Hiking England's Greater Ridgeway
Walking From South Coast to East Coast on Prehistoric Trackways
The Greater Ridgeway combines four different long distance footpaths to create a single huge hiking trail from the south coast of England to the North Sea. It's a month's solid walking, running for the most part on prehistoric trackways and Roman roads, right through the heart of Old England.
The Wessex Ridgeway begins at Lyme Regis, a charming seaside town known for its appearance as the setting in 'The French Lieutenant's Woman'. But within a few miles, the path is heading through increasingly remote valleys and hills. There are fine views, but few villages – this section is one of the loneliest on the entire Greater Ridgeway.
Salisbury Plain is a Real Wilderness
Salisbury Plain is now a military training area, and the walker's progress is occasionally interrupted by explosions from the range. But its military connections are in one way a blessing; the Plain hasn't been farmed for over sixty years, so it remains a real wilderness. No ploughing, no herbicides, and no fertiliser enable this expanse of chalk grassland to support a wealth of flora, butterflies, and bird life.
Stone Circles and Ancient Hill Forts
The path now heads towards Avebury and its great stone circle. Avebury is a high point of the path, with the mysterious manmade mountain, Silbury Hill, looming over the site, and huge earthen banks surrounding the stone circles.
From here, the Ridgeway National Trail heads roughly east, on high chalk downs, with extensive views across an open landscape. Everywhere along the Ridgeway there are prehistoric remains – the White Horse chalk figure at Uffington, long barrows like Wayland's Smithy, and Iron Age hill forts.
This is the 'classic' Ridgeway, a wide chalk track on the top of the hills. It's all too soon over, though, as the huge cooling towers of Didcot Power Station herald the descent to the Thames valley. Crossing the Thames, the path now heads north into the Chiltern Hills. In spring, bluebells illumine the beech woods with eerie blue light; in summer, the grass is lush and green.
At Ivinghoe Beacon the track becomes the Icknield Way, another prehistoric trackway, heading north east through rather flatter landscapes. Towns along the route here are a mixed bunch, - the 'new town' of Letchworth, the industrial conurbation of Dunstable and Luton, and the old coaching town of Wendover.
Follow a Roman Road to the Sea
The final stretch of the path is the Peddars Way, heading almost due north. It runs dead straight, as only Roman roads do – though there's said to be an older track running alongside for much of its length. The Breckland landscape, with its dramatic Scots pines and sandy heath, is as bare as Salisbury Plain – and military exercises are held here, too.
Passing the ruins of the medieval Castle Acre priory, the track runs between rich fields and over gentle hills towards the coast, at Hunstanton – or rather, mysteriously, just to the east of it. What was here? Does a Roman camp lie buried under the sea? No one seems to know.
But never mind. Hunstanton, 363 miles from the start of the walk at Lyme Regis, is a fine little Victorian seaside resort, with sandy beaches and crumbly, stripy cliffs; and you can always find an ice cream to celebrate the end of your journey.
The Ridgeway
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Travel
Latest Articles