Follow Britain’s oldest road on the Ridgeway National Trail, a 139km (86 mile) journey from Avebury in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. This ancient trackway winds along chalk ridges and open downs, passing Neolithic burial mounds, Iron Age hill forts and sweeping viewpoints across the North Wessex Downs and the Chilterns.

With gentle gradients and well-waymarked paths that rarely rise above 300m, the Ridgeway National Trail offers relatively easy, low-level walking suitable for all abilities. The route is presented in 12 manageable stages of 8–16km (plus a separate pull-out map booklet) and is described in both directions, allowing flexibility for shorter itineraries or a relaxed week-long traverse across southern England.

• Step-by-step stage-by-stage route descriptions for the Ridgeway National Trail between Avebury and Ivinghoe Beacon, presented in both directions and including detours to nearby prehistoric and historic sites such as Uffington White Horse and Wayland’s Smithy.
• Each stage features 1:50,000 OS mapping alongside detailed navigation notes, distance, terrain summary and estimated walking times, plus a separate pull-out 1:25,000 OS mapping booklet covering the entire Ridgeway National Trail.
• Comprehensive accommodation and refreshment listings for inns, B&Bs, pubs and village cafés, with public transport information for each stage to help plan flexible start and finish points.
• Historical and archaeological background on the Ridgeway National Trail, exploring its prehistoric origins, hill forts, ancient monuments and centuries of use as a trading and droving route.
• GPX files for the Ridgeway National Trail available for download, enabling straightforward navigation using GPS devices or smartphone mapping apps.
• A handy route summary table and facilities planner offering quick reference for daily distances, services and logistical details along the Ridgeway National Trail.

Plan your Ridgeway National Trail adventure with confidence and explore ancient landscapes, chalk hill panoramas and thousands of years of history with this comprehensive guidebook.

The Ridgeway National Trail - Quick Facts

Route: Ridgeway National Trail from Avebury in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire.
Distance: 139km (86 miles).
Duration: Typically 6–9 days, with options to extend or shorten stages.
Stages: 12 stages of 8–16km (5–10 miles), described in both directions.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, low-level walking on well-waymarked tracks and paths.
Highest Point: Never exceeds 300m, following the crest of chalk downs.
Landscapes: North Wessex Downs and the Chilterns, with open ridges, woodlands and panoramic viewpoints.
Heritage: Prehistoric monuments, Neolithic burial mounds and Iron Age hill forts along the route.
Mapping: 1:50,000 OS maps in the guidebook plus a separate 1:25,000 OS mapping booklet.
Navigation: GPX files available to download for digital navigation.

The Ridgeway (West to East)

Stage 1 Overton Hill (Avebury) to Ogbourne St George

Stage 2 Ogbourne St George to Ashbury Folly

Stage 3 Ashbury Folly to the A338 (Wantage/Court Hill Centre)

Stage 4 A338 (Wantage/Court Hill Centre) to Bury Down

Stage 5 Bury Down to Streatley

Stage 6 Streatley to Mongewell Park

Stage 7 Mongewell Park to Watlington

Stage 8 Watlington to Chinnor

Stage 9 Chinnor to Princes Risborough

Stage 10 Princes Risborough to Wendover

Stage 11 Wendover to Wigginton

Stage 12 Wigginton to Ivinghoe Beacon

The Ridgeway (East to West)

Stage 1 Ivinghoe Beacon to Wigginton

Stage 2 Wigginton to Wendover

Stage 3 Wendover to Princes Risborough

Stage 4 Princes Risborough to Chinnor

Stage 5 Chinnor to Watlington

Stage 6 Watlington to Mongewell Park

Stage 7 Mongewell Park to Streatley

Stage 8 Streatley to Bury Down

Stage 9 Bury Down to the A338 (Wantage/Court Hill Centre)

Stage 10 A338 (Wantage/Court Hill Centre) to Ashbury Folly

Stage 11 Ashbury Folly to Ogbourne St George

Stage 12 Ogbourne St George to Overton Hill (Avebury)