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Autumn 1998 - Ridgeway (Wantage, Streatley, Bradenham)
Friday Oct 6th.
Dick Grundy, Paul Keech, Pete Tompson travelled with Roland to Wantage, an uneventful journey apart from breakfast, which was taken at McDonalds, near Abingdon. Roland found that one breakfast was not enough so he had a second. We parked at Wantage Youth Hostel to start our walking.
The route from Wantage hostel to White Horse Farm on to the Ridge way continuing on to Streatley.
The weather was terrible, low cloud and rain. This meant that the walk became a trek. The first respite from the rain came when lunch was taken in the underpass of the A34. Later after lunch it did stop raining as we neared Streatley.
Paul and Dick had pushed on and after leaving their packs at the hostel going for a cup of tea, leaving a message at the cafe for Roland and Pete, Which they didn't get, then on to sample some of the local water ready for the evening refreshment.
Norman picked up Jack and Phil and drove to East Ilsley for lunch before walking to Streatley along the Ridgeway. John Creasy drove down and met us at the hostel. Andy, Graham and Ian got the train and met us in the Hostel.
Evening refreshment was taken at The Spinning Wheel a Breakspears House very pleasant.
Streatly Youth Hostel.
Saturday 7th Oct.
The route was from Streatley to Chinnor (21 miles) and then by car to Bradenham, with variations being taken by different groups. The weather was clear and fine.
Paul, Andy, Graham, Dick, and Ian walked the full route. Norman, Jack, Phil, John, Pete and Roland walked from Wallingford, where they met Andy, Paul and Graham on Grimes ditch. What was even more remarkable as they walked down the lane from Wallingford which crossed Grimes ditch both groups saw each other approaching and arrived at exactly the same time. Lunch was taken at The Red Lion at Gangsdown Hill near Nuffield on the A 4130.
Roland was suffering with a bad little toe so he got the bus back to Wallingford to get his car, nothing to do with another steak and kidney pie eaten for lunch.
The mornings walking had been the easy part walking along the Thames then across country to lunch. Whereas in the afternoon there were some hills, ploughed fields which farmers had not reconstituted the footpaths and where the Ridgeway joined the Icknield way deep muddy ruts from 4x4 vehicles.
Bradenham hostel was a basic with toilets and showers down the garden and a pleasant warden.
As the evening went on there was some concern for Norman, Jack and Phil, as they had not arrived at the Hostel or the pub, it turned out they were late finishing and went straight for dinner in Chinnor, joining us later in the pub. One and all took again good food and flavoured water.
Ridgeway at Whiteleaf cross.
Sunday 8th Oct.
The route was along the Ridgeway from the A 4010 just south of Princes Risborough to Wendover for lunch then on to Ivinghoe. There was a delay in starting the walk, as John could not find his wallet eventually he managed to raise the landlord of the pub where his wallet was found and we departed for our walk.
The mornings walk took us round Chequers and onto Wendover. After lunch had been taken Andy, Paul, Graham and Ian continued on to Ivinghoe the rest of us called it a day as the long trek on Saturday had taken its toll, a decision we were grateful for as it rained heavily in the after noon. Norman took Jack and Phil home and then went back to Ivinghoe to pick the others up.
Paul, Ian, Andy and Graham finished the walk with no problems, apart form getting thoroughly soaked. They met Norman at the agreed meeting place where Norman had only been waiting for a few minutes.
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