Ridgeway

OVERVIEW

The Ridgeway is a fairly short National Trail, that follows an ancient route across the North Wessex Downs and then across the Chilterns.

The route effectively splits at Goring, where it crosses the River Thames, with the western end seeing more open chalkland, and the eastern end seeing more tracks and tree-lined trails.

Along the route the trail passes through a number of quintessentially English villages - but is most notable for it's ancient history, with sites of interest from the Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age.

Originally this formed part of an ancient trading route that ran between Dorset and the Wash (the bit near Kings Lynn in Norfolk), and existed because the chalkland provided a relatively dry route across the countryside.

PRACTICALITIES

The route is easy to split at Goring, but access on and off the trail can be more limited beyond this.

On the eastern end there are train station near the trail at Princes Risborough, Wendover and Tring, with Ivinghoe Becaon having a bus stop nearby (which links up with Tring railway station).

On the western end you can extend the walk to Pewsey, but otherwise the route is more remote, and any route planning becomes more complex.

Being chalkland, and having stretches on tracks, the path can be hard on feet - and so comfortable shoes are a must.

USEFUL LINKS

Guidebook : Ridgeway Guidebook
LDWA Page : Ridgeway National Trail - LDWA Long Distance Paths
National Trail Website : The Ridgeway - National Trails

STAGES

I walked it out from Goring heading west for the western end, and will go east for the eastern end, but here I have ordered it west to east for consistency.

Overton Hill to Ogbourne St George - North Wessex Downs

Planned to walk in 2026...

Ogbourne St George to Castle Hill - North Wessex Downs

Planned to walk in 2026...

Castle Hill to Goring - North Wessex Downs

Planned to walk in 2026...

Goring to Princes Risborough (★★★☆☆) - Chilterns

From Goring the route heads out along the Thames to Mongewell Park, and then turns west to follow Grim's Ditch. This is left at Nuffield, where the route heads north along a series of ridges where it meets up with the main route of the Icknield Way.

This is then followed as it passes Watlington, heads under the M40, and then past Chinnor, before the trail takes on a hillier route as it heads over Lodge Hill, before cutting up and into Princes Risborough.

This section totaled 26.2 miles (of which 25.2 miles were on the Ridgeway) with two thousand feet of ascent in total.

Princes Risborough to Ivinghoe Becaon (★★★★☆) - Chilterns

From Princes Risborough the trail heads up onto the ridge above the town, before cutting over to run past Pulpit Hill and Beacon Hill. From here you pass Chequer's (the Prime Minister's Country Home - which retains an open view towards the house but a fairly heavy police presence.

Once past the house the trail continues through woods, before coming round to Coombe Hill, where there are great view out across the country below. From here you drop down, pass over the works being done for HS2 and pass into Wendover. Once through the town the trail has a run through a number of different woods, with brief gaps between these, before dropping down into Tring.

Here the trail cross the Grand Union Canal an passes the train station, before climbing up to Pitstone Hill - heading on towards Ivinghoe Beacon, and then climbing up a series of hills until you reach the beacon itself. A bus can be caught from below Ivinghoe Beacon.

This section totaled 19.1 miles (of which 18.3 miles were on the trail), with over two thousand feet of ascent.