Hello,
I might have to spend some time this week-end near Basingstoke, north west, and I can't see any exciting trails nearby. But it's not far from Swinley, Do regular Basingstoke riders ride to Swinley, or are you all taking your car to go there? If you ride, any popular route you can share?
Thank you!
Gilles
Not really a direct route, on A339 south at Winslade there’s a byway that takes you to Tunworth and you can pick up bridleways to Greywell and then meet the end of the Basingstoke canal towpath. At Deepcut, need to make way across to Bagshot Heath and Swinley. Last bit on some military training areas which may not be open. The first byway can be foot-deep of manky water as used by motorbikes in winter.
From NW Basingstoke you have easy access to the glorious Watership Down area. You can ride up to Combe Gibbet which is on the Hampshire/Berkshire/Wiltshire borders and that high part may be better left to drier conditions. The Candover Valley is pleasant, just the other side of the M3, or even New Alresford and its watercress beds. Loads of possibilities if you don't want the slog to Swinley.
From NW Basingstoke you have easy access to the glorious Watership Down area. You can ride up to Combe Gibbet which is on the Hampshire/Berkshire/Wiltshire borders and that high part may be better left to drier conditions.
I would imagine it will be a swamp right now. I'd just drive to swinley tbh
Not sure the best way to Minley from Basingstoke but once there, ride through Minley - various ways through there, cross over into the Hawley (Lake) area... staying to the north of the Hawley area ( sort of just south of the A30 going past Blackbushe... into Blackwater... Camberley/Sandhurst then into the Barossa area then into bottom end of Swinley.
Well, I don't know what the weather is doing in that area currently and there might be snow for all I know. There isn't a quick route to Swinley as far as I know but it's February so expect the worst!
If going by car, I’d probably go to Pirbright instead of Swinley. Both are around 20 miles from Basingrad.
I've done it from Reading trying to find a route to the South (it's easy ish heading North via Wokingham)
It's rubbish but you want to follow NCN 23 north until you hit the devils highway, then roughly follow that through Farley Hill, follow the Blackwater river through the parks, up through Wellington Collage and Broadmoor, then you're sort of in the back of Swinley.
I've done it, but TBH if I had the time I'd just jump in the car and do 2 laps at Swinley instead. If you don't have a car, just ride the back roads to Crowthorne and enter Swinley Via the Devils Highway there.
Thank you everyone! looks like I will go for the car option
After the recent weather it'll be a mess on the natural stuff, so a good idea to just drive there.
I’ve done it from Reading trying to find a route to the South (it’s easy ish heading North via Wokingham)
Picking up the sneaky footpath at Shinfield, then past the dairy farm? It’s not a bad route. Small bit of road at Wokingham.
Picking up the sneaky footpath at Shinfield, then past the dairy farm? It’s not a bad route. Small bit of road at Wokingham.
That's the one.
There's slightly different options if you take the footpath (it's not really a footpath on the ground it's a wide byway/bridleway for most of it) off Greensward lane, then link up the occasional sections of BW through California etc.
Much as I resent driving to ride Swinley, it's hard not to jump in the car and drive it in 20min though.
