Brighton To Gloucester including Winchester to Cirencester

amt27

I wanna go from Brighton to Gloucester mainly using bridleways, quiet roads or byways, as I will be on a mtb,

I can get from Brighton to Winchester using the SDW, anyone know a route from Winchester to Cirencester?

plus has anyone bought any of the National Byways maps? opinions?

andymiller

What about this:

http://mbruk.co.uk/mbruk_WessexWay_details.htm

OK so it doesn't go as far north as you want to go but it looks interesting.

The National Byway will be on-road only.

You could also check out the National Cycle Network. Going say via the Salisbury, Bath and Cirencester or Bath, Bristol and then along the Severn Estuary.

andrew_s

I'd leave Winchester on the B3420 & A272 to Barton Stacey. There are farm tracks/bridleways you could use if you go out from Littleton, but I'd just put up with the traffic for the first few miles.
From Barton Stacey, go Longparish, St Mary Bourne, Hurstbourne Tarrant, Vernham Dean, Oxenwood, Great Bedwyn. Follow the Grand Avenue through Savernake Forest, and drop into Marlborough on the A4.
Leave Marlborough over the common passing Rockley, and crossing the Ridgeway at Hackpen Hill. Then Broad Hinton, Clyffe Pypard, Bushton, Tockenham, Callow Hill, Minety to Somerford Keynes.
If you want Cirencester, just follow the road north, but if you want Gloucester, I would suggest going Ewen, Coates, Sapperton, dropping down to the pub at Daneway and then going via Miserden and Whiteway towards Birdlip, Turn sharp left about 3/4 mile before Birdlip and drop down to the A46 through Buckholt Woods. Turn L and 1st R to drop into Upton St Leonards and enter Gloucester along the B4073.

The best route from Cirencester to Gloucester is Stratton, Daglingworth, Middle Duntisbourne, Duntisbourne Abbots, head up to towards the A417 and turn left just before reaching it. Turn right under the A417, turn left and follow the old road past the services to the end. There's a gate you can go through onto a footpath/cycle track that you can follow to the Beechpike junction, opposite the Highwayman PH. Head right to drop down and climb up through Elkstone, turn left by the phone box, left and left again to pass under the A417 again. Drop down and climb up to Brimpsfield and Birdlip.

Jon G

andrew_s wrote:

I'd leave Winchester on the B3420 & A272 to Barton Stacey. There are farm tracks/bridleways you could use if you go out from Littleton, but I'd just put up with the traffic for the first few miles.

Or unless you have a special reason to visit Winchester, pass North of it by using the tracks and minor roads from Cheriton or New Alresford to get to Barton Stacy, then as Andrew S suggests.