Walking.holiday UK

16/06/2026

Green slowly turns to Golden Brown

The Ridgeway landscape is green at the moment. But it won’t be long before it turns a golden brown. You can already see the shoots of wheat starting to change colour. We’ll come back in a few weeks with a progress report.

11/06/2026

09/06/2026

Walking the Kennet and Avon Canal. ❤️

This is 94 miles from Reading to Bristol.

From time to time the railway accompanies you, reminding you that this was part of an historic trade route: the Canal being replaced by the railway.

It offers a varied landscape which includes the chalk hills of the North Wessex Downs in the east and the southern edge of the Cotswolds in the west. There are plenty of interesting places to visit along the way plus a UNESCO World Heritage Site! 🤩 More on this later.

You can do this hike with our 9 days/ 10 nights package. Don't delay. Book now.


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28/05/2026

They think it’s all over…and it is now 👍🏼🍾🥂🎊

Having descended from the heady heights of the Bridgewater Monument and the Ashridge Estate on your final day on The Ridgeway, you arrive in the charming village of Aldbury complete with the pub, pond and a set of stocks.

It’s a picturesque spot which explains why it appears in many movies. The duck pond is just that: a pond for ducks complete with a floating house.

The stocks look out over the pond which must have been some comfort to the poor prisoners stuck there.

The Greyhound is a lovely place to stay for the night. A pub with a handful of rooms and a fine restaurant. A fitting end to a wonderful walk.

27/05/2026

They think it’s all over…

When you reach Ivinghoe Beacon you might think it’s all over. But you actually have a further 3.5 miles to walk to the nearest inn, the Greyhound at Aldbury.

The good news is that you don’t have to retrace many of your steps. There is an alternative route via the Bridgewater Monument which sits above Aldbury.

The monument is dedicated to the 3rd Earl of Bridgewater, the Father of Canals, who pioneered inland navigation and gave his name to the Bridgewater Canal which runs between Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh.

The Ashridge Estate, on which the monument stands, was the home of the Bridgewater family and is now owned by the National Trust. There are 5,000 acres of woodland filled with birch, chestnut, beech and oak.

It’s a short walk from the monument down to Aldbury - which we will explore on Friday. Stay tuned.

12/01/2026

British Pilgrimage Trust had just announced that St. James' Way is the most popular pilgrimage in England in 2025. 🎉

The 68.5 mile/ 110 kilometer route starts from Reading and ends in Southampton. Only a month ago, a moutiera was unveiled outside Reading Abbey ruins to mark the official start of the Camino de Santiago in Britain.

If you are still sitting on the fence about doing a pilgrimage this new year, walk the camino.

https://walking.holiday/camino-ingles/

https://www.britishpilgrimage.org/news/britains-most-popular-pilgrimage-routes-in-2025