CHIEVELEY COMMUNITY CIRCUIT

This is an approximately 10 mile route using ancient well-defined and well-signed byways and bridleways suitable for horse-riders and walkers (and possibly cyclists). It passes through or nearby the villages of Curridge, Chieveley, North Heath, Beedon, World's End, Oare and Hermitage, near M4 Junction 13 in Berkshire. It offers a mainly off-road riding circuit close to a number of stables/livery yards in the area.

It entails crossing the A34 on a horse-friendly bridleway bridge, passing under the A34 in a short tunnel and crossing the M4 twice on bridleway/byway bridges with no traffic alongside.

A shorter route is being planned but this requires some new routes to avoid roads.

Map:
Explorer 158 Newbury & Hungerford.
The place and road names given below in bold are on the Explorer map but the
names of the byways are not marked on the ground, only on the map.

Route:
From grid ref 493 718 at The Warren, Curridge, take the byway towards Rookery Farm. After about 200 yards, turn right to take the byway in front of a row of modern bungalows until reaching the riding school on your left then turn immediately left into another byway. Take the first byway on the right which takes you to Curridge Road at Carbrook Cottage. This section is just over ½ mile.
Turn left onto the road and ride for ~500 yards along the road looking for a tree-lined stony byway Chalky Lane on your right. Ride down this byway until the A34 is reached (¾ mile; grid ref 478 723). Cross the A34 on the new bridleway bridge (with mounting blocks on both sides) and follow the track (bridleway & byway) towards the M4. This byway, Green Lane, is the old medieval road from Newbury to Chieveley (but is now severed by the M4).
Close to the M4 (screened by tall trees) pass through the bridleway gate on your left, follow the track that bends back on itself until reaching a bridleway on your right. Take this (can be a bit muddy) alongside the M4 (screened by trees). Look for a bridleway on your right. Take this bridleway and cross the M4 on the new bridleway bridge (with mounting blocks on both sides). Follow the bridleway across the fields until the Chieveley to North Heath road (School Road) is reached (grid ref 475 738).
Turn left onto this road and ride past the sewage works up to the top of the hill. Turn right where the road bends sharply to the left and ride straight ahead (tarmac then into gravel) northwards to Hazelhanger Farm on the dirt surfaced Gidley Lane up to Woods Folly Bungalow (grid ref 467 765). This section is about 2½ miles.
Turn right onto the road and take the first road on your left (after about 500 yards) towards Rose Cottage and Old Street. Follow this minor narrow road to the junction with the main road (pub on your left). Turn left onto the road and then in 20 metres turn right onto a byway that takes you under the A34 (grid ref 485 760).
Follow the tree-lined dirt track (Old Street) until a fork in the track. Take the left fork, not the lower right hand track. Follow this track, passing through a metal gate onto a harder track to the M4 byway bridge. On meeting the road at Oare, turn right onto the narrow road, passing the church on your left, following the left hand bend in the road and continue almost to Priors Court Road (grid ref 499 731). This section is about 2 ½ miles.
Just before meeting Priors Court Road take the byway of Doctors Lane on your left and then almost immediately on your right take the post and rail lined bridleway alongside Hilliers Garden Centre which takes you along Priors Court Road to exit opposite Crabtree Lane and the MOD base (Denison Barracks).
Carefully cross Priors Court Road into Crabtree Lane in front of you and follow the road which becomes a stony track (NAFFI shop on your left). Keep straight ahead on Crabtree Lane when a bridleway to Copyhold Farm appears on your right. On meeting the road, ride straight over back to the starting point.
Parking
By arrangement - ring 01635 200507; Donation to Ada Cole Rescue Stables.

• pub at (grid ref 485 760).
• NAFFI shop in Crabtree lane

• Meets the Ilsley Downs Riding route (marked on the Explorer map) at Woods Folly Bungalow (grid ref 467 765).
• Meets the Three Downs Link at North Heath (grid ref 475 738), leaflet available from BHS. The Three Downs Link connects the Berkshire Downs (with the Ridgeway national trail), Hampshire Downs (with the Wayfarers Way) and the South Downs (with the South Downs Way).

Acknowledgements.

The safety of this route has been significantly improved by the provision of a short piece of new bridleway along the frontage of Hilliers Garden Centre on Priors Court Road. We owe thanks to West Berkshire Council Rights of Way and Planning departments for support, the landowner Lord Norrie & Hilliers Garden Centre for allowing the route on their land and Rivar for the construction of the bridleway.

The route also uses two new bridleways bridges that were approved after a public inquiry in 2000/01.