The Ridgeway 40
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The Ridgeway 40
The Ridgeway 40 is a one-day linear challenge walk of 40 miles between Avebury in Wiltshire and Streatley in Berkshire, scheduled for 8 May 2027. The route follows the ancient Ridgeway path across high chalk downland through Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
The route passes a range of archaeological sites and landscape features, including Bronze Age burial mounds, Iron Age hill forts such as Barbury Castle and Liddington, the Neolithic tomb Wayland Smithy, and Uffington Castle with the nearby White Horse hill figure. The age of the Ridgeway is debated, with some estimates suggesting origins up to 300,000 years ago and other interpretations proposing continuous use for at least 6,000 years; the White Horse may be as much as 3,000 years old.
Historically the walk began in 1962, organised by the Reading and District local group of the Youth Hostels Association as a linear route between Marlborough and Streatley hostels; the Marlborough hostel closed in 1966 while the event has retained its connection with Streatley. Most participants travel by coach to the start at Avebury and finish in Streatley.
Organisers provide checkpoints to monitor progress, sustenance at checkpoints (water, squash and food), first aid kits, a downloadable route map, completion certificates for entrants who finish within the specified time, and commemorative badges for sale. Registration and secure payment are handled through the SiEntries platform via the event entry form page. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
