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On this sunny autumn Sunday, I took the train from Reading to Didcot Parkway and cycled back. Here's a map.
I used NCN544 from Didcot, a well surfaced disused railway path to Upton, then climbed to join the Ridgeway on bridleways via Chilton (7 miles). Then I followed the route of the KAW, ie the Ridgeway to Streatley/Goring, then the Thames Valley route to Reading (21 miles). Here's the story in photos.
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| No bike reservation needed on slow trains from Reading to Didcot Parkway |
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| Didcot Parkway station |
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| NCN544 out of Didcot |
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| My route to the Ridgeway in purple |
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| Well surfaced disused railway |
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| Bridleway after Chilton follows a quiet lane.... |
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| ... last bit up to the Ridgeway is rough track |
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| The RAL/Harwell science park in the distance |
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| There are great views from the Ridgeway |
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| The Ridgeway is generally a good path, but rough in places |
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| Subway under A34 |
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| More Ridgeway |
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| Some puddles and muddy patches easily avoided (but will get worse as autumn/winter sets in) |
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| Thames in Goring |
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| Nice cafe in Goring |
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| Pill box beside the Thames |
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| The path between Goring and Whitchurch is surprisingly tough, with several ups and downs |
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| Very steep bit requiring steps |
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| Unusual horse |
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| The River Thames is glimpsed only occasionally |
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| Church at Mapledurham |
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| Mapledurham Village |
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| The Thames Valley route passes through nice parkland |
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| Pedestrian Cycle Bridge over Thames in Reading |
Great but there is no GPX file to download....
ReplyDeleteSorry it's not easy to get the GPX file, but you could try downloading the Google map info, as a KML/KMZ file, then convert to GPX using a site like GPS Visualiser
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