Sue & Peters’ Cycling Adventure In Mysterious Wiltshire

Woke on Monday morning and had a decision to make, do we decorate the bathroom or get away for a few days?

Sue and I have been getting into mountain biking for some time and so I began searching the net for a short break on wheels. After a while I found the ‘History On Your Handlebars’ web site, was intrigued and so gave Derek a call. After he’d gathered some details about us and what we were after from our trip he called me later that day and relayed an itinerary to me covering four days that sounded pretty exciting, we didn’t hesitate and told him we’d be there next morning.

After travelling from Essex to an over night stop at my Mother’s place in Gloucester we arrived at Derek’s fantastic converted barn just outside Lacock.

He made us very welcome and over a coffee discussed some cycle routes that would not only stretch our legs but also let us experience the Wiltshire countryside and its mysterious history.

DAY 1 :-

Derek introduced us to our bikes and an ordinance survey map of our route with guidance notes, and escorted us through the lanes, across a common populated with grazing sheep, across a ford to the breathtaking village of Lacock. The village is a National Trust gem and has been used in period TV dramas such as Pride and Prejudice due to it’s original condition. We left the village and shortly afterwards left Derek behind and were off on the first part of our journey. We cycled alongside the now disused Wiltshire & Berkshire canal with its original locks now overgrown but with signs of renovation taking place. After briefly skirting the edge of Chippenham we took a cycle route along an abandoned railway line which was very quiet passing our first White Horse hill sculptor carved in the hillside. A brief stop by a glorious field of sun flowers was followed by our entry into the town of Calne. We debated whether to stop for a cup of coffee or to press on but we continued into the countryside and along a lane to Cherhill where we saw our second White Horse. The cycle route now took us into open country past a disused army camp and in to total solitude along a narrow path with just the sound of the birds and not another soul or building in sight (from living in the south east this was quite an experience!).

The village of Avebury and it’s fascinating stone circle awaited us as we stopped outside The Red Lion which is situated in the middle of the site. A welcome pint of local ale and a lovely lunch was followed by a stroll amongst the stones. The known history of the site is detailed by Derek in a hand out as are all of the historical features that are passed along the route. The route south of Avebury took us through an avenue of stones and then along lanes eventually stopping at the bridge over the Kennet and Avon Canal. The remainder of the journey took us down hill to North Newnton where I called Derek to let him know we were nearly at Upavon, our destination on the first day. We met outside The Antelope pub in the village and sat down for a pint where Derek produced another map and explanation of the route for day two. The Manor House was a stone’s throw from the pub and this was our first night’s accommodation. The house is substantial with a thatched roof and walled garden and a magnificent room and huge bed to match. The Antelope was the venue for our evening meal and we then retired feeling pretty tired with lungs full of fresh country air and thoughts in anticipation of day two.

DAY TWO

After a hearty breakfast at The Manor House we thanked our friendly hosts and set off towards Stonehenge and Salisbury Plain.

The River Avon would be our guide for the morning cycle as we followed it south to Durrington. The villages we passed through were punctuated with open fields and tree lined lanes with the occasional M.O.D tank crossing point which is to be expected on the vast Salisbury Plain training ground. The route that Derek had given us would lead us to the mystical Stonehenge monument via a stony track taking us over the ancient Cursus earth works keeping the magical stones in sight all the way to the site. A stop for a cuppa and then a walk around the stones and then the second half of the days journey towards Amesbury. Passing the Woodhenge site we cycled through the town and paused beside the river proceeding to follow it’s path heading for Middle Woodford. We’d worked up quite a thirst by the time we’d reached the Woodford Bridge Pub and sat beside the river with a pint and a snack watching the Swans and Chubb clearly visable in the clear water. The next part of the route took us from the River Avon to the River Wylye through open country to Great Wishford where two pubs awaited. Derek collected us and the bikes and we headed back to Lacock where our second nights accommodation awaited. The Lacock Pottery overlooks the beautiful Church and after a refreshing shower we ventured into the village in search of an evening meal. There are three pubs and a restaurant to choose from and strolling through the village in the twilight of the evening whilst we made our choice was an experience to savour. The Pottery has a great selection of books on historical Wiltshire and browsing through them was a nice ending to the day.

DAY THREE

Derek collected us after we’d enjoyed a lovely breakfast, and drove us to Bradford-On-Avon where we dropped our luggage at our third nights stop located next to the tow path of The Kennett and Avon Canal. The plan was for us to cycle along the tow path into the centre of Bath and so we set off. The River Avon runs parallel to the Canal for the majority of it’s route and there are some spectacular views not least the two aqueducts that are crossed, one with a great pub and coffee shop right next door !

After passing lots of narrow boats and several friendly waves we reached Bath and entered the city via an iron gate that led us into a lovely park. We cycled into central Bath where we spent the day experiencing the relaxed atmosphere, cafés, pubs and street entertainment. We also spent a fascinating couple of hours exploring the Roman baths, sampling the spa water and taking lots of photos. After visiting The Crescent and The Circus where the Georgian architecture is spectacular, we re-traced our steps back to the canal and headed back to Bradford-On-Avon. There is a café on one of the narrow boats a couple of miles outside Bath but we pushed on and stopped at The Cross Guns pub by the aqueduct for a break. We paused at the lock at Bradford and watched the barges pass through before returning to our accommodation where we sat on the balcony with a cup of coffee watching the barges pass by and taking in the lovely country views.

We walked into the main town and had a fantastic meal and drink near the river which rounded off a great day.

DAY FOUR

Derek picked us up after breakfast, drove us back to our starting point where Sue and I decided we’d like to cycle back into Lacock to spend the morning looking around. We returned just after lunch and returned the bikes. We thanked Derek for his fantastic hospitality and headed home reflecting on what had been a exhilarating few days.

The whole trip was organised by Derek at very short notice and we couldn’t fault a thing. Our friends are fascinated when we describe what we got up to and it’s so unusual to combine one of our favourite pass times (the cycling and the drinking !) with a fascinating historical tour, we’ll do it again and probably try some of the other routes.