Wilton Training Loop

A good training route with plenty of long climbs plus some sweet single track mixed in to keep things interesting. Directions start from the car park at Michael Herbert Hall in Wilton. Following the route from there is about 20 km with 400m elevation in total or you can repeat the main 12km loop to take your total distance closer to 20 miles or 32km.

Strava route

Directions:

Turn left out of the car park, ride along the road to the crossroads where you turn left along the road and past the Bear Inn.

When the main road carries on left, turn off right onto a residential street, carry on under the railway bridge then turn left onto the track heading up the hill.

When the track forks keep right to head up to Grovely Woods where you’ll see a green gate at the top of the climb. Turn left onto the single track just past the gate.

As the singletrack ends you will meet another main track, turn left onto the track and turn out of the woods. Carry on down this track untill it meets the A30 near Burcombe.

Turn right onto the main road briefly before turning left taking the road to the next farmyard. Here ride past the yard and onto the steep climb.

When you reach the next set of tracks turn left into the trees and left again down a singletrack descent after about 400m. Turn right back up the hill when you meet the next track and keep on climbing straight up untill you hit the ox drove.

Turn right onto the drove for about 1km, turn right again at the next gate onto a grassy track. Keep left as you follow the track into some tree lined singletrack back down to the A30 near Barford St Martin.

At the road turn right heading towards Barford St Martin, turn off onto Grovely Road leading you past the pub and back up towards the woods.

Turn right at the next track onto a chalky double trail (which can be super slippy in the wet!) follow this trail untill you reach the next set of tracks.

When you hit the tracks you can turn right and complete another 12km loop taking your total distance to 32km / 20 miles. Alternatively you can cross straight over to head back towards Wilton.

Turn right at the end of the trail and follow the descent back down to the railway bridge. You can then follow the roads back to the start.

Burcombe Blast

Slightly longer route suitable for CX/Gravel riders as well as mountain bikers taking in mostly easy terrain.

Take the boardwalks and farm tracks from Five Rivers leading on to the road at Avon Farm Cottages.

Continue on past mile hill and turn left off of the road to pick up some single track up to the A36. Cross the road here and continue on the double tracks down into Great Wishford.

Ride through the village to pick up the climb to Grovely Woods. In the woods, turn right along the main track and then turn left after a short spin to drop down into Burcombe.

Take the steep chalky climb out of Burcombe to join the Shaftesbury Drove.

Carry on along the drove all the way back into Harnham before riding back across town returning to Five Rivers via Waitrose for a cheeky post ride coffee.

Strava Route

 

Wilton Singletrack Sesh

20 mile route suitable for beginners perfect for a pub ride to the V&A at Netherhampton.

Out along the boardwalks, turning left and climbing up the fields to Devizes Road.

From the road, drop down through the housing estate to Wilton Road at the petrol station, drop down from here into Chruchfields to pick up the Broken Bridges trail.

Follow Broken Bridges to golf course hill and climb up to meet the drove. Turn right at the drove and ride along to the road at Salisbury Racecourse.

Cross the road and turn immediately right into the trees taking the next right to pick up the “beechnuts” single track.

At the end of the trail turn left onto the road and left again after a short spin taking home farm road into Wilton.

Turn right and take the roads to the cross road by the market in Wilton. Turn left at the crossroads and right further down the road to the hollows.

From here you climb up to meet Grovely Woods. Turn left at the top of the climb and left again to take you back down to Burcombe.

From Burcombe ride along the roads to join the A30 briefly before turning left to take the single track climb back up to the woods near the Drove.

Continue in the woods heading back towards Wilton eventually coming out on a farm track alongside the South Street Road heading back towards Wilton town centre.

Before you hit Home Farm Road again, turn right into the woods and take the single tracks back through the woods to the top of Beechnuts again.

Head back down Beechnuts to rejoin the road this time taking the road all the way back to Netherhampton.

Cruise back along the road to the foot of golf course hill where you can turn left into the fields taking the broken bridges trail into Harnham.

From here take the roads back to Five Rivers via The Old Mill and Town Path.

Strava route

Grateley Railway Ride

A challenging 34 mile ride taking in some sharp climbs and steeper descents.

Heading out Via Old Sarum and High Post down the roads to Gomeldon.

From Gomeldon head out on the roads to Porton and pick up the railway line to Grately.

From Grateley head across through the Wallops and over the A30 taking in a steep chalky climb to meet the Clarendon Way outside Winterslow.

From Winterslow a series of byways takes you to a rocky descent down to Pitton. A rooty trail out of Pitton takes you over the A30 to Figsbury rings for a photo opportunity.

Heading down from Figsbury rings will test your nerve before you head back to five rivers via Ford, Bishopdown Farm and St Marks Hill.

Strava route

Salisbury Plain Pedal

35 mile route over fast terrain without too much climbing

Head away from Five Rivers along the boardwalks and bridlepaths to Avon Farm Cottages.

Turn onto the roads at the cottages and follow the woodford valley to the Bridge Inn

Past the pub turn right and take the singletrack to Wilsford Cum Lake

Cross the road here picking up the bridleway taking you to the A303 at Stonehenge

Over the A303 take the byways to Larkhill and turn left onto the road.

Turn right after a short spin along the road to get onto Salisbury Plain and pick up the Southern Transit.

Cross the A345 at Brigmerston and continue over the river Avon on the Southern Transit

Turn right up the hill at the Silkhill Plantation leaving the Southern Transit and picking up the byway to Bulford Camp.

Take the single track through the trees at Bulford Camp to come out alongside Tidworth Road.

Turn right away from Tidworth Road to Hills Copse where you pick up another bridle path taking you back under the A303 by Cholderton Rare Breeds Farm.

From here take the trails towards Bocsombe Down riding round the edge of the site up to the side of the A345.

From the back of Boscombe Down, take the farm track down to the A338 and cross over to climb up the hill to Gomeldon.

At Gomeldon take the paths through the fields to take you to the foot of Figsbury Rings. From here, cross the road to take the bridlepaths along the river to Ford.

Turn right down the road at Ford then turn left on to Green Lane up to Bishopdown Farm.

At the top of Green Lane turn right along the road by the new builds at Bishopdown Farm. From here you can pick up the trails along the fields over to the Harvester by Old Sarum.

Cross the road to Hudsons Field and cruise back to five rivers.

Strava route

High Post Loop

18 mile route over easy terrain, perfect for beginners.

Take the boardwalks, gravel paths and farm tracks form Five Rivers coming out on the road at Avon Farm Cottages.

From here take the roads to the foot of Snakey Hill, turning right through Little Durnford Farm and following the paths up to monarchs way.

Ride up the rooty climb on Monarchs way and pick up the farm tracks to the road turning right to the traffic lights at high post.

Cross the road and turn left, taking the bridlepath along to boscombe down. Ride along the fence line and follow the double track down from here to the A338.

Cross over the A338, past the ford and up to Gomldon Primary School. Drop into the fields at the top of the hill following the trails untill you reach the foot of Figsbury Rings.

From here take the paths by the river to Ford, ride along the road and turn left taking Green Lane up to Bishopsown Farm.

Ride along the roads through the estate to St Marks hill where you can take a gravel path along the top of the hill to the Harvester.

Stop here for a pint or head down Hudsons Field and back to Five Rivers.

Strava route

 

Stonehenge Loop

Roughly a 17 mile loop starting from five rivers and heading out via Old Sarum, past Keepers Cottage over the rolling hills to meet Monarchs Way.

From there a couple of tight, rooty downhills take you into the Woodford Valley at Netton where you pick up more single track leading towards Wilsford.

Some wider double track takes you out from here past a viewpoint for Stonehenge and over to Druids Lodge.

From Druids Lodge, a short pedal by the side of the main road takes you to a track leading back into the Woodford Valley.

From here there is a mile or so on road taking you past the Wheatsheaf and over to Avon Farm cottages where you can pick up more single track taking you back to five rivers.

Strava route