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Day-by-day trail itinerary

The Ridgeway: 7-day itinerary

The Ridgeway is a 139 km National Trail across the chalk of southern England, from Ivinghoe Beacon in the Chilterns to The Sanctuary at Overton Hill near Avebury, along a line of track that has been in use for thousands of years. Its two halves walk quite differently: wooded Chiltern escarpment with villages close by east of the Thames at Goring, and open downland ridge with very little on it to the west. Around a quarter of the route is byway open to all traffic, which is why the western half is rutted and why motor vehicles are lawfully on parts of it outside the winter restriction.

139 km1,759 m ascent7 walking daysEngland
Modelled from eudem25m, sampled every 100 m, 5 m deadband. Sampling cannot see undulation shorter than its own step, so this is a floor rather than a guidebook total.

A practical starting point

7 days from The Sanctuary to Ivinghoe Beacon

Use these daily distances and overnight stops as a starting point, then customise the trip in the planner.

  1. 1
    Day 1: The Sanctuary → Hinton Parva

    27.6 km · 369 m ascent · 7h16–10h15 (about 8h32, incl. ~1h25 of stops)

    Via Ogbourne St George, Ogbourne St Andrew, Chiseldon, Liddington
  2. 2
    Day 2: Hinton Parva → Letcombe Regis

    17.2 km · 159 m ascent · 4h25–6h13 (about 5h11, incl. ~52m of stops)

    Via Bishopstone, Ashbury, Woolstone, Kingston Lisle, Sparsholt, Letcombe Bassett
  3. 3
    Day 3: Letcombe Regis → Streatley

    23.2 km · 121 m ascent · 5h49–8h13 (about 6h50, incl. ~1h08 of stops)

    Via Farnborough, Chilton, West Ilsley, East Ilsley, Compton, Aldworth
  4. 4
    Day 4: Streatley → Watlington

    24.8 km · 352 m ascent · 6h34–9h16 (about 7h43, incl. ~1h17 of stops)

    Via Lower Basildon, Goring-on-Thames, South Stoke, Moulsford, Cholsey, North Stoke, Wallingford, Crowmarsh Gifford, Ipsden, Nuffield, Park Corner, Cookley Green
  5. 5
    Day 5: Watlington → Bledlow

    10.8 km · 79 m ascent · 2h41–3h48 (about 3h10, incl. ~32m of stops)

    Via Lewknor, Aston Rowant, Kingston Blount, Chinnor
  6. 6
    Day 6: Bledlow → Wendover

    16.9 km · 361 m ascent · 4h47–6h45 (about 5h38, incl. ~56m of stops)

    Via Bledlow Ridge, Lacey Green, Horsenden, Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, Whiteleaf, Cadsden, Askett, Great Kimble, Little Kimble, Little Hampden, Ellesborough
  7. 7
    Day 7: Wendover → Ivinghoe Beacon

    18.4 km · 318 m ascent · 4h59–7h02 (about 5h51, incl. ~59m of stops)

    Via The Lee, St Leonards, Buckland Common, Cholesbury, Tring, Wigginton, Cow Roast, Tring Station, Aldbury, Pitstone, Ivinghoe

Solve the practical questions

Plan The Ridgeway with confidence

Route-specific answers from Trailstrider's researched trail data, with the planner ready when you want to turn them into your own trip.