THE RIDGE WAY

SOUTHERN ENGLAND

The Ridgeway is a splendid 87-mile track from the standing stones of Avebury, Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. In ancient times this track was a trading route that crossed England diagonally from the English Channel to the North Sea. Today it has the advantage for walkers of keeping mostly to high ground. This means that unlike many National Walks, you are up on the crests of hills much of the time, looking down on the patchwork wonder of England's farmland. At one point you even pass Chequers, the country home of the British prime minister, where you can wave at the security cameras as they follow your progress. Other parts of the route take in the White Horse at Uffington, carved into the hillside during the Bronze Age, and a crossing of the Thames at Streatley.

Where to stay

The Greyhound Inn, Letcombe Regis

The Greyhound at Letcombe Regis is a pleasant, welcoming brick-built Victorian pub very close to the Ridgeway. Walkers turn off at Segsbury Camp, one of a number of Iron Age earthwork forts that stand alongside the Ridgeway, and drop quickly down into the village. The Greyhound has eight comfortable bedrooms for travellers and serves excellent food.