Although I have seen plenty of cyclists all the way along the route it does look very hard going, but if there are any geohorse riders this could be ideal for you! The route mainly follows broad tracks through rolling downland countryside rich in history from prehistoric to recent times. Livestock is present on parts of the trial - more info below.
GO PREPARED
It's a long walk so go prepared with the right gear, food and water, I'd recommend long trousers all year for the long grass. There a couple of steepish climbs, one at the start and one about half way around. Apart from that you will then be walking along the top of the hills with glorious views, but it can be windy and cold. I'd also advise gloves, hawthorn bushes are sharp!
DOG OWNERS
Being a dog owner I want to warn you about the livestock that is present on a few short sections, this is not to put you off in any way, just to make you aware in advance. At the time of setting the caches there were sheep leading to cache 1, and then again leading to cache 15. There were also cows leading to cache 21, with "Bull in Field" warning sign. There are no caches in this field and it can be avoided with a small detour. There were also cows in the field between cache 32 & 33, these can not be avoided although I have only seen them on one occasion. Otherwise it is mainly crop farmland and dogs will have a great time running around.
You will also need to walk along the relatively busy B4192 before starting the 2nd part of the traill, the grass verge will enable safe walking but take care nevertheless.
CACHES
The caches are intended to be quick & easy finds but there are a few that may be tricky, there is a variety of containers to keep you guessing. The hints should help you find any difficult ones, so don't sneak a peek if you want to add to the challenge.
Not all caches have a pencil - please take one with you
This cache is a 1/2 Litre clip lock box in camouflage bag
BONUS CACHE
To find the bonus cache you will need to walk the whole route and collect a series of combination numbers -
See Bonus - Aldbourne Circular Trail for full details
PARKING - Cars can park at the start of the route near Cache 1, or in Aldbourne.
REFRESHMENTS - Aldbourne has pubs, a restaurant and various shops.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The walk has points of interest in abundance, including:-
Sugar Hill - The track onto the hill (between cache 1 & 2) is an old Saxon way known as the Thieves’ Way.
Prehistoric Sites - A look at any Ordnance Survey map will show that this area is thick with the remains of ancient man’s activities. The oldest remains are the Bronze Age barrows recorded on maps as tumulus or tumuli. The four barrows between caches 7 & 8 are the best and can be seen in the distance on the way to cache 16.
Liddington Castle, an Iron Age hillfort some 2,000 or more years old that can be visited via a permissive footpath from cache 28.
Aldbourne - a pretty village that has flourished for over 1,000 years. A severe fire in 1760 reduced much of the village to ashes.
Upper Upham (cache 19) - The history of this site dates from as early as Roman times and there are remains of a deserted medieval village behind the Elizabethan manor house.
Snap - Between cache 20 & 21 you pass the deserted village of Snap is unusual since it was abandoned as late as the last century as a result of agricultural depression. . This route passes Snap but the site itself is private and may contain dangerous well-shafts.
Wildlife - The wildlife on this route is typical of chalk downland with many flowers, butterflies and bird, hares deer, skylarks and meadow pipits. You are also likely to see buzzards and possibly red kites, both large birds of prey.
OTHER CACHES
Along the way you can also find:-
GC1H09T - War and Peace
GCMWHF - A Symphony of Numbers
GC1G06P - Sugarhill
GCR6XE - Deserted Snap (Wiltshire)
