Wessex Ridgeway

Devon, Dorset, Wiltshire

One of the links in a prehistoric route often called the Greater Ridgeway, from The Wash to the South Devon Coast, this route basically extends the Ridgeway National Trail to the south-west. Passed on the way, through Wiltshire, are the stone circles at Avebury (a World Heritage Site jointly with Stonehenge - see website), the Vale of Pewsey, the northern edge of Salisbury Plain, the Wylye Valley and Win Green Hill. In Dorset Cranbourne Chase, Cerne Abbas with the 180ft high Cerne Giant and Pilsden Pen are visited before a short route through Devon leads to the finish in Dorset.

At Marlborough, the route links to the start of waymarked Wansdyke Path.

The route descriptions supplied by Tim Lewis, see below, refer only to the Wessex Ridgeway in Wiltshire.

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Details:

Path Type:	Paths Marked on OS mapping
Waymark:	Wessex wyvern on named green discs (Dorset only)
Attributes:	Challenging Horse Ride (Multi User) Downland/Wolds Heritage
Start:	SU187685 - Marlborough, Wiltshire
Finish:	SY343921 - Lyme Regis, Dorset
Web Sites:	Dorset Council - Wessex Ridgeway Avebury and the Ridgeway North Wessex Downs AONB Visit Dorset - Wessex Ridgeway British Walks - Wessex Ridgeway [blog] Wessex Ridgeway [YouTube video] Jackie McAll - Wessex Ridgeway [blog]

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Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook	The Wessex Ridgeway : Recreational Path Guide  (Aurum Press (an imprint of Quarto)  - 1999 )
Route Description - PDF	Wessex Ridgeway in Wiltshire: North to South  (Tim Lewis  - Dec 2020 )
Route Description - PDF	Wessex Ridgeway in Wiltshire South to North  (Tim Lewis  - Dec 2020 )

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