Uffington to Chiseldon: You can enjoy some serious deep history on this section of the Ridgeway including several bronze and iron age forts and the Uffington White Horse, at least 2500 years old and maintained to this day. There is also a spectacular long barrow thought to be more than twice as old. After climbing back to the Ridgeway from Uffington, the route continues generally south west on the wide expansive Downs, with once again spectacular views as far as the Cotswolds. The final stretch today takes us close to another hill fort, believed to be one of the oldest, and close to Swindon but with some difficult roads.
Maps: OS Explorer 170 Vale of the White Horse and 157 Marlborough and Savernake Forest. Days 7 and 8 route on OSmaps.
Length: 11.5 miles/18.5 km.
Difficulty: Again a stiff climb at the start then across the rolling and exposed Downs. The final section is partly along a busy and narrow road. See Alternatives below for discussion of other routes.
Getting there and away
Access to Uffington is not easy (see Day 7 for details of the only rare bus) so an overnight stop is assumed.
From Chiseldon there are buses to Swindon (about 30 minutes) – or a taxi would take less than 15 minutes – to Swindon station for frequent GWR main line trains.
Along the way
Uffington: the village vernacular is different to what we have seen previously, the red and blue chequerboard brickwork replaced in many cases by chalk block walls with brick detailing.
Uffington White Horse: this is believed to be the oldest hill figure in Britain, created between 1380 and 550 BC. It has been maintained ever since: until recently a fair was held on the Downs every seven years to celebrate ‘the scouring of the horse’. The design is thought to be a Celtic tribal symbol as it is similar to that on coins from that period. Below it is the flattened Dragon Hill.
Wayland’s Smithy: This long barrow is believed to have been completed around 3430 BCE, ie soon after the arrival of the neolithic pastoral people to the area. It was excavated and restored about 50 years ago and sits in a mature beech copse, very evocative. The name dates back to the 900s and was presumably given by Saxon settlers after the Germanic smith-god Wolund.
Hill forts: Two good examples on the route today, at Uffington (below) and Liddington. The labour involved must have been immense over many years. Liddington is believed to date back to the 7th C BC: that is, the late Bronze Age. Liddington covers 3 hectares and has two rings of eathworks. With a bank and ditch 3m higher than the interior and a ditch 7m deep, and a smaller bank on the outside.
Directions
From the Fox and Hounds take the road south towards the Downs. This goes fairly straight past Stockholm Fam then starting to rise. Across the main road (1.25 miles/2 km) continue to climb past the NT sign and cattle grid up Dragon Hill. A short distance further take the steep footpath left and follow it around, then a path to the right that takes you to immediately above the eye of the White Horse (1.75 miles/2.8 km), with a good view of Uffington in the vale below and beyond.
Continue further up the hill to the walls of Uffington Castle, another well preserved Iron Age fort. Just behind it runs the Ridgeway (2 miles/3.2 km). Join this again going west, passing Waylands Smithy (3.25 miles/5.2 km). Follow the Ridgeway to the turn off for Bishopstone (5.25 miles/8.25 km). Carry on to the telecom mast at Fox Hill (7 miles/11.2 km), where the track now drops down rapidly.
From here, the route joins a busy road for much of the remaining route – see alternatives for other options. Continue ahead to cross the motorway (8 miles/12.8 km), keeping to the verge as much as possible. At the main Swindon-Aldbourne road B4192 go left a few hundred yards to the clearly marked Ridgeway signpost opposite (8.4 miles/13.5 km). Cross carefully.
Climb to Liddington Castle, a third iron age fort (9.5 miles/15.2 km). Here we leave the Ridgeway and head for Chiseldon, walking around the south rampart then taking the path north down the hill to the road. Go left along a short section of (again busy) road to the A346 junction. Cross at the junction with the Three Trees cafe on your left (11 miles/17.5 km). Take the track to the right (sp Chiseldon ½) and continue along Station Road to the bus stop opposite the Landmark Hotel. Or you could call a taxi from the cafe, which was easy when I did it, and it’s less than 15 minutes to the station.
Alternative routes
Apart from the section over Liddington Hill, the later part of the route from Fox Hill is unpleasant and possibly dangerous, something skated over in the official Ridgeway trail guide. However the alternatives are not great (see sketch map below). It would be possible to leave the route on the footpath going south east from Fox Hillacross Hinton Downs, crossing the M4 at Peaks Downs, then take the westerly bridle way across Shipley Down, past Lower Upham Farm, cross the busy A436 then follow the old Chiseldon and Marlborough Railway footpath parallel to it up to Chiseldon. This adds about 4 miles/6.5 km to the journey. Or you could stop off at Bishopstone and pick up a bus there (knocking 5 miles/8 km off) or continue to Wanborough (2 miles/3.25 km less and only a short hop to Swindon). But these options all mean you miss out on Liddington Castle. Note that I haven’t tried out these routes yet.
Breaking the journey
You will want to spend some time at the White Horse itself and at Wayland’s Smithy, as well as exploring the forts. There is nothing on the route itself until the Three Trees cafe and farm shop right at the end but you could drop down to Bishopstone as you pass where the Helen Browning’s Royal Oak looks promising.
Accommodation
If you decide to stay over rather than heading for the train, there is accommodation in Chiseldon (Chiseldon House Hotel) and more in Swindon including chains such as Travelodge and Premier Inn, a short bus or taxi ride away. If you decide to stop short at Bishopstone, the Royal Oak above has accommodation.