Make the Most of Cycling Week along the Great West Way

Celebrate National Cycling Week (8-15 June) with a cycling journey along the Great West Way! Enjoy the warmth of the summer sun as you embark on your own adventure through picturesque countryside and quaint village streets.

Cycling Tours

Head to Bristol, known as Britain’s first cycling city, and set out on a unique bike ride with Bristol Tandem Hire. Explore colourful city streets as well as beautiful parkland and stunning scenery as you journey through the South West’s capital by bike!

For more serious cyclists, embark on an incredible cycling trip with Compass Holidays as you enjoy an 8-day cycling adventure along the Great West Way. Start your journey in London before continuing east to discover historic towns nestled in beautiful English countryside!

The Ridgeway

Stretching across the Great West Way route is the Ridgeway, an 87-mile National Trail following Britain’s oldest road and now a true haven for cyclists, walkers, and horse riders! Start your route at any point and you will be surrounded in stunning countryside filled with historic elements from stone circles and white horses to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If you are planning to cycle along The Ridgeway this season, it is important to understand that the trail is a shared use route. For more information to help plan your cycling journey along the Great West Way, see here.

Chilterns Cycleway

Chilterns Cycleway offers 170-miles of cycling tracks amongst Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, passing through Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Bedforshire and Hertfordshire. Be sure to enjoy wonderful views as you venture across quiet lanes and roads through historic market towns.

North Wessex Downs AONB

Centrally located along the Great West Way, the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers fantastic cycling opportunities all-year-round. With quiet village paths and off-road tracks set amongst some of England’s prettiest countryside, the North Wessex Downs landscape is perfect for all cycling abilities!

Salisbury Plain

Approximately 12 miles north of Salisbury and within easy reach of the Great West Way is the historic Salisbury Plain. Owned by the Ministry of Defence and used regularly as a training ground, the Plain is home to some iconic sites including the village of Imber, Bratton Camp and Westbury White Horse. Perfect for off-roading, follow along the Imber Perimeter Path for your chance to cycling amongst some of Wiltshire’s iconic history.

Kennet and Avon Canal

Owned by the Canal & River Trust, the Kennet and Avon Canal stretches between Reading and Bristol and covers a large majority of the Great West Way route. Head to the water’s edge and cycle along the towpath as you take in peaceful scenes of one of England’s most famous waterways. Take in peaceful scenes of low hanging trees, local wildlife, and a few narrowboats as they climb upstream!

Leigh Woods

credit image: James Dobson

Just a short distance outside of Bristol, over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, is the stunning Leigh Woods. Enjoy a picturesque cycling experience through fields of bluebells in spring or make the most of its rich autumn colour later in the year. With plenty cycling trails available, all varying in length and terrain, Leigh Woods creates the perfect cycling adventure!

Thames Valley

The Thames Valley takes you away from busy city streets to peaceful countryside with a 90-mile route following the river Thames. Pass through Richmond Park and Hampton Court, before arriving at Windsor for a well-deserved treat! Feeling adventurous? Why not continue your journey onto Reading where you will find a mixture of rural lanes, bridleways, and tracks.

Hop on a bike this season and start your cycling journey along the Great West Way today!