The oldest road in the UK has a 5,000 year history and is still popular with travellers today. The Ridgeway is widely recognised as being the oldest in the nation, and is even ranked among the oldest in the world.
It spans 87 miles from Avebury in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. The ancient, elevated road has been used throughout history, including by prehistoric, Roman, Saxon and medieval travellers. Much of the Ridgeway is now off-road but is a public trail that has remained popular.
Along the way, travellers can stop off at Neolithic long barrows, Bronze Age round barrows, Iron Age forts and see white chalk figures cut into the hills.
Today, people can travel the route on foot, by bike or by horse. If you want to cover the whole distance, it can be completed in less than a week.
The Ridgeway is one of the shorter National Trails in the UK, so it is often an introduction to long walking for many people. If you walk 15 miles a day, it will take six days to complete.
There are also plenty of campsites along the way, as well as B&Bs and lodges. The road's starting point is in Avebury and runs in a north-easterly direction.
National Trail explained: "West of the River Thames, The Ridgeway is a broad track passing through the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and is often quite a distance from villages or towns."
They added: "East of the Thames, The Ridgeway travels through the more-wooded and intimate hills and valleys of the Chilterns AONB where, as well as further archaeological treasures, there are several nature reserves rich in the wildlife found in chalk grassland habitats.
"In the Chilterns, The Ridgeway goes close to or through several villages and small towns where refreshments and other facilities are easily available."
Travellers can enjoy the Ridgeway all year round, with spring through to autumn providing the best views, conditions and wildlife. For those walking the route in May, they are often met with a stunning bluebell display through the Chiltern woodlands.
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