PLAP 13 West Ilsley (8.75 miles 14 km ) Print

PL13w01 Waypoint 1
PLAP Route West Ilsley Oxfordshire
Cross the road from the large car park heading towards the A34, and after approximately half a mile continue past the bridleway signed on your right.


PL13w02 Waypoint 2
PLAP Route West Ilsley Oxfordshire
Turn right onto the next signed pathway (RB) keeping the gallops on your left and take the right hand path on reaching a place where the path divides and a bridleway bears off to your left. This leads you down into West Ilsley where the path is slightly gravelly and overgrown where it joins the road.


PL13w03 Waypoint 3
PLAP Route West Ilsley Oxfordshire
Turn right on reaching the tarmac road, and continue straight through the village keeping the duck pond and cricket pitch on your left, and The Harrow Inn on your right.


PL13w04 Waypoint 4
PLAP Route West Ilsley Oxfordshire
After passing a bridleway on your right which leads back to the top of the Ridgeway (set back from the road among some trees), continue along the road for approximately 1.5 miles. Visibility is good along this road but take care as cars move fast.


PL13w05 Waypoint 5
PLAP Route West Ilsley Oxfordshire
Here it is possible to reduce the length of the whole route by returning to the small car park using the next right turn onto a byway open to all traffic (BOAT) which reverts to a RB after approximately half a mile - otherwise continue along the road.


PL13w06 Waypoint 6
PLAP Route West Ilsley Oxfordshire
Take the next right turn by Lands End Cottage onto a RB. (disregarding the bridleway) and follow the hard track around the back of the house turning left onto the grass track (note that this is the lower of the two tracks). Half way back to the National Ridgeway Trail, the path becomes an RB, from which it gradually ascends back to The Ridgeway Trail crossing a chalk track on the way.


PL13w07 Waypoint 7
PLAP Route West Ilsley Oxfordshire
On reaching the top, turn right onto The Ridgeway Trail and follow the track past the first car park returning to the starting point. This section is approximately three miles long.


PL13w08 Waypoint 8
PLAP Route West Ilsley Oxfordshire
Alternative parking