Cycling and Walking

A short loop through Ogbourne St Andrew and Ogbourne Maizey

Distance: 3 kilometers
Difficulty: Easy
Terrain: flat but may be muddy, crosses main road - caution required
Dogs: suitable but on lead as it follows roads and crosses fields with livestock

Leaving the Silks turn right and walk along the main road until you reach the end of the houses on the opposite side of the road. Crossing the road carefully follow the short lane up to join the railway path that runs from Swindon to Marlborough. Turn right and follow the path until you go through a gap in a wooden fence (you will see a small rise in the path in front of you over what used to be a bridge). Turn right and follow the track back down to the main road.

Crossing the road again you enter the hamlet of Ogbourne Maizey. As you pass an open field on your right, at the far corner you will come across a kissing gate. Turn right through this gate (kissing optional) and follow the path across the field heading back in the direction of Ogbourne St Andrew. Having crossed this field, go through the gate under the line of trees and cross the next field. You will pass behind a small barn to another gate which will lead you down a path between a fence and a hedge. This path opens out onto a small lane. Cross this and follow the path opposite. You will cross the end of another lane, carry on and enter the gate to the churchyard. Continue through the churchyard and turn right onto the lane, reaching a small triangle of grass. Turn left and follow the road through the village. The road turns right and crosses the river Og. Follow this road up to the main road and cross it again (be careful).

Follow the track opposite and turn right onto the railway path again. Follow this until you cross a drive into a house, the railway path continues slightly to the left. You will pass behind a row of houses and at the end is the lane that you took at the start up from the main road. Follow this down, cross the road and stop in at the pub for a well earned drink!

Tree Loop

Distance: 3.5 kilometers
Difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Lanes and unmade paths, one short sharp ascent across a field
Dogs: suitable for dogs on lead or well controlled dogs off lead but please be aware of horses and place dogs on leads where appropriate

Turn left out of the pub and left at the war memorial into the village. The road will turn right, follow it round to a small triangle of grass. Turn left here and walk past the church on a lane. Continue on this lane, passing various houses until the lane passes a pond and stops at a barn.

Turn left here and walk along a track (muddy after rain), past hedgerow on the right until you reach a large tree. Opposite the tree is a stile into the field on your left. Head straight up the steep hill (with the tree at your back) to a stile at the top of the hill. This field often contains horses so please keep your dogs on a lead. Climb this and head right a few feet to join a track.

Turn left and follow this all the way down into the village. You will reach a road junction (you passed this previously) - continue straight on to the memorial and back to the pub.

Loop to Southend

Distance: 4.7 kilometers
Difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Unmade paths, likely to be either muddy or verdant depending on time of year!
Dogs: Fine for well controlled dogs but be cautious when crossing main roads

Turn left out of the pub and left at the war memorial into the village. The road will turn right, follow it round to a small triangle of grass. Do not turn down towards the church (unless you fancy looking at the long barrow in the graveyard) but continue along the lane. When the lane turns right, ignore the turn and keep straight ahead along a grassy lane which soon narrows to a path. After a period under trees, it opens out.

Follow the path for a while with fields on both sides. It reaches a junction with a lane coming up from the right. Turn right down this lane, follow it as it winds through the hamlet of Southend and eventually reaches the main road. Cross over carefully and take the track opposite. It gently climbs until it crosses the Swindon to Marlborough Railway path.

Turn right here and head back in the direction of Ogbourne St Andrew. Keep following this path, passing through a left/right dogleg until you pass behind a set of houses. At the end of the row of houses, take the track on your right which descends to the main road. Cross over and head right back towards the pub.

Bay Bridges Loop

Distance: 3.5 kilometers
Difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Flat along railway path and back via fields and lanes. Caution crossing main road
Dogs: well controlled dogs off lead ok on railway path but please keep them under control around horse riders, cyclists and other walkers. Please keep on lead through Ogbourne Maizey and beware of horses

Turn left out of the pub and left at the war memorial into the village. The road will turn right, ignore this and carry on down the lane ahead of you. At the end of a hedge on your left (and before the entrance to the stables) take the path on your left that passes between the back of houses and the stables. You will reach a gate, continue on the path across the field (the fields are used for horses and livestock so please control your dog appropriately). You will go through another gate into a smaller and field and then pass through a kissing gate into the village of Ogbourne Maizey.

Turn right and follow the road, which nearly immediately turns left. Continue through the village and at the point that the road turns right and ascends carry on straight head through the stables. The footpath soon opens and you will cross fields before appearing at the back of a parking lay-by on the main road. Bear left in the lay-by and, as you reach the main road, you will see a field gate on the opposite side of the road.

Cross carefully, go through the gate and bear left. You will shortly reach the Swindon to Marlborough Railway path. Turn left and follow this until you reach a row of houses. Take the track on your left before these houses back down to the main road. Cross over and head right to the pub.

A loop up on onto the gallops

Distance: 7 kilometers
Difficulty: Medium
Terrain: On unmade paths so can be muddy
Dogs: suitable for dogs on lead or well controlled dogs off lead but please be aware of racehorses approaching at speed

Turn left out of the pub and left at the war memorial into the village. The road will turn right, ignore this and carry on down the lane ahead of you. You will pass the entrance to a stables on your left, the lane becomes more of a track which heads up the hill. Follow this uphill for about a kilometre until you reach a clump of trees. The main track turns left here - follow this passing a solitary tree on your left and another clump on the right. As the track turns left, continue on a few paces and turn right and you will see three posts with white marks on and a path that heads up the right side of a set of gallops. Follow this path keeping the gallops on you left and the row of trees on your right. These gallops are used by racehorses so please keep your dogs under control and stick to the path.

Follow this path until it opens up with a wider track joining from your left. Just through the gate on your right is a bench if you fancy just sitting down and enjoying the view. From the path continue straight ahead following the wider track. At the next junction of three tracks turn left and follow this wide track until you reach a field gate / pedestrian gate on your left. Go through this and cross the gallops (having checked for racehorses first!) and you will reach a path on the far side that heads left.

Follow this until you reach a wider track. Turn right here and follow the tree lined track (Green Lane) all the way downhill into the village of Ogbourne Maizey. Where the track reaches the road, continue on until you reach a kissing gate on your left into a field. Cross this field, go through a gate and across the next field. Through another gate, taking a narrow path between the back of some gardens and a stables until you pop out on a metalled track. Turn right here and follow the road back towards the main road. Turn right and you are back at the pub.

Poulton Down

Distance: 7.5 kilometers
Difficulty: Medium
Terrain: Paths and lanes, muddy after rain
Dogs: Largely ok but look out for other riders, cyclists and walkers and keep your dog under control. Poulton Downs has large pheasant populations so advised to keep dog on lead for last 2km or so if they are likely to chase.

Turn left out of pub then left across river Og to Ogbourne St Andrew village. The road bears right and passes the village church (with Neolithic barrow in churchyard) on the left. Continue ahead following the road round with houses on right and then left. You will reach the A346.

Cross the road (carefully) and follow the track straight ahead for short distance to reach old railway line and turn left. In 1 km you will pass a picnic table and will then cross over Ridgeway long distance path* and continue along the old railway line until it reaches a minor tarmac road. Turn sharp right onto the road and climb 1 km to the high point just before Bytham Farm on the left. The byway now passes through 250m of trees and, at end, fork right onto a bridleway and descend for 600m to a byway crossing.

Turn right onto byway and climb to a high point on ridge before a steep descent (can be muddy and slippery when wet) to reach the old railway line again. Turn right onto old railway for 350m and just before the cottages on the left, turn left down a short track to the A346. Cross the road and head right to return to the Silks for a well-deserved drink.

(* note you can turn R here and ascend Ridgeway path, turning right onto road when Ridgeway reaches it. This saves nearly 1km of walking but is a steeper climb on a muddier track)

Marlborough Loop

Distance: 11 kilometers
Difficulty: Medium
Terrain: Largely flat other than climbing up Kingsbury Street in Marlborough, combination of unmade paths and pavement through Marlborough itself
Dogs: well controlled dogs off lead ok on railway path but please keep them under control around horse riders, cyclists and other walkers. Please keep on lead through Marlborough

Turn right out of the pub and walk along the main road for a short distance until you see a track on the opposite side at the end of a row of houses. Cross the road carefully, head up this track and turn right at the top. You are on the Chiseldon to Marlborough railway path.

Continue on this path for approximately 3.5km until you reach a Millenium Milepost with distances to Swindon, Cirencester, Marlborough and Bristol on it. Turn left off the railway path, head down the residential lane (Barnfield), turn left at the bottom, walk under the old railway bridge (you have just walked over this) and follow this road until you reach the Roebuck pub.

Carry on along the main road in roughly the same direction until you reach two mini roundabouts. Turn right here, cross the river Kennet, pass the petrol station, use the zebra crossing to cross the road and bear left into the Parade. You'll see the Parade cinema (another brilliant community venture) across the parade and our route bears right and heads up to a junction with the town hall opposite and Marlborough high street stretching out to your left.

Make your way down one of the widest high streets in the country on one side and come back on the other so that you end up on the north side of the town hall at the bottom of Kingsbury Street.

Head up Kingsbury street (steep!) until you reach Marlborough Common at the top of the hill. Follow the road round to the right and where it meets the main road, cross over (take care) and take the road opposite. Turn right down Laineys Close, taking the first left which will deliver you into Coldharbour lane. Turn right and head down the hill.

At the bottom, cross over the road and continue in the same direction into Stonebridge Lane (you will pass Vicarage Close on your left). This takes you inot Stonebridge Nature reserve. Continue on but just as you reach buildings, turn left just before them and follow the path through the nature reserve. After passing behind some industrial units on your left, the path will bend left, head up to some trees and cross the river Og (the same one that runs behind the SIlks). Having crossed the river head left towards a gate by a road. There is a sign (Rabley Barn Arts Centre) pointing to a smaller road opposite.

Take this smaller road and shortly after this take the lane on your left (signpost says private road) and follow this for roughly 2 kilometers with the river Og occasionally visible on your left and horse paddocks on your right. At a line of trees the path turns 90 degrees to the right and heads up to rejoin the railway line path you walked down at the start of this walk (if you want to take this route, turn left to head back to the pub). At the 90 degree turn another path continues on a short distance to appear on the main road opposite a large layby.

Crossing the main road carefully, through a gap in the hedge at the back of the layby is another path. This heads off to the right, crosses part of the Og at a line of trees and continues ahead to bring you into the back of a set of stables and the village of Ogbourne Maizey. Follow the road straight ahead, it turns sharp right and shortly after you will see a white kissing gate on your left. Pass throught this, cross the field, through the gate and across a second larger field (keep your dogs under control - often horses and / or livestock).

A gate at the end will lead you down a narrow passage to appear on a metalled track. Turn right here and you will shortly join another road - keep heading in the same direction and you will appear at the war memorial on the main road. Turn right and the Silks awaits for a much deserved reward.

Loop via Mildenhall and Copses

Distance: 11 kilometers
Difficulty: Medium
Terrain: Largely paths and lanes, may be muddy in places
Dogs: well controlled dogs off lead ok on railway path but please keep them under control around horse riders, cyclists and other walkers. Please keep on lead on lanes.

Rockley Village and Barbury

Distance: 13 kilometers
Difficulty: Medium
Terrain: combination of unmade paths and some local lanes, some ascent/descent. likely to be muddy in places
Dogs: suitable for well controlled dogs off lead in some places but please place dogs on lead around livestock, horses and on lanes

To Barbury Castle and back via St George

Distance: 16 kilometers
Difficulty: Hard
Terrain: Tracks and grass paths - can be slippy after rain
Dogs: Largely ok but look out for other riders, cyclists and walkers and keep your dog under control. Smeathes ridge down to St George is used by local race trainers and often has livestock nearer the bottom so please keep your dog on a lead

A long walk

Distance: 21 kilometers
Difficulty: Hard - also has 300m of ascent
Terrain: Paths, grass and some tracks. Caution crossing main road - will need to walk on grass verge for aproximately 20 metres
Dogs: Largely ok but look out for other riders, cyclists and walkers and keep your dog under control. Caution crossing main road

A long loop to Liddington and back

Distance: 22 kilometers
Difficulty: Hard
Terrain: Tracks, paths
Dogs: Apply common sense, largely away from gallops but be aware of ot horse riders, cyclists and walkers and control your dog accordingly. May be livestock in fileds close to Liddington. Crosses roads so will need to have dog on lead at various points

Railway path short loop

Distance: 4.6 kilometers
Climbing: 40m, maximum grade 5%
Terrain: Ummade tracks, grassy rough tracks
Suitable for: Mountain Bike, Gravel bike, Hybrid bike (if dry)

Turn right out of the pub on the main road and after a short distance at the end of the row of houses opposite the pub left up a short rough track and then turn left to ride along the railway path behind the row of houses. Very quickly you'll do a left and then right across the drive to a house. Continue along the railway path, crossing another track. About a kilometre from this junction you will descend a short slope to another junction (remains of a railway bridge are visible).

Turn left here and head down to the main road. Cross (carefully) and follow the lane through Southend until you reach a T junction with tracks left and right. Turn left and follow this track (can be overgrown) for just over a kilometer until you pop out onto a village lane at a corner. Go right, follow this lane passing a grassy triangle where a lane past the church departs. Carry straight on and the road will turn 90 degrees to the left. Follow on until you reach the war memorial on the main road. The pub is about 20 metres to your right

Up hill and down dale

Distance: 16 kilometers
Climbing: 260m, maximum grade 13%
Terrain: Rough tracks, lanes and bridleways
Suitable for: Mountain bike, Gravel bike

Three Trees and back via Railway Path

Distance: 17 kilometers
Climbing: 45m, maximum grade 1%
Terrain: Converted railway - sealed surfaces to earth, can be muddy in parts in winter
Suitable for: Mountain Bike, Gravel bike, Hybrid bike

Loop via Manton Down & Marlborough

Distance: 19 kilometers
Climbing: 218m, maximum grade 7%
Terrain: Tracks, bridleways, some roads through Marlborough
Suitable for: Mountain Bike, Gravel bike, Hybrid bike (if dry)

Smeathes Ridge, Barbury Castle, Chiseldon

Distance: 23 kilometers
Climbing 150m, maximum grade 5.3%
Terrain: Tracks, grass bridleway and rough lanes, small road section
Suitable for: Mountain bike, Gravel bike, Hybrid (after good weather)

Ridgeway Loop

Distance: 23 kilometers
Climbing: 290m, maximum grade 6.5%
Terrain: Lanes, rocky trails, grass, small road section
Suitable for: Mountain bike, Gravel bike

Loop to Ramsbury

Distance: 36km kilometers
Climning: 300m, maximuum grade 7.4%
Terrain: Tracks, lanes and field margins
Suitable for: Mountain Bike, Gravel bike

Aldbourne, Ramsbury & Savernake

Distance: 38 kilometers
Climbing: 600m, maximum grade 10%
Terrain: Rough tracks, unmade lanes and forest tracks
Suitable for: Mountain Bike, Gravel bike

Gravel ride via Avebury

Distance: 48 kilometers
Climbing: 366m, maximum grade 7.4%
Terrain: Country lanes, gravel and rocky roads, earthen forest tracks
Suitable for: Mountain bike, Gravel bike

White Horse, Lambourn, Ramsbury

Distance: 71 kilometers
Climbing: 900m, maximum grade 10%
Terrain: Bridleways, rough paths and some rocky sections
Suitable for: Mountain Bike, Gravel bike

Road Loop

Distance: 78 kilometers
Climbing 635m, maximum grade 8%
Terrain: Roads and lanes
Suitable for: Any bikes

Road Loop North and South

Distance: 86 kilometers
Climbing: 811m, maximum grade 12%
Terrain: Roads and country lanes
Suitable for: Any bike