The Ridgeway: The Goring Gap

Tuesday 3rd April 2018

Last Easter I spent a week walking along the Ridgeway trail and by the end of this day I had reached the Goring Gap, which is the point where the River Thames punches through the chalk hills of the Chilterns and the North Wessex Downs forming a boundary between the two ranges. Ever since I started walking on the Ridgeway path, in 2017, I had been walking through the Chiltern Hills, but after this walk I would move into the North Wessex Downs. During this week I was staying in the Streatley Youth Hostel, which is situated just across the river from Goring, so for this walk I actually started from the hostel and walked down to the river turning left onto the Ridgeway. However, it wasn’t long before I realised I’d left my walking poles behind so I turned around and returned back into Goring and along the road up the hill back to the hostel.

Returning to the Ridgeway I headed north along good paths with the river not too far away on my left. After all the horrible, muddy footpaths that I had walked on during the previous two days it was good to have firm, dry paths underfoot even if at times it was tarmac. By the time I reached South Stoke it was raining, which had always looked likely to happen, however this proved to be short-lived and before too long the sun had come out. After South Stoke the Ridgeway follows the bank of the River Thames and it was rather muddy, but I had become used to that on the Ridgeway during the last couple of days. Underneath the railway viaduct the river had flooded the path which forced me to wade through the cold water, while further on, at a gate, the river was even deeper on the path.

Just before I left the river side, when I thought my problems were ending, there was one final section of path that was at least knee deep underwater, so by the time I reached North Stoke my feet were completely wet. With the river now thankfully left behind I walked along a good path into Mongewell where I turned right through a lovely, little wood, and upon crossing a main road I came across a narrow, man-made ridge, called Grim’s Dyke, which was a delight to walk upon. The surface was good, the sun was shining and there were plenty of wild plants to be seen so that with every step I was thoroughly enjoying myself. Eventually the ridge widened and a ditch appeared in the middle lined with all manner of wild flowers. Infant bluebells could be seen, but also in flower there were celandines and wood anemones that added a wondrous sparkle to the surroundings.

I was overjoyed to see these wild flowers and I was entranced with everything I saw. Spring is by far the best season to be walking through woodland and I was seeing a fabulous display that would only get better as the season progressed. I was just disappointed that the display was not these woods at their best. This walk was quickly becoming a highlight of the holiday especially after the mud and rain that I had endured during the previous two days. Eventually I came off Grim’s Ditch and after briefly crossing a squelchy field I entered the tiny village of Nuffield and while crossing a golf course dark clouds started to appear overhead and it wasn’t long before it was raining, which detracted from the bluebell-filled wood that I then passed through. Soon I reached a narrow woodland strip that carries the footpath I had been on the day before and where I had joined the Ridgeway, so now I left the trail and turned left onto the Chiltern Way.

Pre-flowering bluebells greeted me once again as I made my way along this path, which lifted my spirits even though they were not yet in flower. It is amazing how I could consider the sight of bluebells so uplifting even though I was not seeing any flowers. The path soon deteriorated into a farmer's track, but after turning south I passed through the delightful Oakley Wood, which was also full of young bluebells, until eventually I reached a quiet road and headed south along this for several miles. At one point I crossed the route of the Ridgeway that I had been on earlier in the day and when I reached a T-junction I continued straight ahead following the route of the ancient Icknield Way. The recreational path I was now following was the Swan’s Way and when this turns right I followed it over the hill of Watch Folly onto a road. Turning south alongside this road I reached South Stoke where I rejoined the Ridgeway and followed my earlier route back into Goring.

There were some fabulous moments on this walk when I saw banks of wild flowers basking in the spring sunshine. Throughout most of the walk I had good, firm footpaths, which, even more than the wild flowers and sunshine, helped to make this walk an enjoyable outing. Sadly I was now done with the Chiltern Hills as the Ridgeway passes into the North Wessex Downs. Despite the minimal display of wild flowers on this visit due to the late winter, and despite the very muddy paths I had enjoyed walking through the Chiltern Hills, and I knew I would be back.

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.