Devil's Highway

Last weekend I followed a route from 100 years ago. This week I followed another from 2,000 years ago. This is the old Roman road from London to Silchester (near Basingstoke), known as the "Devil's Highway".

On the way out I followed National Cycle Route 23 from Reading to Silchester, parts of which touch on the old Roman road.

There isn't a huge amount to see of Roman Silchester, although the remains of the town wall are pretty impressive, and inevitably, at Roman remains, there were a couple of little boys brandishing imaginary swords.

On the return journey I followed the Round Berkshire Cycle Route from Beech Hill to Arborfield. There wasn't enough time for my original plan, which was to stay as close as possible to the Devil's Highway. That would have brought me back through Finchamstead, Crowthorne, and Sunninghill to Windsor.

Instead I took a more direct route home, through increasing darkness, via Wokingham and Twyford.

XLVII miles in total.