Planning Walking the Ridgeway - wild camping

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Hi All.
I am planning a hike along the Ridgeway with my brother (both in our 40s and starting to get outdoors again) in 2018 and was hoping to wild camp along the way.
Has anyone got any good locations they can advise where to pitch up at night. I've been scouring the web and youtube for ideas but am only finding very vague locations.
If anyone could provide woods names/OS grid refs that would be great.
Thanks
Robb
 
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Leshy

Full Member
Jun 14, 2016
2,389
57
Wiltshire
Hi All.
I am planning a hike along the Ridgeway with my brother (both in our 40s and starting to get outdoors again) in 2018 and was hoping to wild camp along the way.
Has anyone got any good locations they can advise where to pitch up at night. I've been scouring the web and youtube for ideas but am only finding very vague locations.
If anyone could provide woods names/OS grid refs that would be great.
Thanks
Robb
I'm looking forward to this too
...

Will be doing this in a couple of weeks , here's a good link for the water taps along the way .

https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/sites/default/files/water_points_and_toilets_2017.pdf


Dash4it have the cicerone map with OS grid refs too.
I got the booklet and its just right . Day planner included.

https://dash4it.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=Ridgeway

As for camping there are campsites sited here:

https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway/information


And here's a funny trip report from a reporter who did it in 5 days I believe

http://www.guswatson.com/articles/walking-the-ridgeway/


Hope it helps
Enjoy


Ps - I'll be wild tarping it ...
 
Feb 18, 2012
534
10
Bedfordshire
Greetings RagnarRobb, I have walked The Ridgeway twice, it really is a wonderful walk, the first time I did it in a mid October and it rained every day for 6 days solid, it did not spoil my time, apart from a lot of the western half paths were chalk and cos they were wet it was like walking on polished glass, also some of the tracks that the 4x4s and bikes had used were very rutted and muddy. The next time I did it an early September and I preferred that as I had more daylight hours to walk in and the weather was just right, not to hot or cold.

Both times I did it in six days, as I was in my early forties and was not at my fittest, I used a tarp and bivvy bag. I did a mixture of wild camp, official camp sites and one luxury night in the YHA at Streatley upon Thames, for a nice hot meal, couple of pints of ale and a real bed!

A map I would recommend is the harveys one as its indestructable and has all the route on one map, the only down side is that it has not much scope to break track as its a condensed map, but on the pro side is you only need the one map and no map case. On the western half I would advise carrying plenty of water and keep an eye out for the water points enroute as there were not that many and one was taken out the last time I walked it.

I wish you all the best on your trip

All the best

http://www.harveymaps.co.uk/acatalog/Ridgeway-YHWRRI.html
 

oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,186
1,801
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Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
I did the western half when I was in my 40s, nearly half a life time ago now, so any advice would be long out of date. I wild camped with no problems but things were different in the 1980s. I do remember a lot of mud and degradation of the path by wheeled vehicles and horses.

I remember the trip fondly and hope that you have as much fun as I did and retain happy memories as long.

I look forward to your trip reports.
 
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