My day began with a hearty breakfast at the Inn with the Well in Ogbourne St George. I highly recommend staying here if you’re walking the Ridgeway. They even kindly provided me with a packed lunch for the day ahead.
A Minor Setback
I set off towards Letcombe Regis, about 20 miles away, but realised 10 minutes in, that I still had the room key in my pocket! I had to walk back to the Inn and start again. I felt so daft, but I had been feeling shaky and anxious earlier in the morning, so perhaps my brain wasn’t too focused.
Back on Track
I returned to the spot on the Ridgeway where I’d stopped the previous day, which created a loop/hook on my Strava map and added to my mileage…
The walk started well, and I maintained a good pace. I listened to music and enjoyed the amazing sights, meeting many dog walkers and cyclists along the way.
I saw an abundance of wildlife, including buzzards, red kites, rabbits, butterflies, beetles, swallows, and larks. The views were stunning, especially those overlooking Swindon.
Walking in the grass verge at Liddington wasn’t very nice.Crossing the M4
Lunch Break
After Fox Hill, about halfway through the day, I stopped for a picnic break and enjoyed the packed lunch from the Inn. I changed my socks, though I must admit that compression socks don’t look great with shorts and hiking boots.
I found some water to refill my bottles and continued past Wayland’s Smithy.
I had this cake in my packed lunch and no idea what it is. Looks like a brownie but doesn’t taste like it. More like maple syrup. It was nice. I just don’t know what it is.
Overcoming Challenges
Just before Uffington, I struggled with the heat and felt nauseous. I started shaking uncontrollably, a sign of an anxiety attack. After a few minutes and some calming music, I felt better and carried on.
Support Along the Way
I reached Uffington White Horse Hill around 14:30, where Craig was waiting for me. He brought me stronger suncream, a nail file, Vaseline, a sun hat, and freezing water – all of which were much needed. We enjoyed an ice cream, and I continued up Uffington Castle. Craig parked at the end of my route and walked back towards me. We met up at Sparsholt Firs, and his company helped me keep a good pace when I was struggling past 28km.
A Warm Welcome
Craig drove me to my B&B for the night, Quince Cottage, where the lovely Louise and Andrew welcomed me with a cup of tea. After a warm bath for my feet, I headed to the Greyhound pub in the village for a meal with Sophie. We had a good chat and a walk around the village before I returned to my room.
Looking Ahead
The weather forecast for tomorrow looks grim, with rain and wind expected. Tomorrow’s walk should be around 16 miles, shorter than today but longer than yesterday. I’ll have to brace myself for the elements.
After successfully completing the Hadrian’s Wall walk in June, I decided to embark on another through-hike, this time along the Ridgeway. This 87-mile journey is part of my training for a charity walk in Iceland next March, in support of Prospect Hospice https://www.justgiving.com/page/aurelie-icelandtrek2024.
Yesterday I packed my bag but decided to repack in my trusty OEX instead this morning.
With my backpack hastily repacked, I missed eating breakfast (I wasn’t able to eat due to anxiety anyway), I rushed to catch the bus to Avebury, where my adventure would begin.
In the bus with my trusty backpack The Red Lion – Avebury
Day 1: Avebury to Ogbourne St George
The Importance of Company
I had put out a call on Facebook a few days ago for friends to join me on this walk, and I was grateful to have Suzie and Craig accompany me on this first day. Their presence was a welcome distraction from recent personal challenges, including my mother’s illness and a breakup.
I have walked 23.3km (14.4 miles) from Avebury to Ogbourne St George.
The route.
The Journey
We left Avebury before 10am past the beautiful stones. To my walking partners’ disappointment, I’d planned to via the official start of the Ridgeway at Overton Hill, past Silbury hill and West Kennet long barrow (unplanned visit but we got a lovely selfie) along the way.
The path was very muddy and full of surface water around west Kennett and there, just before Overton Hill, the walk included an impromptu tour of a field as we took a wrong turn. We reoriented ourselves quickly and carried on .
The path took us past Hackpen Hill, where Suzie got picked up, and Barbury Castle, where Craig picked up his car. I continued on to Smeathe’s Ridge before arriving in Ogbourne St George, where Craig rejoined me and guided me all the way to the pub. We enjoyed drinks, dinner, and a lovely chat about hikes and travels.
Reflections
As I sit in my hotel room, soaking my feet in a bath, I can’t help but feel a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. I’ve caught a bit of sunburn, but I hope it won’t be too bad tomorrow. I’m a bit worried about the longer walk ahead, especially since I was slower than I wanted to be today.
I drank too much of my water too quickly so tomorrow I will need to manage this better. Craig gave me what was left of his water, between Hackpen and Barbury: I don’t have refill option tomorrow.
Thankfully, Craig has offered to join me for the last part of the hike tomorrow so I’ll have company again, and I’m looking forward to meeting Sophie for dinner.
The well, in the InnSunglasses mark on my nose And soaking those feet
As I settle in with my book for some rest, I can’t help but feel grateful for the support of my friends and the beauty of the Ridgeway.
Tomorrow is an early rise, and I’m excited to see what this next day has in store.
It’s been a while since I last put pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboard) to share my ramblings with you. I’ve been busy working, hitting the gym (yes, that’s new!) and improving my nutrition with loads of yummy, mostly-veggie food. I’ve been a bit quiet on the hiking front, but that’s about to change. I’ve got a new adventure brewing, and I’m itching to lace up my boots and hit the trail again.
So, where am I off to this time?
In three weeks’ time, I’m heading to the ancient Ridgeway, one of Britain’s oldest roads. It’s a path that’s been trodden by countless feet over thousands of years, from prehistoric man to Roman soldiers (here’s a link to my last through-hike), from medieval pilgrims to modern-day hikers like me.
I started planning this the very day I was back from hiking Hadrian’s Wall Path. Long distance hiking can be so addictive!
I’ve walked much of the Ridgeway before as it’s local to me, but never the whole distance. I’ve often walked the westward path to Avebury, and I always find this last part quite challenging. So, I’m planning to tackle that bit first and reverse the route from my usual direction of travel.
100km Race to the Stones finish line – July 2018, in Avebury
So what’s the plan?
My journey will begin on the 16th of August, when I’ll travel to Avebury, a place steeped in history and mystery. From there, I’ll make my way to Overton Hill, the official start of the Ridgeway. The first day will see me hiking 13 miles to Ogbourne St George, a charming village that’s a perfect end to the first leg of the journey.
The following days will be filled with more miles, more sights, and undoubtedly more stories to tell. I’ll be walking through Letcombe Regis, Streatley, Watlington, and Wendover, before finally reaching the end of my journey at Ivinghoe Beacon. Each day will bring its own challenges and rewards, but I’m ready for whatever the trail has in store for me.
Now, some of you might remember my last ‘little’ hiking adventure, where I camped along the way. This time, however, I’ve decided to forgo the tent and sleeping bag. Why, you ask? Well, finding a campsite along the Ridgeway in August is like finding a needle in a haystack. I did toy with the idea of wild camping, but it’s not exactly on the right side of the law. Plus, after my super hot hike along Hadrian’s Wall in June, the thought of lugging a heavy pack filled with camping gear for miles on end in August (which could be in torrential rain or in the heat) seemed like a Herculean task.
So, I’ll be staying in quaint B&Bs and indulging in a bit of glamping along the way. It might not be as adventurous as camping, but it does mean I’ll have a comfy bed to rest my weary body each night and a much lighter backpack! And who knows, I might even get the occasional cooked breakfast to fuel me for the day’s hike!
As you may know, this Ridgeway through-hike is also part of my training for an even bigger adventure next year: a trek in Iceland! I’m raising funds for the amazing work that Prospect Hospice does, and any donation, big or small, is very welcome. You can find more information and make a donation on my JustGiving page: Aurelie’s Iceland Trek 2024.
I’m really excited about this trip, and I can’t wait to share my experiences with you. I’ll be posting updates along the way, so make sure to check back regularly. And if you have any tips or questions, if any of my friends want to join for part of the way, or if there’s anything specific you’d like me to write about, don’t hesitate to drop me a line.
I’m typing this well over a week after this walk. It’s been such a busy time of the year.
I set off on Saturday, 4 February 2023 for a hike based on an All Trail route, which I modified slightly. I parked at the delightful Whitehall garden centre and tea room, in Woodborough, and walk a circular route.
Here’s my map.
Much of the area reminded me of the route we took with Aimee and Richard on my Walk Across Wiltshire in June last year.
It was a little cold be a nice walk and I was just so relieved and happy to have gone out, after about 10 days cooped up at home, isolating because I managed to catch COVID for the first time in three years of avoiding it.
So I took it easy as I was still very tired from it.
Here are a few pictures from the hike.
I used my trusty trail running shoes as my hiking boots were falling apart after around 10 years of using them.
Next outing next month, because this coming weekend, I’ll be volunteering at the Festival of Tomorrow. But I might post about my plans for walking Hadrian’s Wall.
The scenery was so beautiful, almost a winter wonderland at times.
The route was good. We used this All Trails route but we did it backwards which I was glad about as it would have otherwise started along the main road. It was nice to start the walk on the Ridgeway.
The All Trails red route isn’t easy to follow as it’s not on the actual paths so if you decide to do this walk, follow the closest (marked as a dashed line) path to the red line.
It took us 2h40 to walk the 11.5km, a little faster than the average time published on All Trails. That’s also a little longer than the All Trails map but only because we kept walking at one poi t while chatting and drinking coffee from Andrea’s flask. It wasn’t hard to get back on track and in terms of elevation the hardest part was the hill back towards the road in the last 30 minutes. So no massive challenge.
This is probably going to be a fairly short blog post because it’s my first time walking in quite a few months and it’s a short, straight forward loop.
I decided that in 2023 I will do as many miles as I can but I know that I can’t plan too far ahead without a chance of it being cancelled, because my mother has been taken ill in the last few weeks, and I may have to go France at some point during the year.
Having said that I’m now planning some walks twice a month, on weekends, trying to train through the winter so that I can hopefully do a longer walk later on in the late spring or summer.
I’m still not sure whether to do a portion of the South West coastal path (which is a dream but also very hard) or maybe I should leave it for another few years… Another consideration is whether I should walk the Cotswold Way which is more local but very difficult to find accommodation along, and I don’t really think I’m not ready to do wild camping quite yet! Finally I could do Hadrian’s Wall. I’ve looked up a company who can support and provide accommodation or I’ve looked up the logistics of doing it by myself, but it’s about the same cost so it’s something you’ll have to consider.
Today, the walk started with the heavens opening the second I parked. It’s was wet and windy on)off the whole way. On the way I managed to somehow lose my backpack rain cover before Broome Manor. It was a slow pace walk because of the dog stopping to sniff everything and mostly because my fitness levels have gone downhill since my last walk, but I’m not happy with it.
It’s a pity that the rumbling M4 noise was in the background pretty much the whole walk but otherwise the walk was great, despite the wind and rain. Missy got super muddy especially in the fields South of the M4 at Wroughton. They were saturated with water and I wished I’d got wellies at that point. My boots held ok, though and Missy got a bath as soon as we got home.
In summary, I’d do the walk again. It’s a really pleasant walk especially with the dog.
Some pictures of the walk:
I look forward to another walk in a couple of weeks hopefully, weather permitting.
It’s now been four weeks since I embarked on this insane but beautiful 79-miles walk across Wiltshire and Swindon. #WAWS
Life got in the way of blogging about it (I was planning to blog in the week after the hike) but it does deserve a post here. It’s my biggest physical and mental endeavour, yet.
I’m very proud to say we managed to raise over £1,000.00 for Prospect Hospice, in memory of Judith. I’m amazed and grateful for your generosity. Thank you so much to all who supported me.
I’m going to do my best to recall the walk but most of it is told by pictures and thanks to Aimée for pushing me on till the end on day two and three.
Saturday – Day 1: Meysey Hampton to Avebury
Shortly after starting the walk, I went through some woods before reaching the Fairford airfields and the early morning birdsongs were absolutely beautiful and enchanting. I’m sat in my garden now writing this and the bird songs now are lovely and echo the sounds of that morning.
It was so nice, just 2 weeks after I finished the Thames path, to re-walk some of the Thames Path walk, near Cricklade. It was especially such a striking difference, on a summer quiet day compared to when I last had approached Cricklade, late February in the midst of Storm Dudley!
My friend Richard, Judith’s husband, joined me in Cricklade for a good few miles all the way to Purton. It was great to have company. I was chatting so much that I forgot to take many pictures on that stretch.
After Purton, I had to cross another cows’ field and reached Mouldon Hill. There was a very overgrown area to cross but I made it. Then the rain started to be very strong as I stopped for my regular socks change and snack. But I still stopped, under a tree to make sure I had a good break.
At that point I was ahead of schedule. But with the weather and fatigue starting to hit me, I started slowing down.
By the time I reached the Oasis and Steam museum, I’d lost all the time that I had previously gained.
It became more difficult to progress, but walking along the canal as I left Swindon was such a pleasant experience. As I left Wichelstowe before crossing over to Wroughton, I saw a sign telling me the path I expected to be there was shut as they are literally building a road there. So I walked along the road to Wroughton and that was a pretty unpleasant part of the walk, as I kept having to jump on the side/ditch as the car zoomed past. Richard joined me again in Wroughton and we climbed to Barbury Castle together. We also met Mike Pringle on the way who joined us. It was so mice to have company. Also the weather had stayed dried since Wroughton too. Then I joined the Ridgeway, on very familiar territory now as I walked this last bit to Avebury with the Race to the Stones twice before. It’s always such a hard part for me. And this was no exception. The weather turned, the wind picked up and I was miserable. Slow, cold, tired. My hips hurt with the pressure of my bag on my lower back. But I kept going and wobbled all the way to Avebury.
I was so tired and arrived quite late; I didn’t even take time to take photos. The car par was shut and there were a lot of security guards about as they were preparing for the Summer solstice that weekend.
Sunday – Day 2: Avebury to Stonehenge (and a bit further)
On day 2, the amazing Aimee joined meat Avebury and walked all the way till the end with me! Avebury to Stonehenge was a marathon.
We were very lucky with the weather.
Richard joined up, just after Walkers’ Hill / Alton Barnes, along the canal and up to Woodborough.
It was very civilised as we stopped at a tea room and later in a pub garden for refreshments.
After Richard left, we then joined the Avon. We took a detour from my mapped route on Salisbury plains as the route was taking us woods that had no paths.
We saw some tanks crossing and then headed to Larkhill and Stonehenge. We carries a little further past Stonehenge to reach a lovely farm where Aimee’s friends live and Mark, Aimee’s husband picked up up from there.
I stayed the night at Aimee and Mark’s house in Salisbury.
Monday – Day 3: Stonehenge to the border with Hampshire
I have to admit that day 3 was a bit of a blur. In some ways so many memorable moments but also all starting to blend because of the exhaustion. Aimee is mad enough to have joined me on day 3 and I probably have had to do a fourth day of walking if it wasn’t for her being there.
By then, my hips pain from day one was really taking a toll but it was a case of ‘mind over matter’ and I kept putting one foot in front of the other, thinking of all the people who kindly donated for Prospect Hospice, and listen to Aimee’s advice and encouragement.
Two things made a major difference: 1 – we switched on music on my phone and we walked along while dancing to the music. Our pace really increased. 2 – the way past Old Sarum into Salisbury, in the sun followed by an ice cream and lunch at the Cathedral was so enjoyable!
Before I forget to mention it, because I don’t have photos, one awesome memory has been to be able to watch parents and young Peregrines on the spire of the cathedral. Outside of the west front of the cathedral, run by the local Salisbury members group of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) there was an event allowing members of the public to watch the Peregrines through the two telescopes set up to watch the birds.
The rest of the day was tough, in the heat, diverted as the OS map route doesn’t indicate part of the route was private, and simply exhausted.
I was slow and felt like a burden for Aimee but we got there: we managed to get, after three days of walking, to the border with Hampshire; I also saw some wild horses which I’d been looking forward to seeing.
The press coverage has started – eeek! I have my first ever live radio interview tomorrow morning so I’m a little nervous but also very excited to be able to get people to know of the amazing job Prospect Hospice do. https://swindonlink.com/charity/hiking-for-prospect/
I’ve got a cold and I’m tired (I really hope I recover quickly so that I’m in form for the walk!), but I’ve spent some time this evening planning my routes for each a day a little bit better.
There are elements that will vary a little and certainly the third day I’ll follow Aimee’s guidance rather than the map!
It all add up to a little under 78 miles but no doubt I’ll get lost a few times or take detours and do a lot more! I estimated the total length might take me about 40 hours of walking. Let’s see!
Here’s a preview of what I’m planning.
Day 1
Lift from my boyfriend to Maysey Hampton. 29 mi which should be about 06:00 to 20:30. A long day.
