The way points of this bicycle route:
A couple of nice tea/coffee shops on the high street - the Tutti Pole cafe stands out.
First major climb (6-8%) on gradual, smooth, traffic free road with a screaming descent into Cadley.
To your left is the first of 4 horses to be seen. This horse is cut on private land about a mile or so south of Pewsey Village, to your left, on a steep NNW facing slope of Pewsey Hill about 150m above sea level.
To your left, high on the slopes of Milk Hill. Commissioned in 1812 by local landowner Robert Pile, it was desinged by John Thorne, who did a runner with the money before it was finished! This climb (5%) over the top of Milk Hill (294m) , is past the highest point in Wiltshire.
Travelling into Avebury, the Stone Avenue is remarkable for the dozens of pairs of massive prehistoric standing stones - but the stone circle in Avebury itself really impresses. A huge circular ditch enclosing a succession of giant stone circles - not to mention half the village, it was originally built between 2850 and 2200 BC, and is every bit as impressive as Stonehenge, not least because here visitors are actually allowed to touch the stones.
You wont miss this one (30m), off to the right, in a zigzag in the road. It is thought to have been cut in 1838, by a local parish clerk, to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria - and bright after a 'scour' in 2004. The climb is short and sharp (8-12%) needing all of your gears!
The last horse can be seen poking out through the trees behind Marlborough College (at the western end of the High Street) - where you will also find a suitable place to take a break, The Castle and Ball Hotel. Originally cut by a party of local school boys in 1804, its measures 20x15m of perfect proportions - unlike the stylised Uffington Horse. Some 20km to the NE, it is well worth a visit (if your chasing horse) and is in similarly beautiful countryside with a few challenging climbs. It is by far the oldest and biggest and is thought to represent the emplem of a local tribe, or a representation of the Celtic horse-goddess Rhiannon.
Welcome to Bikely, take a step by step tour of this path:
Press Start Tour - then use the navigation buttons below to move along the path.
CLASSIC Ride of 91km, 1050m of ascent and Medium grade. GEARS: Single possible but standard 39/25 or compact; PARKING: free at the start; BIKE SHOPS: Bertie Maffoon's, Marlborough 01672 519119; INFO: Marlborough 01672 513989, Avebury 01672 539425, wiltshirewhitehorses.org.uk.
3000 years ago someone carved a 320m stallion in the Oxfordshire chalk downs, now 24 are known in Britain's hillsides, 13 in Wiltshire - 8 can still be seen today, and here you visit 4.
Tagged with: Training, Onroad, Smooth, Intermediate, Low traffic, Safe, Rural, Scenic
