The Ridgeway

Le lieu

Britain's oldest road, in continuous use as a trackway for at least 5,000 years, runs 128km from Overton Hill near Avebury to Ivinghoe Beacon in the Chilterns. The western half crosses open, exposed chalk downland with big-sky views and passes major prehistoric sites — Avebury stone circle, the Bronze Age Uffington White Horse, Wayland's Smithy long barrow, and several Iron Age hillforts — before the trail crosses the River Thames at the Goring Gap, its only river crossing. The eastern half through the Chiltern Hills is more wooded, following beech woods and ancient earthworks to finish at the Ivinghoe Beacon hillfort. The trail is well-graded chalk and flint bridleway, shared with cyclists and horses, with only a few short, steeper pulls in the Chilterns section.

Jour par jour

1. 1
   J1 · Avebury (Overton Hill) → Ogbourne St George16.00 km · +185 m
2. 2
   J2 · Ogbourne St George → Ashbury17.00 km · +230 m
3. 3
   J3 · Ashbury → Wantage (Court Hill)19.00 km · +240 m
4. 4
   J4 · Wantage → Goring-on-Thames20.00 km · +150 m
5. 5
   J5 · Goring-on-Thames → Watlington17.00 km · +280 m
6. 6
   J6 · Watlington → Wendover22.00 km · +420 m
7. 7
   J7 · Wendover → Ivinghoe Beacon17.00 km · +300 m