The daughter and family live just west of Swindon, and I have therefore come to appreciate this alleged 7 mile circuit, mainly on cycle paths, as a way of keeping the legs going while visiting, and as a brief relief from gardening, DIY and being mauled by grandchildren. It is graded “easy” on the websites (Swindon Travel Choices.co.uk is the best website for the map), but due to the stop/start nature of it, accelerating away from each stop and pushing it on the short hilly bits gives a good general work-out for minimal time out. Adding Lydiard Park as per the the map on the above website is scenically worthwhile (embarrassed to see, for the first time, that pushing your bike through the park is recommended, as I’ve always belted through, albeit showing deference to any walkers), although you may find the route finding to get there difficult the first time.
If coming from Purton or The Fox, to join the circuit go on the new road (Cowleaze) through the new Ridgeway Estate to the Mead Way roundabout, where take a track on the left which leads parallel to the road, but with leafy sides, to cross the Railway and the River Ray. Just before it goes up to the road, a path to the left leads under the road and to the start of a rough track (Route 45). This leads south to join the route by Shaw Forest Park. I am grateful to Rachel, daughter, for showing me the round, and for the above addition which makes it an 11 mile circuit. The map below has the new road, Cowleaze, through the Ridgeway Estate on it, but has come from a gpx made without it.
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