Wayside Rides
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The standing stones and grassy banks of Avebury stone circle in early-morning sun
JOURNEY · THREE DAYS, READING TO BATH

The Coaching Way

Three days on the old road to Bath, with nights in two coaching towns

LENGTH
3 days
DISTANCE
About 86 miles
TERRAIN
Mostly gentle, one hillier day
ROUTE
Reading to Bath
GROUP
Up to 12
PRICE
Coming 2027
Register interest
THE JOURNEY

Ride to Bath, the Georgian way.

In the 1700s, fashionable London went to Bath to take the waters, and the road there ran from coaching inn to coaching inn, changing horses at every stage. This Journey follows them west by bike, on quiet lanes and the canal towpath, through market towns that grew up on the coaching trade, past a stone circle and down a great staircase of locks, until the honey-coloured terraces of Bath come into view.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT
  • The old road to Bath at a bike’s pace, from one coaching town to the next
  • Avebury, the largest stone circle in Britain, and the 16 locks of Caen Hill
  • Two nights at old inns, with your bags taken ahead
  • Train from Paddington and home again from Bath, no car needed
THE ROUTE · ABOUT 86 MILES OVER THREE DAYS
Sketch map, not for navigation
River Kennet Zz Zz Reading start Woolhampton Thatcham Newbury Hungerford overnight Ramsbury Marlborough Avebury Devizes overnight Caen Hill locks Holt Bradford-on-Avon Bath finish Day 1Day 2Day 3 Heading westW
DAY BY DAY

Three days, one road to Bath.

A narrowboat moored on the Kennet and Avon Canal at Hungerford, with St Lawrence's Church behind
DAY 1 · ABOUT 28 MILES

Out along the Kennet

Meet at Reading station and head west with the River Kennet, on quiet lanes and stretches of towpath through Woolhampton and Thatcham. In Newbury, stop where the London coaches once changed horses, then ride on to the old market town of Hungerford.

Overnight in Hungerford
Rolling green downland with fields, woods and hedgerows under a clear sky
DAY 2 · ABOUT 30 MILES · THE HILLIEST DAY

Over the downs to Avebury

Climb out of the valley on lanes via Ramsbury to Marlborough and its famously wide high street. Then cross the chalk downs to Avebury, where a whole village sits inside a ring of ancient standing stones, before rolling on to Devizes.

Overnight in Devizes
The old stone town bridge and its domed lock-up over the River Avon at Bradford-on-Avon
DAY 3 · ABOUT 28 MILES

Down the locks and into Bath

Start with Caen Hill, where 16 locks step down the hillside in a straight line. Follow the canal and quiet lanes via Holt to Bradford-on-Avon and its medieval bridge, cross the aqueduct at Avoncliff, then ride the Two Tunnels path, home to the longest cycling tunnel in Britain, down into Bath.

Trains home from Bath Spa
WHERE YOU’LL STAY
Hanging baskets and old shopfronts along Hungerford High Street, with the town hall clock tower beyond

Two nights in coaching towns

Traditional inns in Hungerford and Devizes, both old stops on the road to Bath, with good food and local ale. Breakfast is included and your bags will be waiting when you arrive.

YOUR GUIDE

A storyteller on a bike

Every Wayside ride is led by an experienced cycling guide, trained in ride leadership and first aid, who has ridden every mile of the route before you arrive.

They set an easy pace, sort out the train times and know which pub does the best lunch. Most of all, they know the stories: who built it, who fought over it and why it matters.

Bikes waiting at the start

Trains can’t carry a whole group’s bikes, so we’ll have a bike waiting for you at Reading and take it home at the end. Prefer to ride your own? Tell us when you register and we’ll work out how to get it there.

The JourneyPrice coming 2027
Bike or e-bike hireAvailable, prices on request

Hire includes a helmet and lock for all three days.

INCLUDED
  • A guide and storyteller with you all three days
  • A hand-picked route on the quietest lanes, ridden and checked before you arrive
  • A small group at a sociable pace, with nobody left behind
  • Coffee and snacks at our stops
  • Two nights at inns in Hungerford and Devizes, with breakfast
  • Your luggage taken ahead to each inn
  • Everything sorted, from the best train to catch to where to stop for lunch
NOT INCLUDED
  • Train fare
  • Dinners
  • Lunch, so eat where you like or bring your own
  • Drinks with lunch
GETTING THERE
Day 1 morning

Fast trains from London Paddington to Reading, about 25 minutes.

Day 3 afternoon

Direct trains from Bath Spa back to Paddington, about an hour and a half.

Dates and booking. Coming in 2027.

Set dates through 2027, or as a private trip for your own group. Leave your details and we’ll let you know as soon as dates and prices are out.