The Ridgeway
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Ridgeway.jpg
For other meanings see Ridgeway.
The Ridgeway is a long-distance National Trail for rambling in England that starts at Overton Hill, near Avebury, and heads northeast for 85 miles to finish at Ivinghoe Beacon, near Tring, where it joins the Icknield Way, passing through Streatley and Wendover.
On the way it passes through or near the following sites of interest: Barbury Castle, Wayland's Smithy, and Uffington Castle and its White Horse (which unfortunately is not visible from the path, but is very close). It also passes over Victory Drive, the private drive of Chequers.
It largely follows a prehistoric trail along the top ridge of the chalk hills of the north west Downs and of the Chilterns - thus avoiding what were woods and marshes in the valley below.
The path varies from chalk-rutted farm paths, to green lanes (which can be extremely muddy, and pot-holed after rain) and small sections of metalled and tarmac roads. Most of the path is either a Bridleway or a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) so will be shared with horse-riders, bikes and motor-bikes.
Some sections of the Ridgeway, especially those between Streatley and Uffington Castle are regularly used by recreational off road vehicles and scrambler motor bikes. This use has, in part, along with lack of maintenance, led to degradation of the surface. Recent (early 2005) experiments have closed sections of the byway to vehicles with varying results.
Despite being an artificial creation, it was featured on the 2005 TV programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the South.
Conflicts of use
As for most of its length the ridgeway is shared by horses, cyclists and walkers there are often conflicts of use. Walkers have suggested that horses and cyclists spoil the peace and quiet of the countryside, while horses and off-road vehicles can damage the surface making it harder to cycle the ridgeway. It is possible that in the future the ridgeway will be closed to off road vehicles, but there is strong opposition to this.
Places along the Ridgeway
Places that are near to (or on) The Ridgeway include (from West to East):
- Avebury
- Overton Hill
- Swindon
- Marlborough
- Faringdon
- Uffington Castle
- Hungerford
- Wantage
- Abingdon
- Oxford
- Newbury
- Didcot
- Streatley
- Wallingford
- Thame
- Chinnor
- Reading
- Henley on Thames
- Princess Risborough
- Aylesbury
- Wendover
- High Wycombe
- Tring
- Maidenhead
- Ivinghoe Beacon
- Hemel Hempstead
External links
- The Ridgeway (http://www.nationaltrails.gov.uk/ridgewayframeset.htm)