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West Swindon round, urban cycle.

By Hugh Stewart August 14, 2018 Leave a Comment

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.

© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download file: w swindon.gpx

Filed Under: cycling

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Hillwalks from the Settle to Carlisle Railway Stations

24 walks into the hills surrounding the historic and iconic Settle to Carlisle railway, based on the stations between Settle and Appleby. The area has some of the finest walking of the north Pennines: the Craven district around Settle; the Three Peaks area; Dentdale, and Mallerstang and the upper Eden valley.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

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Mountain Biking Adventures: Multi-day Routes in Northern Britain

Over the last two decades, mountain biking has developed enormously as a “sport”. We greatly admire the technical and athletic capabilities of modern day mountain bikers and recognise that many excellent guides have been written and custom-built trails set up. In this guide we try to reopen a sense of adventure and wilderness to mountain biking, providing multi-day routes with a remoteness, continuity and “arc” missing from many modern guides with their focus on day and half day outings.

UK £13.95 ( inc. P&P)

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Settle to Carlisle – Hill Walk with Return by Classic Train Route

With over 22,000 ft of ascent in 105 miles set out over 8 days, this walk sets out from Settle, taking in the classic summits of the North Yorkshire Dales, Howgills, Eastern and Northern Lakeland Fells, to arrive at Carlisle. The return journey to Settle by one of the classic train journeys. Illustrated with photographs and route maps.

£12.95 (P&P may apply)

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Update on the Low to High Force Teesdale walk.

From the post 0f July 2015. (The winch bridge just across from Bowlees was closed in 2018, so you had to follow the path parallel to Bowlees beck down to a bridge east of it, then back by the Tees. This opened again 2019) The next 2 miles are sublime for wildflowers, probably the most diverse in the

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Malham Tarn and More

Actually the title is misleading, but kept as it sounded good; the walk goes round the "moor" north of the Tarn and only back along its north bank, and includes the wonderful boardwalk near the Tarn for a floral treat. It has 7.6 miles of limestone scenery, completely avoiding the crowds around the

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The middle Pap of Jura – Bienn an Oir

This route has been written about many times, but as we disagree with the Cicerone guide's recommended route and this was the first eight mile plus mountain walk I'd done in 18 months, we thought it worth a celebratory shout. Why just the middle Pap? Because it's the easiest as you might imagine,

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