CYW Walks The Ridgeway Part 4: Wallingford to Bury Down

Meet at the Bury Down carpark - from there we will organise ourselves into cars and head to the actual start point, Wallingford.

It would be very much appreciated if you could let Beth know in advance if you're willing to take people to the walk start point in your car. At the end of the walk, we will drop those people back at their cars at Wallingford. 2023 marks 50 years of The Ridgeway footpath!

Have you noticed signs for the Ridgeway when walking in the Chilterns? Ever wondered about where it goes? The Ridgeway National Trail is part of Britain’s oldest road and follows the same route over the high ground used since prehistoric times by travelers, herdsmen and soldiers. The path is in a surprisingly remote part of southern central England with views over open countryside form much of its length of 87 miles (139 km) from Overton Hill near the Avebury Stone Circle World Heritage Site in the North Wessex Downs AONB to Ivinghoe Beacon in the Chilterns AONB.

In 2023 CYW are planning to walk the Ridgeway to celebrate its anniversary. Starting at the eastern end in our familiar patch, we’ll walk the first few sections in day walks and the sections towards the end will either be coordinated with group lifts or optional weekends away. If you're interested in doing the whole of the Ridgeway, we’ll try to schedule the later sections to take into account the availability of those interested.

In this fourth section, we will tackle a long but relatively flat section from Wallingford to Bury Down. We'll set out of Wallingford towards the south, where the Ridgeway follows the Thames for several miles until the charming villages of Goring and Streatley. Here we'll enjoy lunch (please bring a packed lunch) and a pub stop if there's time, before heading out over Thurle Down, where we'll gain a bit of height to enjoy further-reaching views. The rolling hills and downs continue until we reach a car park directly on The Ridgeway at Bury Down.

This is a moderate walk with just under 300m of ascent over the walk. For those who prefer not to do the whole route, there is an opportunity to get the train at Goring and Streatley station back north. Please wear appropriate clothing (no jeans, please), walking boots/shoes, bring warm layers, waterproofs, a packed lunch and plenty of water. We will leave at least one car at Bury Down to drop people back at the walk start, and would appreciate volunteers to do the same to reduce number of ferrying trips. Parking is free at Bury Down and £2 per day for those who volunteer to take walkers to the start at Wallingford.