The Ridgeway National Trail travels for 87 miles (139km) through the North Wessex Downs and the Chilterns Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in southeast England

FAQs

Roden Downs above East Ilsley © Jos Joslin
  • Which parts of The Ridgeway can I use with a horse-drawn carriage?

    The vast majority of the 43 miles (69km) of the western half of The Ridgeway is either byway or restricted byway and therefore can be used by horse-drawn carriages.  It provides an almost continuous 69 km unmetalled stretch of track with only a couple of short sections of road and a few others to cross. However there are two stretches on the western half in Wiltshire that cannot be used by horse-drawn carriages:

    •  1 mile (1.3km) over Barbury Castle Iron Age fort from grid reference SU145764 to SU157760, and
    • 1.7 miles (2.7km) from south of Liddington Castle to the B4192, from grid reference SU215780 to SU218804.

    In both places alternative routes for vehicles are signed which you should follow.

    The eastern half of The Ridgeway is mostly footpath and bridleway but there is one stretch of almost 5 miles (8km) of restricted byway that you can use.  It’s from south of Britwell Salome in Oxfordshire to the crossing of the A40 south of Aston Rowant, from grid reference SU678921 to SU728977.

  • Are there any sections of The Ridgeway accessible to people with mobility impairments or who use a wheelchair or mobility scooter?

    An advantage of The Ridgeway is that the entire western half, and an 8 miles (13km) stretch east of the River Thames (from Britwell Hill just west of Watlington to Wainhill on the Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire border), follows byways or bridleways that have no stiles, small kissing gates or high steps which, when present, are always obstructions to users of wheelchairs or mobility scooter. In fact there is only one stile, just beyond Chequers roughly 70 miles (112km) from the start at Overton Hill, although before this there are several small kissing gates once east of Streatley. On the western half, from Overton Hill to Streatley on the River Thames, there are only 11 gates and these are all accessible to users of wheelchairs and mobility scooter.

    Much of the surface of these byway, restriced byway and bridleway sections remains natural and can be rough as a result of use by horses and/or vehicles with ruts in some places. In some locations the surface can also become wet and muddy during and after wet weather. However the 3 miles (5km) section from Fox Hill (Grid Reference SU 233814) southeast of Swindon to south of Ashbury (Grid Reference SU 273843), both with parking space, mostly has a hard surface and should therefore be accessible to many people using a wheelchair. It’s worth noting, though, that in places the surface is beginning to wear and potholes have developed.

    The National Trails Team is working to replace obstructive stiles and small kissing gates with fully accessible gates, and in places to improve the surface. Our aim is to be able to provide summary accessibility information for The Ridgeway in the future so that people can make their own decisions as to whether they will be able to visit each stretch. This is an ongoing project which we will be developing over the coming years and consequently accessibility information will be reflected on our website in due course.

    We stock a couple of leaflets developed by the Chilterns AONB in their Countryside Walks from Rail Stations series - Views of the Thames Walks from Goring & Streatley and Views of the Vale Walks from Wendover. These leaflets have summary accessibility information and we can either send them to you (see Contact Us), or you can download them from the Chilterns AONB website. Additionally, the Chilterns AONB have put together a “Countryside Walks in the Chilterns” pack which contains a series of walks that are likely to be suitable for people with impaired mobility and users of wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs. A number of the routes featured are near to The Ridgeway National Trail (the Ashridge Estate in Herts and the Aston Rowant Nature Reserve in Oxon for instance). If you would like a pack then please contact the Chilterns AONB. Their Chinnor Hill and Whiteleaf Hill leaflet, which provides accessibility information, is available to download here.

  • Where can I drive a vehicle or ride my motorbike on The Ridgeway

    Details of where and when you can ride a motorbike or drive a 4 by 4 or car on The Ridgeway are found on our information for users of recreational vehicles page.

  • How do I report an illegal vehicle?

    All vehicles using The Ridgeway must be fully road legal, the same as for driving on any highway (ie roadworthy, taxed and insured, with the driver/rider being of legal age and with a driver’s licence) and drive/ride with due care and consideration of walkers, horse riders and cyclists. If you see a vehicle on The Ridgeway that you think is not legal (eg the driver looks underage, the vehicle has no licence plates displayed, the vehicle is being driven in a dangerous manner, etc) or if you see a vehicle illegally using The Ridgeway on a section of the Trail closed to recreational vehicles (footpath, bridleway, restricted byway) or during the seasonal Traffic Regulation Orders, then the driver/rider is in breach of the law and should be reported to the Police and/or the National Trails Team.

    Wiltshire Police

    Thames Valley Police

    For more information on motor vehicle use on public rights of way click here.

  • Who owns The Ridgeway?
    Most of the land that The Ridgeway crosses is privately owned by many different individuals. The Trail itself is a ‘public right of way’ - this means that you have a legal right to walk or ride (on bridleways or byways) across the land as long as you keep on the Trail. The National Trails Office does not own any of the land The Ridgeway passes over, but co-ordinates the management of the route. For further information on public rights of way, please visit The Countryside Agency’s website.
  • Who looks after it?

    A National Trails Management Group, composed of representatives of the highway authorities through whose area the Trail passes (6 of them) and the Countryside Agency, manages The Ridgeway. The Management Group publishes a Ridgeway Management Strategy to direct the management of the Trail for five years at a time, currently 2005 - 2010 which is available as a download on our Managment Information page.

    Most of the day-to-day work is undertaken by a small team of National Trails staff, helped by Volunteers managed by the team, based with Oxfordshire County Council's Countryside Service – doing much of the physical maintenance and improvements, and providing a range of information for users.

    The Ridgeway travels through the following highway authorities areas:

    Wiltshire County Council

    Swindon Borough Council

    Oxfordshire County Council

    West Berkshire Council

    Buckinghamshire County Council

    Hertfordshire County Council

  • What is the National Trails Volunteer Scheme?

    Volunteers perform a vital role in helping to maintain both The Ridgeway and Thames Path National Trails. They carry out an ongoing programme of maintenance and improvements which include tasks such as vegetation clearance, installing and repairing signs, gates and information boards, fencing, building steps, riverbank repairs and conservation of wild flower habitats. Tasks are carried out on most weekdays, led by a Volunteer Coordinator from the National Trails team. There are also two weekend tasks per month. All tools and training are provided and the tasks are a good way to meet like-minded people. Our quarterly newsletter has a list of all forthcoming tasks on both Trails and is sent to all volunteers who register onto the scheme.

    Alternatively, some volunteers prefer to take on small tasks which are carried out independently such as cleaning signs and clearing encroaching vegetation from the signs in the summer. Volunteers can also become 'monitors' by adopting a 2-3 mile section of a Trail, walking it once a month and reporting back any problems.

    The National Trails Office also produces a bi-annual Events Programme offering a variety of walks and rides led by volunteers. The events that feature in it often reflect the individual volunteers' skills and interests and may range from botany to archaeology or map reading. If you have a special interest that you would like to share with others then you could become involved as a Volunteer Events Leader.

  • How do I register onto the National Trails Volunteer scheme?

    Volunteer Coordinators can be contacted by email at NTvolunteers @oxfordshire.gov.uk or telephone the National Trails Office on 01865 810211

    Further details of the scheme will be sent to you together with a registration form. Once this is completed and returned you will be added to the volunteer database and a full Volunteer Introductory Pack will be sent. You will receive forthcoming newsletters and task diaries and you will also be covered by Oxfordshire County Council insurance. For further information, see our volunteering pages.

  • Who pays for looking after The Ridgeway?

    Generally up to 75% of the money needed to keep The Ridgeway in good condition comes from the Countryside Agency and the other 25+% from the highway authorities. Opportunities are also taken to find funding for specific projects from a range of partners and grant aid bodies.

     

  • Can I make a donation or a bequest?

    Yes you can! The National Trails team endeavours to maintain and improve The Ridgeway and we would be very grateful for any support you can give. If you’d like to, please send a cheque (any amount would be welcome and help us in our work), made payable to “National Trails Trading” and send it to us at our address.

    If you are interested in getting involved in voluntary work to care for The Ridgeway, then please see the following page and find out about how to get involved.