The Ridgeway - a better walk than a ride?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Following my brief visit last year, I fancy travelling the Ridgeway. I've done a little reading and I'm wondering whether it might make a nicer walk than a ride? Could be completely wrong, so thought I'd ask. Ta.

[Mike]

Ride it stu. It won't take as long and it's a nice route. The road sections will be so boring walking pal

[sean_iow]

Just to conform, is this 'The Ridgeway' as in between Overton Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon? There seems to be other 'ridgeways' like The Wessex Ridgeway but they get abbreviated so I get confused which were talking about I'm hoping to ride 'The Ridgeway' at Easter so I can report back if you're planning on going after then although if the locals advise it's in really bad condition I might look for a plan B for Easter.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Yes, that's the one Sean.

[sean_iow]

One thing I've noticed when looking at the mapping is there appears to be different routes for walkers and riders in places, obviously there are sections which are footpath so the riding route uses the roads to avoid these, so there is likely less walking on roads than riding on roads. To say you've 'done' the ridgeway you really should walk and ride it to cover both routes

[Pickers]

I'd be inclined to ride it. Nick and I did it last December, we enjoyed it but the ground was mostly pretty hard then. The good bits are good, there's a couple of places that would drag a bit if I were walking. We had 2 days of superb (but cold) weather. If it's wet I could see it being hard work, and not in a good way.

[wriggles]

Ride it definitely. With nice home counties views on the portion between Streatley and Avebury, i want to see them from a bike. Walking would start to drag after a while imo. Do you really want to spend 4 hours staring at mighty Didcot Cathedral (whats left of it). An hour as you ride past is enough. Avebury to Streatley and then home by the wooded singletrack via Henley to Reading is a ride I do a couple of times each summer. Its a great day out.

[psling]

"The western half of the Trail, from Overton Hill to Streatley on the River Thames, is a marvellous route for mountain bikers (those using touring bikes might struggle) and horse riders. It provides an almost continuous 43 miles (69 Km) stretch of track with only a few short sections of road. Some sections have a hard stone surface whereas the rest is a natural surface, in places with some damage from excessive use - maintenance to repair these is ongoing.

Carriage drivers can use most of this half of The Ridgeway, only having to avoid the one-mile bridleway section over Barbury Castle.

East of the River Thames there are less opportunities for cyclists and riders. However there is a lovely 9 miles (14 Km) stretch through The Chilterns that can be used on a bike or horseback. This is from Britwell Hill just west of Watlington to Bledlow, west of Princes Risborough. Carriage drivers can use the 5 mile (8 Km) restricted byway stretch from Britwell Hill to the A40.

Those cyclists and horse riders wanting a long distance ride east of the Thames that uses The Ridgeway as much as possible have two good routes to follow. The Swans Way (phone 01296 382171 for leaflet) starts from Goring-on-Thames, just across the river from Streatley, and travels to Bledlow where it turns north away from the line of The Ridgeway. At Bledlow cyclists and horse riders can then join the Icknield Way Riders' Route that provides a good alternative route to The Ridgeway as far as Pitstone Hill, just a couple of miles from Ivinghoe Beacon. Unfortunately riders and cyclists can't continue to the end of The Ridgeway as the route to it is a public footpath."

Don't know if you've already seen the above, but may be of help? Personally I have never ridden The Ridgeway except for bits at the western end. I have done the route west of Streatley with mechanical propulsion in years gone by though.

[ssnowman]

I've ridden westbound from Streatley and back, and It's a great ride (in dry conditions).

A lot of it will be boring as a walk though!

[Zippy]

Did the double a couple of years back - it's alright, nice riding if the weather conditions are good. I'd have been bored out of my skin walking it!

[Dr Nick]

When I rode it with Rich (Pickers) in Dec I really enjoyed the variety in terrain. If I didn't like what I was riding, it'd change soon enough. This would have been less of a benefit if walking. Overall it was a really enjoyable ride... recommended!

[benp1]

In general I don't like walking a route I could have biked, as it feels slow

If there's scrambling, hike a bike, sections that bikes aren't allowed on or steep climbs then walking feels better

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Where's Dave B - isn't the Ridgeway his stomping ground?

I rode a 2 day event on the MTB from Wendover to Wroughton (and back) in 2013. It was a good ride in the dry, but having done parts of it when soggy, it makes a big difference! Can send you the GPX if you want. Walking it would be dull...

...there are sections which are footpath so the riding route uses the roads to avoid these...To say you've 'done' the ridgeway you really should walk and ride it to cover both routes

Is that the same for the Colorado Trail?

[jameso]

Would make a nice walk, yes. Not sure about better but that's subjective (and I like a good walk). Lovely ride in the summer and autumn if it's dry.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Would make a nice walk, yes.

I suppose in part, it's the history of the thing that appeals, so I did think (without sounding all hippydipshit) that walking might make me feel more a part of the surroundings. Perhaps I might just walk the first leg west of the Thames?

Can send you the GPX if you want.

I'm already sorted Craig, ta.

[Dave Barter]

Where's Dave B - isn't the Ridgeway his stomping ground?

I rode a 2 day event on the MTB from Wendover to Wroughton (and back) in 2013. It was a good ride in the dry, but having done parts of it when soggy, it makes a big difference! Can send you the GPX if you want. Walking it would be dull...

...there are sections which are footpath so the riding route uses the roads to avoid these...To say you've 'done' the ridgeway you really should walk and ride it to cover both routes

Is that the same for the Colorado Trail?

<waves>

I love the Ridgeway. I never get bored of riding it or walking it. The place is stuffed full of history and not every walk can be epic mountains and beautiful lochs. the appeal of walking it should be linked to the fact that our ancestors did exactly that. There are plenty of diversions on the way and on the right day the views are properly English.

Riding it now would enter into the type 2 realm for some bits but it is still doable.

[Mike]

And if you walk it stu, obviously you can take the dogs

[Bearbonesnorm]

And if you walk it stu, obviously you can take the dogs

I think they might be getting a bit too old for big walks now

[jameso]

The western half is more 'Ridgeway' imo. Could be the better walking section imo.
The chilterns end has what many would see as better MTB terrain. The ITT route has a fair bit of road in the eastern half, I use a mix of non-contentious FPs and other BWs there rather than roads.

[sean_iow]

...there are sections which are footpath so the riding route uses the roads to avoid these...To say you've 'done' the ridgeway you really should walk and ride it to cover both routes

Is that the same for the Colorado Trail?

Is that the one where you have to carry your bike across the Grand Canyon? If the walkers and riders use the same route then once will count for both, but if there's any diversions then why not ride one way and then walk back to the start?

I suppose in part, it's the history of the thing that appeals....

If you're going west then at the end at Overton Hill head up the road north-west to go up Stone Avenue to finish at Avebury, a much nicer and more historic finishing location than a section of A road. It's only an extra 1.5 miles.

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Is that the one where you have to carry your bike across the Grand Canyon? If the walkers and riders use the same route then once will count for both, but if there's any diversions then why not ride one way and then walk back to the start?

You're thinking of the Arizona Trail. CT does have significant diversions for bikes that are banned from the 'wilderness areas'. If by some fluke I manage to ride it one way, I'll be in no state to walk back, even if I had a spare month!

[adjustablewench]

I followed Bill Bailey's walk on the Ridgeway before I rode it . . . I am glad I was on two wheels but he did seem to enjoy it enough to do it again

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tele ... tains/amp/

[JackT]

As others have mentioned, there are a bunch of different Ridgeways in Wessex. The official Long Distance Walking Route / bridleway doesn't always align with what scholars believe to be the actual prehistoric ridgeway, as in one of the oldest if not the oldest road / trackway in Britain.

There's a great book by Timperley and Brill which has a lot of info and easily transcribed onto OS Maps. https://www.abebooks.co.uk/book-search/ ... ill-edith/ One of these days I'll transcribe their maps onto some online mapping tool for everyone to access.

I've noticed that current OS maps aren't especially historically accurate, they tend to mark the Ridgeway(s) as per the official modern waymarked leisure routes, rather than what archeologists believe to be the old ways. A lot of the time they are the same, but there are some areas where they diverge by many miles.

The main reason for this is the imposition of the modern world, in terms of buildings, roads and in the case of Salisbury Plain, a massive area that's off limits due to military activities. The 'real' ridgeway goes through the village of Imber, in the heart of the Imber range training area, but those roads and tracks are only open a few days a year, so the modern leisure route has to make a big detour.

Happy to photograph some of the maps in the book for you, if that's helpful. Definitely rideable and a very rewarding trip. I've done most if it over the years, but never in one go, and always on a touring or a road bike, so you'll have no trouble if you're riding an MTB.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Thanks for that Jack - I can never resist a book, duly ordered.

[JackT]

The big fold out map from the first edition is a thing of beauty.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zlj3bipwacy8t ... x.jpg?dl=0