Walking the Ridgeway to Stonehenge
Photo credit: Marc Carlton
There are primal things which move us … Of these primal things the least obvious but the most important is The Road.
– Hilaire Belloc: The Old Road
This website details a journey along the Ridgeway national trail and beyond, from Ivinghoe Beacon in Hertfordshire to Stonehenge in Wiltshire. It’s one of the ancient routes that drove cultural development in Britain. I investigate its history as well as exploring the primal significance of ‘The Road’. I share my personal experiences along the way while covering a distance of about 130 miles/200 km, with practical guidance for anyone wanting to make the same journey.
Rediscovering an ancient camino?
Was this an ancient pilgimage route – a 5000 year old neolithic and bronze age camino? It is one of a number of old stone roads on the high chalk ridges that converge on Salisbury Plain, including the North and South Downs, the Dorset Downs and the Cotswolds. New and compelling evidence has recently emerged about the importance of Stonehenge throughout Britain, and the midwinter events that took place there, as far back as the Neolithic period.
Contents
The primal importance of pathways to human culture and the particular significance of the Ridgeway’s link to Stonehenge
How it developed as different cultures entered and spread across Britain
Its development as a national trail and relationship with other long distance footpaths
Details of my journey: everything you need to know to follow the route from east to west, what to see along the way and practical tips
