King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
GideonReade
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Joined: 4 Jul 2010, 10:46pm

King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by GideonReade »

Hi, I was wondering how much experience there is of this yet, and how it's going? My better half has bought the guidebook, we already had all the 50K maps, now marked up, but...

My better half has been trying to resolve campsites. Obviously covid knocks some of them out, or reduces them to the dreaded "own facilities". But even before that, it's a struggle.

The book's identification of campsites is vague - nearest village basically, so one's never sure if we found the right one to ask. Assuming we have found the "correct" campsite, the book's distance-of-trail indications seem wildly optimistic...

Example: book lists "Uffington", 5km, nearest we can find are Coles Hill 10km, and Lambourne which is probably only 7km off route, by bridleway. But neither is Uffington. Google, CCC, and OS, don't show anything at Uffington.

Are folks actually doing days of half-route, half getting to and fro, motor camping, or wild camping?

Or have we missed something?
Jdsk
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Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by Jdsk »

There’s a good thread from last year. I’ll find it when I get home.
HarryD
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 5:44pm

Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by HarryD »

Have just Googled 'Camping near Uffington' and came up with Britchcombe Farm less than a km from the route. Currently 'Temporarily Closed'

Not shown on OS or first look on Google Maps but did when I did the same search there

May be worth another try
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Traction_man
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Location: Bangor NI

Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by Traction_man »

HarryD wrote: 1 May 2021, 11:16am Have just Googled 'Camping near Uffington' and came up with Britchcombe Farm less than a km from the route. Currently 'Temporarily Closed'

Not shown on OS or first look on Google Maps but did when I did the same search there

May be worth another try
Looks like that place has closed and sold up
https://www.britchcombefarm.co.uk/

I tend to use this website
Screenshot_20210501-112950.png
Jdsk
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by Jdsk »

Previous discussion:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=134665

Jonathan
GideonReade
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Joined: 4 Jul 2010, 10:46pm

Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by GideonReade »

Thanks for the hints. We will turn some up eventually, it's just that the information actually in the guidebook is pretty scant, and a bit misleading in places.

The previous thread was more of a policy discussion, really, relating to types of bikes, labelling, targets etc. FWIW we were planning to use our "heavy tourers", which are 35-40mm tyres, drops, racks. I'm not sure about using racks for this though. Anyway, this thread was about finding campsites.
AndyK
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Location: Mid Hampshire

Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by AndyK »

The owners of Britchcombe Farm near Uffington have just sold up and it's likely that the campsite will not open this summer, though it may be back next year. (Even worse from my point of view, the tea garden is also closed.) https://www.britchcombefarm.co.uk/

In a way that highlights the cause of your problems. Campsites can come and go (as do B&Bs etc) so it's hard to make a definitive list.
GideonReade
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by GideonReade »

Yes, especially this year. OTOH many stay the same for decades - Britchcoombe there claim 35 years.

But it's a perfect problem, surely, for a supplementary website or suchlike. A bit like the old CTC Cyclists Welcome lists, but preferably on a map. Oh dear, now I probably sound like a throwback. Of course there are camping campsite websites as above, and so long as it's not "own facilities", I've never had a problem staying in a campsite caused by the mode of transport.

Perhaps I'll look for a KML route of the ride, and see if OpenStreetMap has many campsites.
Zulu Eleven
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Joined: 26 Oct 2018, 9:25pm

Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by Zulu Eleven »

GideonReade wrote: 1 May 2021, 9:41am Hi, I was wondering how much experience there is of this yet, and how it's going? My better half has bought the guidebook, we already had all the 50K maps, now marked up, but...

My better half has been trying to resolve campsites. Obviously covid knocks some of them out, or reduces them to the dreaded "own facilities". But even before that, it's a struggle.

The book's identification of campsites is vague - nearest village basically, so one's never sure if we found the right one to ask. Assuming we have found the "correct" campsite, the book's distance-of-trail indications seem wildly optimistic...

Example: book lists "Uffington", 5km, nearest we can find are Coles Hill 10km, and Lambourne which is probably only 7km off route, by bridleway. But neither is Uffington. Google, CCC, and OS, don't show anything at Uffington.

Are folks actually doing days of half-route, half getting to and fro, motor camping, or wild camping?

Or have we missed something?

Go and have a look on the king Alfred’s way official Facebook group - lots of info and feedback, including accommodation recommendations etc.
zenitb
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by zenitb »

I have this same issue since i plan to at least camp some, if not all of KAW in the near future. cycle.travel shows little campsite symbols but maybe we should have an actual list of them...on this thread perhaps..as we find/try them?
GideonReade
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by GideonReade »

Well, one of ours is my cousin's back garden - not public, that one 😁.

Perhaps I can persuade her to join WarmShowers!

We've found an now booked a few more, but two are excruciatingly expensive for backpacking/cycletouring/bikepacking type activities. Will document here in due course.
GideonReade
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by GideonReade »

Go and have a look on the king Alfred’s way official Facebook group - lots of info and feedback, including accommodation recommendations etc.
Err, that's a private group requiring FB membership and group membership, and thus handing over at least some information. I don't find that helpful. I see there's also an unofficial public group too. But it looks like it serves more of a postcard role.

In the past, when referred to information on FB, usable with acceptable terms, I've never found it much use. IMHO FB is for here and now, and posts are a thing of the moment. It's pretty rubbish at non-time ordered information retrieval, which it's never been intended for. Same with most blogs. Organisation & presentation don't suit sort by location and keeping up to date. Of course I may be using it wrong. Forums are better, but still age quickly, dedicated websites good but can be management issues, Wikipedia also very good, but lists of accommodation might be too commercial maybe?

Not sure what I want, but not FB for this.
mattheus
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by mattheus »

GideonReade wrote: 3 May 2021, 2:09pm In the past, when referred to information on FB, usable with acceptable terms, I've never found it much use. IMHO FB is for here and now, and posts are a thing of the moment. It's pretty rubbish at non-time ordered information retrieval, which it's never been intended for. Same with most blogs. Organisation & presentation don't suit sort by location and keeping up to date. Of course I may be using it wrong.
You are right.
Facebook is the ultimate in noise-to-signal. Lots of people shouting what is right now, no permanent resource of useful info. This is where WIki is king - it's the exact opposite!

There are a FEW knowledge realms where good wikis have been setup, but mostly people are lazy and start a new facebook group. It's what they know!

A thread like this isn't a bad compromise (i.e. we don't need to setup anything new). Posts are date-stamped, so you can have more/less faith in anecdotal info accordingly.

[incidentally I'd probably wild-camp this route, taking a small number of days. Or more likely, ride a route with nicer terrain under-foot! But it IS on my doorstep, so I can't help but be interested. Britchcoombe was a local legend until last year :( ]
GideonReade
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by GideonReade »

Hi, We're ok with wild camping, but very uncertain of our welcome or detection in KAW area.
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horizon
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Re: King Alfred Way by bike, cycle camping

Post by horizon »

mattheus wrote: 5 May 2021, 1:08pm
so I can't help but be interested.
Me too. But then possibly disappointed. I think the intention is good but it then comes up against the reality of what is possible: bicycles, walking boots, wild camping, distance, weather, accommodation.

I think it is a good idea not to start with the route but with the accommodation type: youth hostelling used to work a treat; long distance hiking and wild camping, cycle touring on tarmac between B and Bs or campsites, sea kayaking to beaches. These are modes of travel and to some extent will dictate where you can go. Each has its advantages and limitations but, in the right circumstances, each will work well.

With both the KAW and the new Cornish route, I don't think this has really been thought through. They are indeed called bikepacking routes and, taken to their logical conclusion, this is what you would have to do. It might mean hefty work on difficult terrain (even with a bike only lightly laden with camping gear), possibly some wild camping and being fairly self-sufficient. This could be a great adventure but I'm not sure that's what the proposers had in mind on its own (and I'm not sure that the various landowners and indeed GWR are fully cognisant with what is being encouraged in their name).
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
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