| The Ridgeway (West) in pictures |
Foreword:
An ancient track crossing high ground between Avebury in Wiltshire and Goring in South Oxfordshire. Four friends. Forty-five miles. One heatwave...
|
|
Day 0.1 We walked into Avebury and wandered between the many Sarsen stones that run through and around the village. Very atmospheric. |
|
Day 0.2 Having immersed ourselves in ancient history we then convened to the Red Lion pub for beers food and planning. |
|
Day 1.1 After a visit to The Sanctuary monument we posed for a picture before setting off. Some of us may have been overdressed for the weather. |
|
Day 1.2 The Ridgeway is so well signposted that its practically impossible to become lost. Also, ridge walking is either a case of forward or backward, so that helps. |
|
Day 1.3 Typically, the views we enjoyed were open and far-reaching. Add glorious sunshine and it was perfect hiking. |
|
Day 1.4 It remained warm even as the afternoon faded away and we neared the end of our first day. |
|
Day 2.1 The second day started where day one left off: Same surroundings, same trail, same scorching heat. Nobody was complaining. |
|
|
|
Day 2.2 Wayland's Smithy ancient long barrow us an excuse to take a break. It's atmosphere and it's isolation meant that we spent much longer than planned and it left a lasting impression on us all. |
|
Day 2.3 The idyllic vllage of Letcombe Regis and the Greyhound Inn, our overnight stop at the end of the second day., |
|
Day 3.1 The start of Day three and a rare information board. |
|
Day 3.2 We reached The Wantage Memorial, an impressive but rather isolated monument. |
|
Day 3.3 The trail developed into a wide grassy plateau where hikers, cyclists, and riders shared the trail. |
|
Day 3.4 This seemed like the perfect place to break for lunch and watch the world go by. |
|
Day 3.5 after the wide grassy plateau we reached an underpass carrying the A35 overhead. The terrian changed again once we had passed under it. |
|
Day 3.6 Finally our three day hike ended at Goring on the bank of the Thames. after three days of unrelenting sunshine all we wanted was beers - cold and sparkling. |