The Ridgeway - West Section
Explore the western Ridgeway at your own pace on a reduced-length self-guided walking holiday. Accommodation, luggage transfer and custom holiday pack included.
The Ridgeway - West Section
https://www.contours.co.uk/the-ridgeway-west-section
A walk along Britain's oldest road through the ancient landscapes of the Wessex Downs and the Chiltern Hills.
From £515 per person
An ancient track established by prehistoric man once stretched across the country from Dorset to Norfolk, and the Ridgeway follows it from East Kennet to Ivinghoe Beacon. The trail passes through two distinct landscapes on the way: the rolling North Wessex Downs, and a landscape of beech woodland and farmland dotted with historic towns in the Chiltern Hills.
The long and rich history of these areas is clear throughout, in extraordinary stone circles, ancient barrows, and the striking figure of the Uffington White Horse. The Ridgeway walk is a well-signposted and manageable route overall, and is well worth exploring.
Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.
From £515 per person
Here on the western side of the Ridgeway, the rolling fields and gentle ridges of the Wessex Downs host fascinating historical and archaeological sites. Uffington Castle, White Horse Hill, and the plethora of prehistoric barrows and Iron Age hill forts come together to create an engaging tapestry of sites to explore.
This section of the trail eschews the most difficult climbs of the Ridgeway, too, in favour of smooth trails and approachable inclines, making an ideal dip into excellent countryside.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIDW1 | From East Kennett(T) to Goring | 3 days walking | £515 | |
| RIDW2 | From East Kennett(T) to Goring | 4 days walking | £635 | |
| RIDW3 | From East Kennett(T) to Goring | 5 days walking | £760 |
Travel to East Kennett(T) where your first night's accommodation will be booked
East Kennett(T) to Liddington(L). 16 miles (26km) / 1234 ft (376 m) ascent
Liddington(L) to Letcombe Regis(L). 13 miles (21km) / 863 ft (263 m) ascent
Letcombe Regis(L) to Goring. 15 miles (24km) / 659 ft (201 m) ascent
Depart from Goring after breakfast
This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.
Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.
The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.
Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.
Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
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Following the UK’s oldest road through the rolling downland landscape of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Visiting the numerous prehistoric sites along the trail.
Admiring the famous chalk hill figure of the Uffington White Horse.
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:
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“Lovely walk in interesting countryside with super accommodation. Perfect short break.”Mr Hughes, UK
“I had a very pleasant hike along the Ridgeway and was fortunate to have excellent weather. Everything from booking to accommodations was well done. The trail itself has some less exciting bits”Ms Groves Winninger, Canada
“The walk was great although snow and cloud limited views on some of the days. Accommodation was generally very good and food options excellent.”Mr Hamnett, Australia
“Very well organised and with very British accommodations. Would recommend the holiday to others for sure.”Mr Aebi, Switzerland
“After having just finished the Cotswold Way 2 days previous, it was nice to walk on a wide track with gentle slopes!”Ms Miller, USA
“Your organisation of accommodation and luggage transfers worked well (only a pity you couldn’t arrange better weather for us!)”Mrs Gowers, UK
Dog friendly