Wild boar near The Ridgeway

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by eeyore

You have a good point about benches but we are working on this - there is now one at liddington installed in 06 (in the grove of beech trees between liddington hill and snap),

I think that's the grove I spent a night in. You can see the lights of Swindon from it. I had a disturbed night as I had half-waking dreams of someone hanging in the trees!

one at chinnor (between chinnor hill and wainhill installed last year) and we are about to install one at monkton down. - The problem is that at several hundred quid a throw we are more or less dependent on people donating them as memorials , and when that happens we cant always dictate where they get put.

That said my workshop volunteers are working on being able to make them from oak ourselves which will enable us to be more proactive about getting them out there

They don't have to be special benches - just a 1/2 metre dia. log would be enough. When it's rotted, just put another one in place.

Jim

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

They don't have to be special benches - just a 1/2 metre dia. log would be enough. When it's rotted, just put another one in place.

Jim

we've thought about that but two problems that present are that

a) most landowners dont like the impromptu approach and would prefer propper benches - as do some walkers.

b) some people nick them for firewood , and or roll them into the middle of the trail to use as horse/bike jumps

hence our decision to stick to propper benches - that said when we get wind blown trees in the right place i'm not above a bit of chainsaw carving of the standing trunk to create a seat - theres one like that on the snap circular walk (off the trail near upham in wilts) which we did a few years ago.

[richnfamous]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

I was up there in a wet autumn about 5 years ago. IIRC the rutting was bad near Liddington Hill, between Wantage and Goring and at Chinnor.

I remember the section between Avebury and Hackpen Hill being deeply rutted a few years ago, but it's been fixed. There are still some deep ruts in a section about 3 miles west of Liddington. I walked from Fyfield Down to the A338 south of Wantage so I don't know about the other bits - yet.

As for water: I eventually knocked on the door of the house next to what was the Sheperd's Rest (by Fox Hill) and the nice people filled my bottles. There's a standpipe a few miles along from there, not far before Wayland's Smithy, but I didn't know that then

They also mentioned that they'd had a sign out offering tea and coffee but didn't get much business so perhaps you could drop by and see them? It would be good to have, especially since the cafe by Barbury Castle is no longer there.

Oh yeah: if you could remove Swindon while you're at it, that would be great, as it does rather spoil the view. Hope that's not too much to ask - I'm sure most of the inhabitants would leave if they had the chance!

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by richnfamous

As for water: I eventually knocked on the door of the house next to what was the Sheperd's Rest (by Fox Hill) and the nice people filled my bottles. There's a standpipe a few miles along from there, not far before Wayland's Smithy, but I didn't know that then

When I did The Ridgeway it was in late Autumn, so water wasn't so much of a problem. I think I can recall 2 stand pipes. It would be unthinkable to do it in the summer months!

At one stage I was very short of water and had just enough in the morning for coffee and to dilute the dried milk on my cereal. For some reason I'd chosen to take grape nuts for this trip - probably because they're compact and dense, thus taking up less room in my pack. As usual, I put the cereal in my plate, put a couple of spoons of dried milk on the cereal, and stirred it in - only to find that I'd put dried potato on instead of milk. I didn't have enough water left to do it again, so I had to eat it as it was!
It wasn't the best breakfast I'd eaten.

Jim

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by richnfamous

I remember the section between Avebury and Hackpen Hill being deeply rutted a few years ago, but it's been fixed. There are still some deep ruts in a section about 3 miles west of Liddington. I walked from Fyfield Down to the A338 south of Wantage so I don't know about the other bits - yet.

As for water: I eventually knocked on the door of the house next to what was the Sheperd's Rest (by Fox Hill) and the nice people filled my bottles. There's a standpipe a few miles along from there, not far before Wayland's Smithy, but I didn't know that then

They also mentioned that they'd had a sign out offering tea and coffee but didn't get much business so perhaps you could drop by and see them? It would be good to have, especially since the cafe by Barbury Castle is no longer there.

Oh yeah: if you could remove Swindon while you're at it, that would be great, as it does rather spoil the view. Hope that's not too much to ask - I'm sure most of the inhabitants would leave if they had the chance!

the ruts at upham / snap are being filled in and resurfaced at this very moment (well may be not this precise moment as i doubt the contactors are working at 9pm but you get my drift)

re the tea and coffee place i'll mention it to our marketiung people for inclusion in the next trails companion.

and water points there are 7 stand pipes

to whit (west to east):

Barbury castle next to the toilet block
Southend (on the wall of a cottage at the road crossing)
Idstone barn farm (east of foxhill)
Hill Barn ( west of sparsholt firs)
Compton Barn
Grims dyke cottage (on grimsditch)
and Nuffield Church.

plus there are pubs in goring / streatley , south stoke , nuffield, lower cadsden, wendover, and wiggington - most of whom are happy to provide water.

Full details can be found on our website www.nationaltrails.co.uk/ridgeway

not much i can do about swindon i'm afraid , or didcot power station for that matter

[richnfamous]

The standpipe at Barbury Castle toilets didn't work a few weeks back. Maybe it's been fixed now.

Oh yeah, the address is

Home - The Ridgeway - National Trails - that's without the 's'.

Thanks for the info, eeyore. Hope your boggy spot is nice today

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by richnfamous

Home - The Ridgeway - National Trails - that's without the 's'.

quite so - and somewhat embarassing that i didnt remember that - Ive "only" worked for them for 4 years and been in charge for the last 11 months