Introduction

Terrain

King Alfred’s Way has been designed to be suitable for people with a decent level of fitness and some experience of off-road riding, rather than requiring technical mountain biking skills. The route uses a mixture of gravel tracks, woodland and heathland trails, grassy field edge bridleways, canal towpaths and quiet lanes. There are some steep climbs and descents to watch out for and good stamina is required, but overall the route would be given a blue difficulty grading (‘moderate’, suitable for people with some experience of off-road cycling, with some loose surfaces, ruts and tree roots). As an off-road route, riding conditions, levels of challenge and likely speed can vary significantly depending on current and preceding weather. Chalk surfaces are particularly slippery when wet and there are extended sections of deep ruts on the Ridgeway and Salisbury Plain trails which can be awkward to ride. The trick is to relax and look ahead rather than fixating on your front wheel.

There are occasional short and steep or long technical climbs that will defeat most riders, so be prepared to push and wear shoes that allow that. The Surrey Hills heathland has several sandy sections which can also present problems. Lowering tyre pressure and trying to keep as straight as possible will help.

Bike and kit

King Alfred’s Way is mainly an off-road route with significant amounts of steep climbing and challenging descents so it needs an appropriate bike. A conventional touring bike will probably survive if you ride carefully, but a gravel bike or hybrid with 35mm or wider tyres and low ratio gears will be a more confident and comfortable choice. A cross country/trail style mountain bike certainly isn’t overkill either, and would be the preferred option during the wetter, muddier seasons. If you are thinking of taking an e-bike, there are extended sections of the route where you will be away from convenient

charging points, so plan/ration battery use accordingly. There are no points where you have to physically lift the bike though. In terms of what you carry, that obviously depends on how long you plan on taking to ride the loop and whether you’re carrying camping gear or hopping between hotels with just a spare pair of shorts. Expect the unexpected in terms of weather so always take a decent jacket and a warm underlayer in case mechanical incidents and meteorological evil combine forces.

Panniers, bikepacking bags or a backpack all have their pros and cons, but low-slung panniers may get caught occasionally on the more rutted sections. Make sure any

Navigation

The route is not signposted, but much of it follows clearly waymarked trails such as the Ridgeway, South Downs Way, Shipwrights Way and Cycle Surrey Hills routes. Other parts of the route place far greater emphasis on your own navigation to stay on track, so with so many sites of interest to look out for, scenic vistas to enjoy and fun sections of trail to get slightly carried away on, don’t forget to keep a keen eye on your route. A handlebar-mounted racks or accessories are bolted on tightly, and spare bolts aren’t a bad idea. Flint is notoriously hard on tyres too (it was used to make spears after all), so take spare tubes and a tyre repair kit even if you’re running a tubeless system. You’ll obviously need a reliable pump to go with them and a comprehensive multi tool with a spare chain link.

Whatever bike and equipment you use, make sure it’s in good working order and be realistic about the range and condition

of the engine (you) too.

GPS unit is certainly a big help, but we strongly suggest taking a map with the route marked on as a dead battery back-up. The route is fully mapped on 1:50 000 Ordnance Survey maps at the back of this guide. Reading the relevant section of this route guide the night before or over breakfast will help with familiarity and means you won’t miss any highlights.

Safety

While our route planners have done an amazing job of avoiding built up areas and spiriting you away into a sense of isolated wilderness wherever possible, you can be reassured that you’re rarely more than 5km from habitation or help of some form. Mobile phone coverage is reliable throughout most of the route too. That doesn’t mean you should be reckless though, so always ride within your limits and the limits of your equipment and if in doubt dismount – whether that’s on an off-road descent or at one of the few busy road crossings. If you’re riding solo we’d also suggest using a ‘beacon’ tracking phone app for safety. The route passes through some areas of land owned by the Ministry of Defence where there may be military training exercises going on, so make sure you pay attention to any warning signs, stick to the main route rather than wandering off and don’t touch any ‘interesting’ objects lying around. Salisbury Plain is a live firing range with very real dangers, so you should never cut across it if the red flags are flying. Even when the flags are down, you need to be vigilant for 75-tonne Challenger tanks travelling at up to 60km/h with very limited crew vision as well as other, even faster vehicles. In terms of on-trail support, the South Downs Way has regular tap points as well as tool stations and you’ll never be that far away from a shop, pub, café or bike shop from Reading all the way round to Winchester. You’ll need to be reasonably self-sufficient for Salisbury Plain and the Ridgeway though. For peace of mind while you’re out riding, you might like to consider joining Cycling UK. Not only does membership include third-party insurance, discounts and advice, but it also helps support the charity create more routes like King Alfred’s Way.

Top tips for a great ride

• Ride Responsibly Show respect for all other users, and take care of the environment. • Leave No Trace Practice low-impact cycling to protect trails and avoid wet and muddy trails. Keep to the line of existing trails, avoid skidding and take your litter home. • Control Your Bike Stay focused, check your speed, and think about other people. • Avoid Disturbing Animals Farm, pet and wild animals are startled by sudden noise, be considerate. • Always Plan Ahead Know your bike, your equipment, your ability and the area, and be prepared for the weather conditions. • Always Give Way Let people know you are there. Pass wide and slow, particularly with horse-riders and approach with caution on blind corners and descents.

Remember – Be Nice, Say Hi!

Who was King Alfred the Great?

Alfred the Great was born in 848 in Wantage as the youngest of four sons of King Aethelwulf of Wessex. He first appears in historical records fighting alongside his brother King Aethelred against Ivar the Boneless in Mercia (the modern Midlands). When Aethelred died in 871, Alfred became king, but the next seven years didn’t go well for him and he ended up hiding from repeatedly victorious Viking forces in a fort in the Somerset marshes at Athelney. This was where the infamous ‘burnt cakes’ incident allegedly took place as Alfred was too pre-occupied to watch them for his peasant host. His baking failures were forgiven when he rallied the Saxon army and defeated the Vikings comprehensively at the battle of Eddington and then besieged them at Chippenham. This was enough to get the Vikings to retreat north to the ‘Danelaw’ and give Alfred control of all of Wessex and much of Mercia which made him feel Great. He reorganised the Saxon army and how it was mobilised, and expanded the size of the navy. He also created 33 fortified towns or ‘burhs’ throughout the Saxon kingdom – many of which our route passes through or near – to act as strongholds. Alfred’s rule was most significant not for military achievements, but for his focus on justice and education. He learned Latin and began to translate Latin books into Anglo-Saxon English in 887, to make them more accessible to people. He remained mostly in control of southern England until his death in 899 when he was buried at the old minster in Winchester. The bronze statue that marks the finish of the King Alfred’s Way route was created in 1899 to commemorate 1,000 years since his passing and there are statues of him in Pewsey and Wantage too. With the Herepath at Avebury and significant battles at Englefield, Ashdown, Basing, Meretun, Reading, Wilton, Eddington and Farnham all within the area, King Alfred was the obvious figurehead for our route.

Guide to historical time periods

Some places you’ll be riding through have a human record dating back 10,000 years, but what do the different time periods mean and how do they compare with what was happening in the rest of the world?

Date Name What’s happening

9000- 4000 BC Mesolithic Hunter gatherers follow the retreat of the Ice Age north into the UK using temporary camps. Tools using tiny flint blades (microliths).

4000- 1800 BC Neolithic (New Stone Age). Advanced flint and stone tools cultivation of crops and permanent settlement starts in UK. Henges, earthworks and long barrows appear.

1800- 800 BC

800-50 BC Bronze Age Wessex culture and subsequent waves of society changes/ invasions coming from Europe. Barrows and very early hill forts.

Iron Age Large amounts of hill forts. Evidence of regular tribal warfare and European trading.

50 BC410 AD Roman The Roman Empire conquers most of Europe.

KAW sites

Ogbourne St George, Frensham Common, post hole remains at Stonehenge.

World events

Jericho emerges as a settlement. Ploughing starts in Mesopotamia (Iraq).

Larkhill cursus, Figsbury Ring, Stonehenge, Woodhenge, Durrington Walls, Wayland's Smithy, long barrows.

Egyptian Old Kingdom pyramids. Minoan, Cycladic Greek, Indus Valley and Mayan cultures. First evidence of writing.

Round and pond barrows, Uffington White Horse and Liddington Castle. Mycenaean Greece, Egyptian New Kingdom. David becomes second king of Israel in 1000 BC.

Old Sarum, Uffington, Liddington, Bagbury, Caesar’s Camp and other hill forts.

Straight roads, Silchester. Rise of Greek city states and Persian Empire. Socrates and Confucious start thinking hard. Han dynasty starts in China.

Romans, all over Europe and the Middle East.