Venture a little over 12 miles north of Newbury on the B4494 and pick up the Ridgeway National Trail to follow a walking route used by travellers, herdsmen and soldiers since prehistoric times.

The Ridgeway follows a ridge of chalk hills for 87 miles from the World Heritage Site of Avebury to Ivinghoe Beacon in the northwest of London, passing through the remote ancient landscape along ‘Britain’s oldest road’.

Walk, run, cycle, or even dance your way along the track, soaking up the beauty of the North Wessex Downs AONB and stopping off to wonder at the array of archaeological monuments along the route, including Stone Age long barrows, Bronze Age round barrows, Iron Age forts, and the figures of white horses cut into the chalk.

If you want the best views, the most wildlife, and the best conditions, take on the trail between March and November. To enjoy swathes of bluebells carpeting the woodlands of the Chiltern Hills AONB on the east section of The Ridgeway, early May is your best bet.

The Court Hill Centre near Wantage is a good place to park up, enjoy a cup of tea, and explore the local sections of The Ridgeway from.