Trailblazer Guide Books

Guides that will send you packing.
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INTRODUCTION

PART 1: PLANNING YOUR WALK

About the Ridgeway
History 9 – How difficult is the Ridgeway? 10 – How long do you need? 11

Practical information for the walker
Accommodation 12 – Food and drink 14 – Money 17 – Other services 19 – Walking companies and luggage transfer 19 – Disabled access 19 – Mountain biking 20 – Motor vehicles 20 – Horse riders 21 – Taking dogs along the Ridgeway 21

Budgeting 21

When to go
Seasons 22 – Temperature 23 – Rainfall 23 – Daylight hours 23 – Festivals and events 24

Itineraries
Which direction? 25 – Suggested itineraries 25 – The best day and weekend walks 27 – Village and town facilities table 28 – Side trips 30

What to take
Keep it light 31 – How to carry it 31 – Footwear 32 – Clothes 33 – Toiletries 34 – First-aid kit 34 – General items 34 – Sleeping bag 34 – Camping gear 35 – Money 35 – Insurance 35 – Maps 35 – Sources of further information 36 – Recommended reading 36

Getting to and from the Ridgeway
Getting to Britain 38 – National transport 38 – Local transport 41 – Public transport table 42 – Public transport map 44

PART 2: MINIMUM IMPACT AND OUTDOOR SAFETY

Minimum impact walking
Economic impact 46 – Environmental impact 47 – Access 49

Outdoor safety
Avoidance of hazards 52 – Weather forecasts 53 – Health 53

PART 3: THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE

Conservation of the Ridgeway
Natural England 56 – Campaigning and conservation organisations 58 – Beyond conservation 59

Flora and fauna
Mammals 60 – Birds 62 – Butterflies 64 – Flowers 65 – Trees 66

PART 4: ROUTE GUIDE AND MAPS

Using this guide
Trail maps 68

Marlborough
Services 69 – Where to stay 70 – Where to eat and drink 70

Avebury and around
Avebury 73 – Avebury stone circle 76 – West Overton 79 – West Kennet & East Kennet 80 – A walk around Avebury 81 – Avebury to Marlborough walk 85

The route guide
Alternative starts to the Ridgeway 89

Overton Hill to Fox Hill 91 (Ogbourne St George 98 – Liddington 104)

Fox Hill to Court Hill 105 (Bishopstone 105 – Ashbury 106 – Woolstone 110 – Down Barn Farm 114 – Sparsholt 114 – Letcombe Regis 118)

Court Hill to Goring 119 (East Ilsley 124 – Compton 126 – Aldworth 128 – Streatley 130 – Goring 130)

Goring to Watlington 133 (South Stoke 134 – North Stoke 138 – Wallingford 138 – Crowmarsh Gifford 142 – Nuffield 146 – Watlington 150)

Watlington to Princes Risborough 151 (Lewknor 152 – Kingston Blount 152 – Chinnor 156 – Princes Risborough 161)

Princes Risborough to Wigginton 163 (Wendover 168 – Wigginton 174 – Tring 174)

Wigginton to Ivinghoe Beacon 178 (Aldbury 178 – Ivinghoe 182)

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Map keys 183
Appendix B: The Greater Ridgeway 184
Appendix C: GPS waypoints 185

INDEX 188