Hi there and thanks for a wonderful forum ful of interesting links and discussions.... and thanks to Julian for the Modern Antiquarian :-) (and fried :-)

I am a (mature) student at Berkshire College of Agriculture studying for my Diploma in Countryside Management.

I am carrying out an independent study looking at the feasibility of increasing the numbers of people making a long distance journey by foot along the Ridgeway (a pilgriimage). The aim of the research is to produce a set of recommendations that would sustainably increase the numbers of people walking the Ridgeway (particularly those from overseas).

My interest in the subject stems from my own love of walking the Ridgeway and all I have learned from that experience and my experiences walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostella in Northern Spain.

I am am well into my research schedual now and have met many wonderfull and enthusiastic people which has led to the project widening into my writing a "mindfull" guidebook to walking The Ridgeway from The Goring Gap to Avebury (taking in the new Great Stones Way walk as it is opened.

I want to attract as wide a range as possible of interested people to this project and would welcome any thought opinions on the tradition of walking pilgrimage (I use the word without any particularly Christian connotations) or on the spiritual aspects of The Ridgeway or any of the associated sites along its route. I can provide access to my research proposal online but would also welcome discussion on here or by email ([email protected])or phone

Thank you in advance for your help.

Kind regards

Andrew Joseph