The Ridgeway is a ridgeway or ancient trackway described as Britain's oldest road. The section clearly identified as an ancient trackway extends from Wiltshire along the chalk ridge of the Berkshire Downs to the River Thames at the Goring Gap, part of the Icknield Way which ran, not always on the ridge, from Salisbury Plain to East Anglia. The route was adapted and extended as a National Trail, created in 1972. The Ridgeway National Trail follows the ancient Ridgeway from Overton Hill, near Avebury, to Streatley, then follows footpaths and parts of the ancient Icknield Way through the Chiltern Hills to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. The National Trail is 87 miles (140 km) long.
The Ridgeway National Trail on Grim's Ditch near Mongewell
Ivinghoe Beacon (the eastern trailhead) seen looking north from The Ridgeway
The Ridgeway winds over the Berkshire Downs
Path down from the Ridgeway to Bishopstone, Wiltshire
Historic roads and trails
Historic roads are paths or routes that have historical importance due to their use over a period of time. Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient trackways, long-lasting roads, important trade routes, and migration trails. Many historic routes, such as the Silk Road, the Amber Road, and the Royal Road of the Persian Empire, covered great distances and their impact on human settlements remain today.
Wittmoor Bog Trackway, Germany. (The trackways date to the 4th and 7th century AD). Photo taken during an excavation.
The Roman Appian Way, near Casal Rotondo, to the southeast of Rome, Italy.
Silk Road. Both the land and sea routes
Reconstructed ancient cliff path of Mingyue Gorge, northern Sichuan, China, part of the Shudao road system