Ridgeway - Avebury to Overton Hill and beyond (1st July 2006)

And we've done it, the last section of the Ridgeway, basically the section from the point where the Wessex trail crosses the Ridgeway to the end at Overton Hill / The Sanctuary

We set out from Avebury NT car park, walked through the village, and up the Wessex trail to the Ridgeway proper. Then turned right and set off for the end at Overton Hill car park. Arrived there at the A4, nipped across the road to The Sanctuary (another ancient monument) and had a quick water break.

We then carried on the "Ridgeway", well at least the OS map shows this as "Ridgeway" in old gothic font, rather than the new style for the official national trail.

Saw an unusual column with a sheep / giraffe / dragon / ?? carved stone head on top at Cow Down. This was where we strayed slightly off the footpath, worse still we had to crash through a load of nettles and thistles to get back to the proper bridleway.

Continued through some woods wondering if we'd gone a-rye again, but then stumbled on a ditch and big bank. Is it?, yeap it was Wansdyke, in particular it was the point where we'd turned off on our previous walk along the dyke, so it was a nice feeling to "join the dots"

Returned back along the path, heading for Avebury. The extreme sun plus lack of water, or maybe the electrolyte imbalance as I was sweating like a p*g, well an awful lot :-) meant I got a really bad headache, not your usual migraine, but still very painful :-(

Passed the section of "Cob Wall" I've always found interesting in driving by on the A4.

Then headed into Avebury ring along the West Kennet Avenue, the dual line of standing stones stretching out southwards from Avebury.