The
Ridgeway runs from Avebury in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire.
The trail follows part of an ancient track established by prehistoric
man that stretched across the country from Dorset to Norfolk. It passes
through two distinct landscapes.
The
western half of the trail, from Avebury to Goring, follows a broad track
along the North Wessex Downs, with far-reaching views over rolling open
downland to the south and the wide expanse of the Thames Valley to the
north.
The
eastern half, from Goring to Ivinghoe Beacon, begins by following the
banks of the River Thames before heading into the Chiltern Hills, through
a landscape of beech woodlands and fertile farmland dotted with attractive
villages and towns. The Ridgeway has a long and rich history.
Stone Age man left the long barrows at West Kennet, Wayland's
Smithy, and Whiteleaf Hill as well as the extraordinary stone circle
at Avebury and Silbury Hill, the largest man-made mound in Europe. Bronze
Age people left the round barrows that litter the route and the Uffington
White Horse, one of the most famous hill figures in the country. Grim's
Ditch and vast hill forts including Barbury, Liddington, Uffington,
Segsbuy, Pulpit Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon were built during the Iron
Age. In the Dark Ages The Ridgeway was the main route for the Saxons
and Vikings during their advances into Wessex. From medieval times
until about 200 years ago, it was drovers moving livestock, rather
than armies, who used The Ridgeway. |
