The Ridgeway is a National Walking Trail which follows the route of what is probably the oldest road in England.  Dating from Prehistoric times it runs for 87 miles (140 km) along chalk downs in central southern England, between  Ivinghoe Beacon, near Tring, Hertfordshire to Overton Hill, near Marlborough, Wiltshire. 

Self-guide and we will book accommodation and organise luggage transfers, saving you time, ensuring you quality accommodation and allowing you to relax and enjoy your holiday

Check out photos of The Ridgeway on Flickr  

You can also join us on a guided walk along the Ridgeway in April 2013

Start and end: The trail runs between Ivanhoe Beacon, Hertfordshire in the east and Overton, Wiltshire in the west.
It can be walked in either direction; when walking east the prevailing winds are behind you, so this may be the best direction to take in the winter. When walking from the east, the journey finishes in the sacred landscape of the Kennet valley, very close to the atmospheric and magical Avebury Stone Circle

Walking trail distance: 87 miles (140 km)

Grade: Moderate

Average duration: 6 walking days with 7 overnight stays, or, 8 walking days with 9 overnight stays.

Time of Year: Anytime, but the countryside is particularly beautiful in spring when leaves are unfurling, in late summer when the fields are golden with ripening corn and in autumn when the trees are resplendent in their autumn colours.

Getting there and back: There are regular train services from London Euston to Tring at the east end of the trail and hourly buses from railway stations to Avebury at the west end of the trail.

To extend your tour: You can continue the tour along the Greater Ridgeway Trail.  This 363 mile trail runs from the seaside towns of Hunstanton in East Anglia, in a south easterly direction to Lyme Regis in Dorset.  The Ridgeway National trail lies around the middle.   
You will also soon be able to extend your tour along the Great Stones Way which, over 38 miles, takes in many prehistoric sites including Avebury and Stonehenge, and finishes at the magnificent medieval cathedral in Salisbury.  This trail is due to open in 2012 and here are some photos of the Great Stones Way.

Pricing: Click here for our prices and to see what’s included.

The Uffington White Horse and Dragon Hill
from the Ridgeway

From the east, the Ridgeway first follows the ups and downs of the Chiltern ridge before passing alongside small towns and villages on the Oxfordshire plain. It then ascends into the beech woods in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), where red kites glide high in the skies and views to the north stretch over the rich Oxfordshire countryside.
The trail then drops into the Thames valley to follow the east bank of the river for 12 miles, between Wallingford and Streatley, before ascending again onto the North Wessex Downs AONB.  It then takes the high ground once more, crossing the Marlborough Downs with their bare rolling hills and wide vistas to north and south. 

Towns and villages along the Ridgeway from east to west

Miles

Km

Ivinghoe Beacon

0

0

Wendover

12

19

Princes Risborough

29

Watlington

29

37

Streatley

44

71

Wantage area

58

Uffington Castle

65

103

Overton Hill

87

139

Links: The Ridgeway National Trail

We book accommodation and arrange luggage transfers for independent self-guided tours along the Ridgeway leaving you to relax and enjoy the hike.    Check prices and what's included in our standard Ridgeway tour.

Phone: +44(0)1295 811003 / mobile: +44(0)7718 660070 or email Anne to book or for more information