346 into Marlborough is a busy road (and it has a tough little hill near the end).
Boy, oh boy, it was good to relax back in Marlborough that evening (despite the football result).
- Tip: It’s not always possible but try and cycle in groups (or pair up) on long distance trips. It’s safer if you have a fall and it’s a lot easier to repair punctures and/or change tyres with moral support from friends – and you’ll have a wider range of bicycle tools to call on as well.
In Summary
You have to be physically fit to cycle the Ridgeway so it’s not for mountain biking beginners. Some of the terrain is very similar to the South Downs Way but I found the route (slightly) easier because there are less hills. The first part of the route has some fantastic open downland, chalk ridge cycling and that was the best bit for me. I would say that the Ridgeway is not too difficult in a technical sense but you need to start early and allow enough time on each day to cover the distances.
Overall, I think we all enjoyed the three days even though it was pretty demanding.
If you want to ask any questions about the route, leave a comment below and I’ll try to answer.
Clive, we are planning a bike trip along the Ridgeway, from Stokenchurch to Avebury, kipping overnight there and cycling back – on mountain bikes. I’ve been ‘roped’ in, so not sure on details yet, but I clearly see that the track will be hellish in the wet and therefore best avoided on bikes. Our party will be 2 adults and a group of 13 yr old boys.
Thoughts on likelihood of this being achieved – I’m sceptical until I know more.
Thanks, David.
David, it depends on your cycling experience and fitness but I think that will be pretty tough for the boys (at the very least). The Stokenchurch to Avebury section of the Ridgeway is mostly off-road, chalk downs riding and the distance is likely to be 60 – 65 miles each way. The road route is easier but not a huge difference in distance. Either way, I suggest that you need to be able to ride a 40-50 mile trip on road, without major problems, before tackling this.
The Ridgeway is best done in the summer because, as you say, wet conditions will add another level of difficulty.
Hope this helps. What’s the cycling experience of your group?
Clive, I cycled (a lot but not all) the South Downs Way last year with a small group, from Eastbourne, aiming for Winchester but only managed as far as Petersfield. We are cycling the Ridgeway from Marlborough ending somewhere near Tring (being arranged by a friend) this coming Friday over two days. I wondered if you’ve cycled the South Downs Way and can give your opinion about how hard the Ridgeway is in comparison. Thanks, Gary
Hi Gary, yes I cycled the South Downs Way from Winchester to Eastbourne (over three days) a couple of years ago. I found the SDW more difficult physically than the Ridgeway although some aspects of the terrain are very similar (chalk downland). When I cycled the SDW, I had not done many 2-3 day rides so I was probably not as prepared as now. However, the SDW has a lot more climbs, and they are harder/closer together, than the Ridgeway. There are some climbs/descents on the Ridgeway but they are a lot more spaced out. You still have to cover the miles though.
Some sections (not many) of the Ridgeway were rutted and they were the most difficult bits technically. There were a couple of downhill singletrack sections on the second day (before Tring) which needed concentration but we did get a bit lost that day so you might not see these.
Overall, I’d say the Ridgeway is not as tough as the SDW. If you can get to Ivinghoe Beacon, the end of the Ridgeway near Tring, the views are well worth it from the top. Good luck!
Hello Clive – I note you did the 87 miles in three days. How far did you go per day? I am used to riding that sort of distance on my road bike in a single day so was hoping TWO days for the Ridgeway wasn’t unreasonable… but I have no concept of how far one can go off road in what, 7 hours?
Also, it is my good fortune to live within easy cycling distance of Tring, but how would one get to/from the western end by public transport?
Thanks,
Andrew
Andrew, I cycled the Ridgeway in both directions over three days. Details of each day’s distances are in the Itinerary section of the article. In my experience, 50-60 miles off-road is equivalent to 90-100 miles on-road but this is only an approximation since it will be heavily dependent on the terrain. Whilst the Ridgeway is not the most demanding off-road route I’ve done, it is still a reasonable distance each day. We finished riding each day at approx 6.30 pm although the last day was shorter than that. For 7 hours off-road riding, I’d allow 8-9 mph average so that means 50-60 miles. You will also need to add time for stops to this as well. Hope this helps but it is also dependent on weather and your fitness and experience.