A day walk along The Ridgeway National Trail: Wantage to Goring

The section of The Ridgeway from Wantage to Goring in the Thames Valley offers an exhilarating day walk, with big skies, wide open spaces and long views to the north over Oxfordshire and south over Berkshire.  The photos below speak for themselves.

The distance is 14 to 18 miles (22 to 29 km), depending on the starting point, and the walking is easy.  The path is well defined and is downhill or flat over most of the route.

You can travel to and from the start and end of the walk in a day, by train and bus from Oxford, Didcot, Reading and Banbury.  There is a short taxi ride up to the Ridgeway from the taxi rank in the market square in Wantage, or an additional 3 mile (5 km) walk.

Crowhole Bottom near Sparsholt Firs

Morning exercise on the Gallops

Returning home after a good run

It's easy walking along this section of the Ridgeway National Trail

The view to Abingdon Power Station in the north.
Decommissioned in March 2013, the towers are due to be demolished in 2014.

The open rolling hills are dotted with clumps of fir trees.

Subdued late autumn colours

Sunset over Streatley Warren

Evening on the River Thames at Goring and Streatley

A lovely hike, not too strenuous and good way to walk off Christmas dinners.

Click here to check out our Ridgeway walking tour or Contact Us to find out more about this day walk.

Seasons Greetings
Anne
Walk the Landscape

Winter along the Ridgeway National Trail

The Ridgeway National Trail runs for 87 miles from Overton Hill near Avebury, Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon, Buckinghamshire, England. It is thought to follow the oldest route in Europe, dating back to the Stone Age (4000BC) and passes next to numerous prehistoric sites, notably, Avebury Stone Circle, the Uffington White Horse and Barbury Castle. 

For most of the route, it follows high ground along the chalk ridge, and after the last few months of heavy rain the footpaths are is not so muddy as those at lower levels, so a good trail to choose for a spring tour. 

For a self-guided tour along The Ridgeway check out walkthelandscape.co.uk/ridgeway.php

Happy Walking

Anne

Walk the Landscape

New lambs and blackthorn in flower along the Ridgeway

New lambs in the combe (valley) dropping down into Bishopstone

A cloud of blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) in full bloom

Best
Anne
walkthelandscape.co.uk

The Ridgeway National Trail - east from Streatley

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. 

These photos, taken in February, show the eastern half of the route from Streatley in the Thames valley to the eastern end at Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire.

You can join us to walk this trail from 22nd April to 1st May, 2012. Check out this link to the Ridgeway Tour to find out more .  

 Public house at Goring on Thames

 Walkers on the Thames Path

 The view west to Abingdon Power Station

 A well signed trail

 Lunch

 Snowdrops in St Botolph's churchyard, Swincombe

Oaks in the grounds around Chequers, the Prime Minister's country residence 

Beechwoods on the Chilterns 

Beacon Hill from Combe Hill, above Wendover 

Birches by the trail when dropping down to Wendover 

Ivinghoe Beacon at the eastern end of the Ridgeway 

The trig point at Ivinghoe Beacon, the end of the Ridgeway

You can join us to walk this trail from 22nd April to 1st May, 2012. Check out this link to the Ridgeway Tour to find out more .  

Best

Anne

walkthelandscape.co.uk