The Ridgeway is very ancient. It’s often described as ‘the oldest road in Britain’ and it’s clear that parts of the route were in use as long as 5000 years ago. The Ridgeway, as we know it today, is in fact the middle section of the Greater Ridgeway (see p179), an ancient system of tracks that stretches from Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast up to Hunstanton on the Norfolk coast. These tracks evolved over centuries as people chose the driest and most suitable paths across the countryside for themselves and their animals.
During your walk you will still be able to see and touch stone structures dating back to the prehistoric days of the Ridgeway; the burial mound known as Wayland’s Smithy (see box p107) dates back to around 4000bc.
There are also Bronze Age stone structures still standing, with the Avebury stone circle (see box pp74-5) and West Kennet Avenue (see box p78) being by far the most famous and accessible of these. Additionally, you can see numerous Bronze Age burial mounds dotted along the Ridgeway.
From the Iron Age there are several important hill forts along the route to investigate including Barbury Castle (see p94) and Uffington Castle (see p110) plus earthworks such as Grim’s Ditch (see box p138) also dating from this time.
During the Dark Ages the Ridgeway was used as a major transport route for invading Danish Viking armies. By the late 9th century they had conquered most of Saxon England and had turned their attention to the kingdom of Wessex. In 871 they marched west along the Ridgeway from their base by the Thames at Reading only to be defeated by King Alfred at the Battle of Ashdown which some think took place in the area around White Horse Hill.
Up until the 18th century the Ridgeway still consisted of a broad network of routes across the country but then the Enclosures Acts were passed by parliament and these initiated the division of previously communal open land into privately owned fields. These fields were then hedged in to protect them from passing livestock and as a result the Ridgeway was forced to follow a single, defined route.
As coaching routes to London developed they avoided the actual course of the Ridgeway so it was left largely neglected – although several towns on the path, such as Marlborough and Wendover, were important rest-stops. The main users of the path, therefore, for several hundred years were drovers transporting their sheep from the West Country, and even Wales, to the large sheep fairs at East Ilsley. The width of the Ridgeway in this area, sometimes up to twenty metres, gives an idea of just how much livestock was transported on this route. At their peak the fairs held auctions for up to 80,000 sheep a day though by the early 20th century the fairs were in decline. The last one was held in 1934; from then on the path was used mainly by farmers for access to their land.
This was especially the case during the Second World War when many of the hillsides around the Ridgeway saw a change in use from sheep-grazed areas to cultivated fields. This was a result of a government initiated effort to provide sufficient food for the population as imports were threatened due to the fighting. This not only changed the visual landscape of many areas of the Ridgeway but also damaged the indigenous wildlife as powerful chemical fertilizers were used to improve the poor soil.
The first calls for the Ridgeway to be recognized as a long-distance walking trail were made in 1947 by the National Parks Committee and in the 1950s the Ramblers’ Association joined the appeal. However, it wasn’t until 1973 that it was officially opened as a National Trail, since when, the most common use for the path has been for recreation. Only minor alterations have been made to its course since then which enables people like ourselves to make our way along the 87-mile (139km) trail in the footsteps of the first Ridgeway pioneers from thousands of years ago.
HOW DIFFICULT IS THE RIDGEWAY?
If you are reasonably fit you won’t encounter any problems walking the Ridgeway. There are no sections that are technically difficult and despite having a couple of steep climbs during each day’s walking, it’s nothing like as demanding as many other National Trails. The most important thing to do is plan your walking based on your own abilities. If you try to walk too far in one day, not only will you lose the chance to really enjoy the countryside you are walking through, but you will end up exhausted and won’t feel much like walking the next day.
If anything, the western section of the Ridgeway, up to Streatley, could be considered more difficult than the eastern section due to its remote and exposed conditions that become very apparent during bad weather. From Streatley onwards the Ridgeway is often in woodland or passing through fields and goes through, or near to, numerous towns and villages.
Route finding
You shouldn’t have any problems staying on the Ridgeway. At nearly all the junctions there are special ‘Ridgeway’ signposts clearly showing the direction of the trail and other branching paths. For many stretches you barely even need these signposts as the path is clear and well-trodden. However, it is always worth checking them as at some junctions the Ridgeway does veer off from what you’d consider is the ‘obvious’ path. All path junctions are included on the maps in this book along with relevant notes.
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED?
This depends on your fitness and experience. Do not try to do too much in one day if you are new to long-distance walking. Most people find that eight days is enough to complete the walk and still have time to look around the villages and enjoy the views along the way. Alternatively the entire path can be done in five days if you are fit enough, but you won’t see much of the surrounding countryside.
If you’re camping don’t underestimate how much a heavy pack laden with camping gear will slow you down. It is also worth bearing in mind that those who take it easy on the Ridgeway see a lot more than those who sweat out long days and tend to only ever see the path in front of them. If you are walking on your own you can dictate the pace, but when walking with someone else you need to take their abilities into account and take time to enjoy their company – this will inevitably slow you down. If you don’t take time to do this, you might as well be walking separately and simply meeting up at the end of the day.
On all sections, but particularly the western section, you’ll also need to consider how far off the path your accommodation is and build that distance into your daily total. Although some B&Bs will collect you from the Ridgeway and drop you back the next morning not all offer this service, so you do need to check when reserving a room. On p27 there are some suggested itineraries covering different walking speeds that will give you an idea of what you can expect to achieve each day.
If you only have a few days available it makes sense to concentrate on the ‘best’ parts of the Ridgeway; there is a list of recommended day and weekend walks on p28.
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