The Ridgeway: Watlington

Monday 2nd April 2018

To resume my trek along the Ridgeway trail I drove back to the village of Watlington and set off up the road that heads into the Chiltern Hills but came off just as the road starts to steepen so I could join the wide track that is the course of the Ridgeway National Trail that at this point runs along the foot of the Chilterns escarpment. Soon I returned to the spot where I had joined the Ridgeway the day before and now I left the Ridgeway to retrace my steps up into the Chiltern Hills. It was forecast to rain all day and it had already been raining heavily all night which had left the ground even wetter and muddier than it had been the day before. However, when I set off it wasn’t raining and the sun was even peeking through the clouds meaning my waterproofs seemed to be a waste of time, but before I reached the top of Watlington Hill it was raining again and all was normal. Coming off my route of the day before I followed the Oxfordshire Way through the delightfully named settlement of Christmas Common until eventually I decided I would keep to the byway of Hollandridge Lane rather than trying to go along the muddy paths in Fire Wood. This provided me with a much better surface under foot as I walked in the rain, which is all I ever ask, but sadly the good surfaces soon came to an end.

On rejoining the Oxfordshire Way I also rejoined the Chiltern Way that I had left the day before, and when the Oxfordshire Way turned south I stayed on the Chiltern Way, which was generally my trail of choice for linking my sections along the Ridgeway. I was now in the delightful College Wood that at this time of the year was covered in infant bluebells, and even though they were not in flower it was still fabulous seeing these plants covering the woodland floor. Although the bluebells didn’t extend far into the woodland I still had a fantastic walk through the undulating woodland terrain and even the rain stopped so I could enjoy the walk as I made my way over yet another small ridge. When I eventually reached the road on the far side of the wood I turned left along the road and later turning right I entered another bluebell-rich wood that brought me into the lovely little village of Russel’s Water where a pond takes centre stage in the picturesque surroundings. Soon after leaving Russel’s Water I turned left at a junction of paths rather than right, along the Chiltern Way, so I could rejoin the Ridgeway Trail at a more convenient location.

I was now briefly on Shakespeare’s Way, which runs from Stratford-upon-Avon to the Globe Theatre in London, but very soon I came off this path to join the southern arm of the Chiltern Way, which is a circular trail. The paths at this point were abominably muddy which made the walking extremely difficult and tiring, and to worsen the condition of the path it started raining again, and this time really heavily. Overhead my struggles were accompanied by a cacophony of crow calls that seemed to be mocking my progress as I battled through the awful terrain. When I eventually reached a road I was so relieved and exhausted I stopped to have a rest, and my lunch, before resuming the walk coming into woodland that had slightly better footpaths and was also full of bluebells to once again delight my soul. It was disappointing that none of the bluebells on this walk were in flower, though that was inevitable this early in April and after the cold weather we had endured in March.

Eventually I reached the crossroads that I had been aiming for all day where I finally rejoined the Ridgeway turning right to head north along the National Trail, which I must say was in no better condition than the paths I had been on earlier in the day. After passing Swyncombe House I was joined by the northern arm of the Chiltern Way that I had left soon after Russel’s Water, though it wasn’t long before it turned left and I continued along the Ridgeway as the trail descends off the Chilterns escarpment to reach the ancient trackway of the Icknield Way. Now with a firm, dry surface underfoot I was happy and able to easily walk along the trail back to the road above Watlington not far from where I had parked my car. If I thought the muddy paths on my walk the day before had been tough this walk was so much worse following the heavy rain overnight and the continued rain during the day. The conditions of some of the paths on this walk was atrocious, however when I was in woodland bedecked in young bluebells with a firm, rocky path underfoot this walk was really special. All I ask for is a dry path, but on this walk that was a rare occurrence.