THE annual cycling celebration of King Alfred will be held on Sunday July 20.

The 52-mile Wantage to Winchester Ride, now in its seventh year, is organised by Hyde 900.

The ride is non-competitive and there is no requirement to raise sponsorship money. Directions are provided, with signs and marshals to keep participants on track, and refreshments en route and at the end.

Entry is £7 for Hyde900 members or £10 for non-members.

The ride celebrates King Alfred the Great (849-899) who first brought together the territory that became modern England. He was born in Wantage where a commemorative statue in the market place marks the start of this year’s ride.

The ride ends at the site of Alfred’s burial place in the now vanished Hyde Abbey, which featured in the January 2014 BBC documentary The Search for Alfred the Great.