The Western start of the SDW is at the King Alfred statue in the town centre.
From here you head east out of town and cross the M3 and A31. The path splits for walkers and riders. Riders must go around the side of the A31 to re-join the trail, this can get pretty overgrown during spring and summer.
You will cross a ploughed field heading towards the road crossing of A272, this can get quite bumpy and mind out for barbed wire on the ground when you exit the field next to the road. Take care crossing the road as it is a busy road.
This will take you to Cheesefoot Head car park, which is a useful place to park for free and is only 3 miles away from the official start of the SDW. This section is a gentle start to the SDW and the scenery gets better as you go along.
Water Tap: Lomer farm