Easy off roads for my 8 year old in Wiltshire?

Angus Young

Does anyone have any recommendations for easy off-roading that would be good for my 8 year old daughter in Wiltshire, preferably near Marlborough? She's pretty confident, loving it and keen as mustard, but hasn't got a whole lot of experience. She's riding a decent full-sus (Scott Spark 20 Jr) so rough is O.K. as long as it's not too tricky.

Thanks.

apreading

Only ridden a bit round there but there is the old railway now a cycle path from Marlborough to Chiseldon, then the Ridgeway from there to Avebury and another route past the fyfield sarson stones and some horse training places back to Marlborough - I think MBSwindon also do some rides around Barbury Castle which is on the ridgeway part of this loop.

If you want a trail(ish) centre then there is the one that MBSwindon built just north of the M4 near Coate Water Park.

I am sure if you email the guys at MBSwindon they can advise - they seem friendly from what I have observed of their banter on the web but I have never been to their trail centre or met any of them...!

Angus Young

Thanks, good stuff there, and I'd forgotten about the old railway. I've also just found a Youtube showing a nice ride down from Barbury Castle to Ogbourne Maizey and from there there's a back road route back into Marlborough, so we might give that a go.

tuffer

Get yourself down to Salisbury Plain, miles and miles of graded tracks and easy ungraded stuff. A lot of the byways have recently been leveled out removing the very deep wheel ruts improving the riding greatly. Just be aware of the red flagged areas and give some room to troops who may be on excercise.

Angus Young

Thanks, that sounds like a good one to look into.

carbonkid

West woods is just outside malb there is a whole network of trails and some dh think there used to be a lot of trail building in the past but its all a bit run down now. I take my kids and we spend a day exploring. Just remember where you leave the car

Angus Young

Yes, I was up there the other day just checking it out to see if it was suitable and it looks pretty good. There's plenty to get on with in a relatively small area and, even though it had been raining for a couple of days before I went up there, it wasn't too sloppy, at least along the southern part that I was checking out.

carbonkid

Think there used to be some north shore stuff somewhere but never been able to find it.prob for best lol.
We use the car park on the lockeridge side. If it is very wet we just stay on the gravel paths.gonna try and get over there at the weekend. Keep an eye out for you

Angus Young

I promised her we could go over this weekend so we'll be there. She'll be the one on the all singing, all dancing blue Scott Spark 20 and dad will be the one on the red, no suspension, bone shaking, out of the ark Trek 4300, so look out for the old guy who looks like his fillings are being rattled out! Saturday between 10 and 4 looks like the best bet for the weather. Might see you there.

apreading

If you see a bunch of Scouts passing though - I will likely be at the front, leading them from Marlborough up to Chiseldon on the railway and then over the ridgeway to Avebury. Just hope they all make it!

Angus Young

Good luck with the weather on that one!

scaley

Think thats my vid you saw Angus, there is plenty of tame riding around the Marlborough downs, I usually park up at west overton at the bottom of the ridgeway and start from there, as said before, the Cycle path is a very nice ride from Marl' to Chisledon. The canal toe path is also very nice to, that will take you as far as you want to go. You could use http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=41 ... Wiltshire+[City/Town/Village]&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf
to find your way too.

Angus Young

scaley wrote:

Think thats my vid you saw Angus, there is plenty of tame riding around the Marlborough downs, I usually park up at west overton at the bottom of the ridgeway and start from there, as said before, the Cycle path is a very nice ride from Marl' to Chisledon. The canal toe path is also very nice to, that will take you as far as you want to go. You could use http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=41 ... Wiltshire+[City/Town/Village]&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf
to find your way too.

Ah, hello there. Good video and it put the idea of that nice long run into my head, so thanks for that. And at the end of that you can join up with the old railway track to take you right into Marlborough. We did the cycle path from Chisledon back down to Marlborough on Sunday and she loved it. It's not at all demanding but it felt like an adventure for her and it's a quite pretty route for most of its length. I also did a quick up and back from Marlborough on Tuesday on my own to see if it would be O.K. for her in the Marlborough to Chisledon direction as there's more up hill in that direction. Nothing too tough.

On the Barabury Castle run, are there any big climbs on the way down to Ogb'Mazies?

scaley

Ah, hello there. Good video and it put the idea of that nice long run into my head, so thanks for that. And at the end of that you can join up with the old railway track to take you right into Marlborough. We did the cycle path from Chisledon back down to Marlborough on Sunday and she loved it. It's not at all demanding but it felt like an adventure for her and it's a quite pretty route for most of its length. I also did a quick up and back from Marlborough on Tuesday on my own to see if it would be O.K. for her in the Marlborough to Chisledon direction as there's more up hill in that direction. Nothing too tough.

On the Barabury Castle run, are there any big climbs on the way down to Ogb'Mazies?[/quote]

All depends where you are going to start from, There are climbs from Barbury to Ogb mazie, I wouldn't say that they are big, It can be quite a fast decsent though, but it's lots of fun, a bit rutted in places also Gravely. It is Chalk so if it's been raining expect it to be gloopy, and a bit slippy. Halfway down it Forks take the left one, then have a nice sit down on the bench at the bottom. Be aware of Horses, there are stables all around there too. Keep in touch and i'll show you around when i get time.

Angus Young

Thanks for the info. Might give it a blast on Saturday if it doesn't rain too much in the run up.

Angus Young

Had a quick blast down it on Saturday morning. Very nice run, albeit a little short and, boy, is it slippery up the top where the chalk is very wet!