PLAP14 - The Ridgeway Marlborough Downs Ride ( 6 miles - can be increased to 12 miles) Print

PLAP14 Marlborough Downs Ridgeway Waypoint 1
From Hackpen Hill car park, follow the Ridgeway Trail along a chalk and flint track in a north easterly direction passing the point to point course on your right. The surface is flat and varies in width, making it possible to lead a pony and carriage. The starting point for this route is marked here rather than at point 3 on the map because here there is a very short circuit (approximately half a mile) around which a pony can easily be led.

PLAP14 Marlborough Downs Ridgeway Waypoint 2
On reaching the next car park (too small for any vehicle over 3.5T), follow the sign directing you onto the old Ridgeway route round the northern side of the hill fort of Barbury Castle). Please note that this involves a steep uphill but short section of slippery tarmac road in order to return to the ridge.

PLAP14 Marlborough Downs Ridgeway Waypoint 3
Continue along the Ridgeway to Barbury Castle Country Park, which is large and offers a special area for horseboxes. Toilets (including a disabled facility needing a RADAR key to unlock it) and picnic spot facilities are also available. This could be used as a starting point to the route but needs to be approached from a northerly direction via the B4005, which is steep in places.

PLAP14 Marlborough Downs Ridgeway Waypoint 4
At this point, there are two options available for carriage drivers. Alternatively for riders, prior to this turning the most northerly route along the Gypsy Lane track (accessed from the steep incline previously mentioned) can be ridden. This leads to a very fast straight section of the A346 towards Ogbourne St George, which needs to be ridden before making a left turn onto a further series of Restricted Byways