Ridgeway REview

Yesterday, I 'finished' the Ridgeway. This involved a pretty leisurely stroll up Ivinghoe Beacon Hill, and then back down again onto the Grand Union Canal, which took about 6 hours. Nick and Anita were nearby at a place called Incombe Hall, a glacial fracture in the chalk which is very handy for protecting butterflies from the wind. I went "down the 'ole" with them for a bit before I did my main walk. It is the deepest 'coombe', or dry chalk valley, I have seen so far. 

The end of the Ridgeway (and the start of the proper Icknield Way going further east) was really nothing special - another mid-sized chalk hill with good views over Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, much of which I had already seen from similar hills on similar days. All of which brings me to my overall review. 

Ridgeway - 7.5 out of 10.

Grade - Quite Hard, if you do it all at once, which I didn't. 
Western Side: Isolated walking on continuous chalk downs that stretch from Marlborough to Goring (The Wessex Downs). Great archaeology, great views, not so great for forests or meadows. Runs out in a few places to be replaced by roads, which is no fun. 
Eastern Side: From Goring onwards the path is along the Thames and then up individual hills of the Chilterns. Less obvious archaeology because its cropland instead of pasture so it's been under the plow a lot. Having said that, the mysterious Grim's Ditch runs next to it in numerous places. Great views, great forest and meadows, and it's much easier to get into nearby towns if you feel like a quick break. 
Best Bits: 1: The section between Ashbury and East Ilsley. 2: Goring and Streatley to Walingford. 3: Chinnor to Wendover.
Would I Do It Again?: No. But that's only because there are about 8 other paths I'd like to try first. 
What Would I Do Differently?: Probably base in one town (Goring) and get busses or taxis to start points rather than do the whole thing with a backpack on. I think I was the only person I saw in 11 days who was actually doing that. It was good fitness-wise, but annoying when the path got dull, which it does from time to time. 
Overall Impression: Some excellent individual walking routes that probably were followed by Bronze and Iron Age peoples, stitched together in the 1970s to make a continuous 83 mile trek, including quite a few roads which were probably quite remote in the 70s, and now aren't. 
Did I Actually Do It All?: No. There's a big section between Walllingford and Chinnor I may do some other time. But I got the general idea, and did a LOT of extra walking on top of the 83 miles within the general area that the official path is in, so I'm pretty happy overall. I reckon I have done maybe 120 miles in the last 11 days. 

Anita, Nick and I watched England women's team win the European Cup last night, and I said farewell this morning, when Anita dropped me off in the planed town of Milton Keynes. (It is extraordinarily like being in central Canberra.) I'm in Chester now (Cheshire), and it's a whole different experience up here. I'll write more tomorrow if I am not too tired from walking into Wales and back.