Warminster area - routes please

TomF

My parents have, after 30 years of living in Oxfordshire, recently sold up and moved to a small village just south of Warminster (Monkton Deverill).

I'm due to visit them this weekend and, since I'm training for the ever looming Etape, will take my bike with me for an early morning ride on the Sunday.

Does any have any routes around the area? I'm thinking probably, say, a 60 miler (if only so I'm not out all day - I'll need to drive back to Manchester later). Happy to be hilly, but not too much of a leg breaker - did the GF Cymru on Sunday, and have the White Rose Classic on 10 June.

Thanks in advance.

Tom

Unknown

I used to live in bath and most weekends would have a wander out towards Warminster. I guess for you a good loop would be to head out of warminster onto the A36 towards bath and then turn right onto the A4 through Batheaston and towards chippenham. Ride through Melksham, Box, Calne etc and get onto the A350 which leads you all the way back to Warminster. It'll be about a 55mile round trip with some decent hills and good landscapes. If you wanted to make it longer you can always detour off one of the villages like bradford upon avon or out towards Castle coombe and then rejoin the A350 loop.

THere's plenty there to keep you occupied you could - if you have enough time cycle over to Cheddar Gourge from Warminster or even down to Poole - not all the way but theres a small tea shop in one of the villages - monkton farley?? - called milestones cafe and they do THE BEST cream teas and home made cakes. For 6.50 you get a pot of tea, two scones with jam and cream, bread and butter and a choice of a cake. well worth it!

Gats

I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.

Why be a cog in the machine when you can be a spanner in the works?

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional

TomF

Gats

Thanks for v much that. I guess that Monkton Deverill is near Monkton Farley...? Not sure as I've never been to that part of Wiltshire before.

Unknown

No probs mate - actually I just looked up Milestones and its compton Abbas not monkton farley! Totally wrong but still in the direction of Poole along the A36.

Gats

I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.

Why be a cog in the machine when you can be a spanner in the works?

Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional

Rob Sallnow

I'd go up Westbury, Trowbridge to Bradford upon Avon and then along the canal path to Bath....and then back again[:)]

Or down to Salisbury using the C-road route to the south of the Wylye river to Wilton and then head for the northern most bits of the New Forest.

---

I'd rather walk than use Shimano.

The older I get, the better my power to weight ratio was.

TomF

Thanks all.

Any chance of a few more specifics, though? I don't know the area at all!

Unknown

Warminster to Frome ring-road via Longleat. Frome to Shepton Mallet, then on to Wells. Wells to Cheddar, up the Gorge (B3135). Keep on straight at the top of the Gorge and do not turn off until the x-roads with the A39 (about 8-10 miles). Straight on and on to B3135, keep going straight on at the next x-roads, keep going to the t-junction. Turn right, and at the brow of the hill turn left and follow that road all the way back to Frome and Warminster via Longleat.

It would be a lovely ride, we often do a similar route to Frome and back, there are several nice cafes in Cheddar for a cuppa just over half way.

Enjoy your ride whatever you choose to do[:)]





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TomF

Maggot - thanks v much for that. Any idea of distance?

Unknown

Tom, I reckon it must be about 60-70 miles. About 35ish miles out to Cheddar, ever so slightly less to get back.

It will give you several nice climbs though. Enjoy[:)]



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enjoy_the_ride

Tom,

Monkton Deverill is well placed to access the Wiltshire Cycle Way, which can be divided down into circular routes from 70 to 160 miles. Get yourself a copy of the routes from;

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/transport/t ... -guide.htm

Your parents are close to the 70-mile circular route from Horningsham (where you can nip into Longleat) to Salisbury that is mostly on quiet country lanes. Terrain not to hilly, so you can put a decent time in, although once you learn your way around there are plenty of hills to discover (try Fovent up to Fyfield Bavent, which is just a small detour off the most southerly tip of the Wiltshire Cycle Way). If you are learning the area take a map, some parts of the routes are not well sign posted.

As others have mentioned, you could head west towards Frome / Radstock / Midsomer Norton / Chew Valley Lake and on to Cheddar where you will defiantly find some hills.

There is an excellent caf‚ overlooking Chew Valley Lake (on the north west corner of the lake, above Bishop Sutton) that is cycle friendly and where you will see other cyclists on their Sunday rides. In fact, if you want to be sociable your parents could meet your there!

Instead of heading on to Cheddar, from Chew Valley Lake you can pick up the Sustrans Regional Route 10 & National Route 4 back to Bath, then head south through the village of Wellow and back towards Frome & Warminster.

Getting south out of Bath always involves a climb; try North Road, Bathwick Hill, Widcombe Hill, Prior Park Road or Wellsway. Each will get the heart rate up.

Someone mentioned the towpath, which is actually the continuation of Sustrans National Route 4 heading east out of Bath. I use it regularly as one of my commuting routes. Don't take a high-end road bike along it. It's well maintained and fine for a cycle-cross, hybrid or mountain bikes but will kill a high-end road bike. Also, at the weekend its full of tourists and families with children, dogs etc. Having said that, it is beautiful!

Bath & North East Somerset Council has produced 'a map for cyclists' that show all the details. Get yourself one from;

http://resources.lifecycleuk.org.uk/ind ... de8ad92887

While you are there, also get the Bristol 'a map for cyclists', North Somerset 'a map for cyclists' and to complete the set, South Gloucester 'a map for cyclists'. Oh, and don't forget the Avon Cycleway Map and Bristol & Bath Railway Path (the route that started Sustrans!). The maps are free but you do have to pay for postage.

If you want company, you could try the Westbury Wheelers (who ride from, yes you guessed it Westbury);

http://www.westburywheelers.co.uk/

Or the newly formed Bath based VC Walcot (my club!!), email;

vc_walcot@hotmail.co.uk

If you are down this way and need to find a bike shop, in Bath try Johns Bikes (Trek, Cannondale, Kona etc), Total Fitness (Specialised etc, also does a lot of triathlon kit) or Avon Valley Cycles (Giant etc). They are all good shops and all know each other well, which can lead to some friendly banter (all in good nature I assure you).

There are clubs and bike shops Salisbury way, but I don't know them. Someone else will have to post a message to fill you in.

One last thing, if you fancy a good sportive then your parents are well placed for you to crash (no pun intended) for the Tour of Wessex. It will only take you about a 30-minute drive to the start/finish point.

http://www.tourofwessex.com

You have just missed it for this year; it's a 3-day, 325-mile event (you can enter individual days if you want). It's a fantastic way to see the southwest and will give some good hill training. Mind you, if the last 2 years are anything to go by, expect rain!

There is also a more gentle (ish - not mentioning a fairly decent climb right near the end and the fact that it can get windy on the more exposed bits of the Marlborough Downs) 100-mile sportive which is about a 1 to 1.5 hour drive away called The White Horse Challenge.

http://www.whitehorsechallenge.com/

Again, I'm afraid you have missed it for this year, but it's a good early year tester.

I did both this year and will defiantly be looking to do them again next year.

Anyway, that's more than enough info to get you going. Give my regards to the parents!!

enjoy_the_ride

... and another thing - the Tour of Britian visits Somerset this year so thers another excuse to visit the parents.

TomF

Good grief, ETR, that's the most comprehensive set of information I've seen.

Time is going to be limited this weekend (we have to leg it from Manchester and back in the weekend, and somehow I have to fit in a training ride (which means only one thing - a very early start on Sunday!).

The riding in the area sounds great, and I'm sure I can work out something useful for me to get a few hills in without ruining myself for the White Rose Classic (lots of White Classics, eh?!) on June 10.

I met someone recently who rode the Tour of Wessex last year, and was training for it again this year. If I'm able to get a three day cycling pass from Mrs TomF next year, then I'd love to give it a go. Not sure I can manage three back to back days of 100+ miles, though....

I'm a bit undecided as to take my fast bike or my winter trainer, but I'm not certain I'd take either on the towpath!

I'll have a look at the various links and come back here if I have any more questions today.

Thanks again,

Tom

enjoy_the_ride

Tom, sorry to go a bit, its just that there is such good riding to be had around here. Thing is you do have to get off the main roads and out of the towns.

If you are pushed for time the simplest ride is what's called The Wylye Valley Route (its part of the Wiltshire Cycle Way). Basically you just keep going through a series of small villages and you shouldn't waste a lot of time stopping to map read.

The roads are good, no big hills so you can put in a bit of pace and for the most part the route is well sign posted. Plus as the route is not too strenuous, if you are concerned about the weather you can readily use your winter trainer.

From Monkton Deverill head north to Brixton Deverill, then Lonbridge Deverill.

Cross over the A350 and head east through Sutton Veny (where you join the official route), Tytherington, Corton, Boyton, Sherrington, Stockton, Bapton, Wylye, Hanging Langford, Little Langford, Great Wishford and finish at Wilton (near Salisbury).

Then turn around and go back the way you came.

It's about 50 miles and judging by the sort of sportives you are doing you should readily average 15 to 18 miles an hour (or more?). If you find yourself short for time, easy thing to stop short of Wilton and turn back sooner.

Remember your mobile and a spare tube etc, they are little villages and you don't want to get stranded!!

And do get a copy of that Wiltshire Cycle Way map, if there is a next time (providing Mrs Tom and the parents allow it!!) you will easily be able to build on / vary this route.

Enjoy.

TomF

ETR - thanks v much for that too.

[Note to self - print everything out before leaving the office tonight!]

dr smut

My folks live in the Deverills too. I'd echo ETR's Wylye Valley route, on the lanes following the river. You could then possibly turn north, maybe at Gt Wishford, and follow the Avon to Amesbury, crossing the A303, and back thru Chitterne on the edge of Salisbury Plain.

Headig west and south look equally good but i dont know the routes here. Some of the A roads heading north, around westbury/ trowbridge/ Bradford etc., can be a bit fast and heavily traffiked.

enjoy_the_ride

dr smut is bang on about some of the main roads, in particular the A350 which is the main north (M4 Chippenham) south coast (Poole) route. It is busy and fast.

Particularly the Warminster bypass (A36) as this is the point at which the east/west A36 and north/south A350 merge for a few miles. Avoid it.

TomF

Right, I have copied and pasted all of the above fantastic suggestions into one document to print and take with me.

I have an old road atlas that I tend to use pages from for cycling. I shall extract the relevant pages and use that as a map.

Let's hope i don't get lost and end up going for an even longer ride.... ;-)

Thanks again all!

TomF

Well, after all of the great route advice provided above, I have to apologise to all posters as I didn't end up taking the bike with me this weekend - Mrs TomF was under the cosh on the work front, so we left later on Saturday and I did a short locval ride before going.

However, it certainly does look like great cycling country down there - so thatnks all, and I promise to take my bike next time I visit the old duffers!

enjoy_the_ride

Ah Tom - the best laid plans of men and mice... at least you got a Saturday ride in.