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The Ridgeway

The Ridgeway Pilgrimage (Sacred Way) *UPDATE*

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thesweetcheat T
thesweetcheat Jan 26, 2012 21:09:01
Replying to VBB

VBB wrote:
Andrew Joseph wrote:
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

Sadly 'walking' doesn't always just mean that when in connection with the Ridgeway - it also means parking.
Although the Swindon - Devizes bus can be used to access the Ridgeway (e.g. at Barbury) without a car.

T tjj
tjj Jan 26, 2012 21:49:24
Replying to thesweetcheat

thesweetcheat wrote:
VBB wrote:
Sadly 'walking' doesn't always just mean that when in connection with the Ridgeway - it also means parking.
Although the Swindon - Devizes bus can be used to access the Ridgeway (e.g. at Barbury) without a car.
Although I only really know the Uffington to Avebury section of the Ridgeway, I would say it is challenging getting up onto the Ridgeway by bus as it always involves an uphill walk. There is a bus from Swindon to Hungerford which goes through Ashbury where there is an uphill path which will take you near to Waylands Smithy and Uffington Hillfort. Barbury Castle is difficult ... there is a rare bus which serves a housing development built on the site of what was the RAF Princess Alexandra Hospital then an uphill walk or otherwise a much longer walk up from Wroughton, the Swindon to Devizes bus (49) does go through Wroughton.

Edited: Correction .. the bus that goes through Ashbury is the Newbury bus (not Hungerford)
http://www.swindonbus.info/tts/047.htm