The Ridgeway, July 17 Day 5, 16 miles
The Ridgeway, July 17 Day 5, 16 miles Last days on a path tend to be less about accomplishment and more about just getting there. This one was no exception. Apart the last couple of miles, it was just like the day before, a beautiful wander through a shady forest with occasional field crossings. The […]
The Ridgeway, July 16 Day 4, 21 miles
The Ridgeway, July 16 Day 4, 21 miles The early morning walk out of Wallingford was one of the best I’ve ever taken. No longer on the ridge, the path simply winds its way between wheat fields and pastures, but it is shaded by huge old beech trees. In places it drops down into old […]
The Ridgeway, July 15 Day 3, 18 miles
The Ridgeway, July 15 Day 3, 18 miles Early mornings of wild camping are always a mix of exultation— hearing all the fauna around the tent while slowly waking with the sun (and birds) is magical—and anxiety as the sun reveals presence to landowners. I was up and out long before a gamekeeper could accost […]
The Ridgeway, July 14 Day 2, 22 miles
The Ridgeway, July 14 Day 2, 22 miles An early breakfast at the Bear (eggs, bacon, tomatoes, and blood pudding) and a bus back to where I had left off the trail, I slipped into a hiking rhythm immediately. There are the regular encounters with Iron and Bronze Age barrows— some just rounded hills, others […]
The Ridgeway, July 13 Day 1, 10 miles
The Ridgeway, July 13 Day 1, 10 miles The Ridgeway, an 86 mile National Trail, wanders (as the name makes clear) along a ridge running between West Overton and Ivinghoe Beacon and is often called the “oldest trail” in England. Obviously any such designation is dubious at best, but it does focus any walker’s attention […]