Ivinghoe Beacon to Stonehenge
Photo credit above and header: Marc Carlton
During the summer of 2025 I walked the modern Ridgeway and beyond to Stonehenge, in 12 days spread over two months (see sequence below). As I went I wrote up guidance notes for anyone who wants to undertake a similar journey. These are linked below and on the drop down menu at the top.
They contain sketch maps showing the basic route which should be read with the relevant Ordnance Survey (OS) maps. I’ve also given links to the route plotted on the OS’s own online version of their maps, which can be viewed free of charge at OSmaps.com. I’ve also been keeping a personal log of my experiences along the way and these are also linked below.
More about the Ordnance Survey here
The Ordnance Survey has been producing maps of Britain since the 18th century. It produces two main sequences of maps that are useful for walkers: the 1:25,000 “Explorer” series, the 1:50,000 “Landranger” series, available in printed form or online.
The online version is available at OSmaps.com. For this website I have plotted the routes described on OSmaps and included links in the notes, which you can access for free. If you use the app version on your phone, you can follow the route and zoom in as necessary. A pointer shows exactly where you are in real time, using GPS technology, so it still works if you are out of cell phone range, provided you have already loaded the relevant map section.
This handy map selector shows which maps cover the area you are visiting.
More about how I prepare for each walk here: ‘Doing the recce’
For the Ridgeway, apart from the first two days where the paths were mostly well known to me, I was going though virgin territory: but I have some tools at my disposal. First I plan a route on the OS maps app (links to these plans are included in the entries for each day). This shows me how long the sections are and how hilly, as well as the feaures along the way. In parallel I use google maps to find useful things en route: you can just zoom to the area and type in ‘pub’ ‘accommodation’ ‘bus stop’ ‘cafe’ etc.
When I lead a walk for my Islington u3a walkers’ group, I do a pre-walk – ‘recce’ in the jargon – in advance to check out any problems: paths closed or impassable, diversions etc.
Below left is an OS extract and the equivalent google map section. I can see there’s a pub (beer glass) in Watlington and from google I can see there are two, the Fat Fox and the Spire. Clicking on the name gives access to more information: opening hours, website, menu etc.
Google maps street view is also useful, as I can do a virtual recce at street level of the points where my path crosses a road. Zooming in on the junction at bottom right I click on the blue street view line and I can see the 360 degree view at street level (upper middle pics). Looking towards the footpath, I see access is clear and there’s a Ridgeway signpost; and turning towards the town I see there’s a good pavement to follow. Imagine my delight to find that the good people at the Ramblers Association have added to this by 360 degree photographing large sections of the Ridgeway (upper right pic an example). So I was able to do a ‘virtual recce’ of almost all of this section before setting foot in Oxfordshire!
The Ridgeway is generally very well marked with wooden finger posts and the acorn national trail symbol, but my route descriptions give more detail where the way forward is less clear, as well as some interesting alternative routes, things to see along the way, how to get to and from different sections and notes on accommodation and stop offs for food. Links to sections completed so far are below.
Most descriptions of the Ridgeway go from west to east. Mine goes the other way, towards Stonehenge, to experience what a pilgrim might have done thousands of years ago.
This is the sequence of walks I took in sumer 2025, starting at Ivinghoe Beacon, continuing to Avebury and then beside the River Avon to Durrington Walls and to Stonehenge itself. Sections already completed are highlighted.
And here are links to the guidance notes and personal logs for each section.
| MY EXPERIENCE ON THE ROUTE |
| Day 1 personal log 14/07/25 |
| Day 2 personal log 25/07/25 |
| Day 3 personal log 10/08/25 |
| Day 4 personal log 11/08/25 |
| Day 5 personal log 18/08/25 |
| Day 6 personal log 19/08/25 |
| Day 7 personal log 26/08/25 |
| Day 8 personal log 27/08/25 |
| Day 9 personal log 02/09/25 |
| Day 10 personal log 13/09/25 |
| Day 11 personal log 14/09/25 |
| Day 12 personal log 15/09/25 |