Hampshire to Devon ideas

[arkay]

Hello Boners, from a lurker!
In the spirit of New Year plan-making i've been pondering a route from my home in Hampshire to my parents' in north Devon to do when it warms up. The King Alfred's Way route passes 10 minutes from my door, and my parents are on the Devon coast wirhin spitting distance of the Braunton 150 route, so those seem like obvious starting and end points. But most of the intervening landscape is a bit of a mystery to me, despite following lots of inviting-looking dashed lines on the map.

Anyone have any recommendations of trails to head for or avoid across Wiltshire and Somerset?

[woodsmith]

KAW to Winchester. Winchester to Southampton ( bit of a main road blast but not too bad) across the water and into the New Forest, Bournemouth, Purbeck, bit of Dorset Ridgeway or pick up the Old Chalk Way to Lyme Regis, East Devon Trail to Exeter and cut across to the Westcountry Way ( or even ride / train to Plymouth and do the whole thing.) up to wards Minehead, along the coast or cut across to Barnstaple and the Tarka Trail to Braunton. I did this back in 2021 and might have the routes on RWGPS still if you're interested.

[sean_iow]

Be aware the Hythe ferry may be closing down, there has been a deal of some sorts done to keep it running in the short term but depending upon when you go you may have to ride Southampton - Totton to get to the New Forest.

It would be a shame if they can't save it as going from Southampton - Hythe on the ferry is a much better way to get to the New Forest, it's also part of the NCN Route 2, along with the Hamble, Gosport and Hayling Island ferries, 2 of which were also facing closure

[arkay]

KAW to Winchester. Winchester to Southampton ( bit of a main road blast but not too bad) across the water and into the New Forest, Bournemouth, Purbeck, bit of Dorset Ridgeway or pick up the Old Chalk Way to Lyme Regis, East Devon Trail to Exeter and cut across to the Westcountry Way ( or even ride / train to Plymouth and do the whole thing.) up to wards Minehead, along the coast or cut across to Barnstaple and the Tarka Trail to Braunton. I did this back in 2021 and might have the routes on RWGPS still if you're interested.

Thanks - I hadn't really considered going that far south as I am in north Hampshire and I'd be heading for north Devon but I know Purbeck has some lovely riding having done bits before. I was mentally thinking of doing the KAW as far as its western limits on Salisbury Plain and then vaguely striking out towards the Quantocks, but going south is another option.
If you have links to any routes that would be great.

[sean_iow]

I've not ridden this

https://bikepacking.com/routes/bikepack ... -quantock/

But it's on my list and as it was devised by Lars it will be good riding. Might be of help.

[arkay]

I've not ridden this

https://bikepacking.com/routes/bikepack ... -quantock/

But it's on my list and as it was devised by Lars it will be good riding. Might be of help.

Definitely! So that leaves roughly Warminster to Taunton to join up. Off to study the map again...

[woodsmith]

Up to the Kennet and Avon canal between Devizes and Bath, into Bath then the EV2 rail trail to Bristol for the GB divide route To Bridgewater and the Quantocks.

[Dave Barter]

Look at the Southern Way which covers the Hampshire to Exeter bit

[woodsmith]

Look at the Southern Way which covers the Hampshire to Exeter bit

Care to post a link / gpx to the route? I've seen it mentioned on here before and have never been able to find any details

[Dave Barter]

https://www.mtbepicsuk.co.uk/gps/