East Ilsley to Wantage: This day is mostly up on the wide expanses of the Downs along a wide grassy drovers’ track, exposed in poor weather, but you are rewarded with wide expansive views north and south. But first you have to get up there from East Ilsley, then down again at the end – there are a few possible routes to Wantage.
Maps: OS Explorer 170 Vale of the White Horse
Length: 10.5 miles/16.75 km
Difficulty: Mostly grass tracks until the turn away from the Ridgeway to Wantage, then mostly gravel and metalled roads. No steep hills, just the climb up to the ridge from East Ilsley.
Getting there and away
East Ilsley is pretty inaccessible except by taxi so an overnight is assumed.
Wantage has a good bus service, the X36 from the stand in the market square in front of the Bear Hotel, about 30 minutes to Didcot Parkway station for the GWR mainline. There is also a taxi stand across the road.
Accommodation
The Swan at East Ilsley, where I stayed, is one of very few options along this section of the route. Basic but very comfortable.If you elect to overnight in Wantage, the Bear Hotel looks simple but well located. The Greyhound Inn at nearby Letcombe Regis looks a bit smarter and there’s a B&B at Thatchcombe, a little closer to the Ridgeway.
Along the way
East Ilsley, now a quiet backwater, had a major sheep market every fortnight in the medieval period – second only to Smithfield. Along the ridge are two areas both called Sheep Down, with tracks leading down to East and West Ilsley – presumably holding areas for the market. There is also a Cow Down.
The Downs: Walking this section perhaps gives a much better feel of the experience for pilgrims or other travellers in ancient times. It is much more exposed to prevailing winds from the south west than the heavily wooded Chilterns. The Downs are rounded, falling away on both flanks, whereas the route along the Chilterns mostly follows a steep scarp slope.The wide drovers’ path or Green Lane here probably dates back to the time of enclosures or earlier.
Grim’s Ditch: Several sections of this feature appear near the modern Ridgeway route. Though mostly on private land and inaccessible, they can be seen on the north flank of the ridge, roughly following the 150m contour line about 30m below the ridge. At East Hendred Down 4.5 miles/7.2 km after East Ilsley a footpath towards Chilton allows us to get close to part of the Ditch. To the east of the footpath a section seems to have three pathways incised into the chalk: a section through each would be very similar to other parts of the Ditch encountered earlier.
Linear features of Grim’s Dyke clearly visible for several miles below the ridge, which is where the modern Ridgeway runs
Scutchamer Knob: (below) this neolithic barrow has a colourful history. It seems to have been an important landmark and was a destination for Danes. Hollowed out to create a small amphitheatre, it is where the shire moot, a cross between a market and a court, was held in medieval times.
Lockinge estate: (below) East and West Lockinge and nearby Ardington are model villages, with delightful arts-and-crafts style housing, village greens and amenities and ornamental lakes. The estate was one of the largest in England. The owners, Lord and Lady Wantage, founded the forerunner of the Red Cross and were close friends of Florence Nightingale. They were involved in many philanthropic causes, as well as building the estate as an exemplar of noblesse oblige.
Directions
Leave East Ilsley on Arlington Road and after a short distance, go right between two houses up a track. This soon splits into three: take the middle option (sp Footpath). This becomes a grassy track up to Several Down to rejoin the Ridgeway. Turn left along a wide grass track, much easier going than the chalk and flint tracks of yesterday.
The wide view to the right includes Didcot power station and at 2 o’clock the destination for today, Wantage. The Thames valley lies behind the ridge to the north. Continue on this wide drovers’ road.
Several stretches of Grim’s Ditch appear down the slope to the right (see Along the way) as well as many barrows. At 4.75 miles/7.75 km in a small copse, pass Scutchamer Knob. After a further ¾ mile/1.2 km take the gravel track right. This winds down through a private estate on Ardington Down. After Betterton Farm follow the metalled single track road. Soon you pass ornamental lakes and the church at East Lockinge. Continue through the village and take the turning to West Lockinge. The road bends right then left. At the next bend, take the hedged footpath ahead. At the road, go left then right along Springfield Road, through a council estate. Take the first right, then left through a car park by the Scouts centre, then along Icknield Lane to the main road. Follow this left to Newbury Street, then right to the market square.
The market square with a statue of King Alfred, born in Wantage, at that time a royal centre. He united the various English kingdoms against the invading Danes. The statue was provided by Lord Wantage.
Alternative routes
Not much option up on the Downs, but there are alternatives down to Wantage: you could continue beyond the turn off to Lockinge, passing the monument to Lord Wantage (see above) and, when you meet the B4494, there is a footpath off right that leads to two routes north, to East Lockinge or more directly to Wantage via Lock Hill farm.
Breaking the walk
There really is nothing on the way. I took a bacon bap kindly supplied by the Crown and Horns and had a charming break at Scutchamer Knob, chatting to a couple of Ridgeway walkers going the other way.