Some might be put off by the apparent remoteness of both ends of The Ridgeway: Avebury and Ivinghoe Beacon. But Ridgeway transport is really not that difficult. Here we help to navigate this
Avebury
Let’s start with Avebury, for most walkers the start of The Ridgeway. There are two ways to get here without using your car:
One is via Swindon. Take a train to Swindon. There are trains every few minutes from London Paddington in one direction and Bristol in the other. From there, bus 49 to Devizes by Stagecoach runs every 30 minutes. It takes 35 minutes to get to Avebury. The bus stops outside the Red Lion in the centre of the village. Buses leave every 30 minutes.
The other is via Pewsey. This small town sits just off the Kennet and Avon Canal. It also hosts a station on another branch of the Great Western Railway, this time running to Exeter and beyond. It’s fair to say that stops here are not as frequent as at Swindon with trains from London Paddington about every two hours. Likewise from the west. It’s a 20 minute taxi ride from Pewsey. You’ll find the taxi rank outside the station.
Ivinghoe Beacon
Although Ivinghoe Beacon is the official end, the nearest town of Ivinghoe offers little in the way of accommodation. So most walkers will finish (or start) at the Greyhound, Aldbury, 3.5 miles from Ivinghoe Beacon.
Aldbury is a mile from Tring station. Although the road has no pavement and is therefore not safe to walk on, a footpath runs alongside through the fields. But if you have a lot of luggage, especially of the wheeled variety, you will probably want to take a taxi.
From Tring you will find trains to London Euston every 10-15 minutes. The opposite direction will take you to Milton Keynes and on to Birmingham.
