Thursday’s Child

The Ridgeway: Day 4 – Wallingford to Princes Risborough (22.7 miles)

Thursday 16 November 2023

Descending yesterday, from the chalk uplands of the Downs into the Thames Valley I witnessed a complete change in the landscape; and today, almost from the start of my walk, the climb up into the wooded Chilterns marked a golden beginning to the second half of my Ridgeway trek. And with the transition from the open Downs to the beech-woods, so the wildlife changed too; countless squirrels (American greys of course) inhabit the Chiltern forests, and they scurry all about the branches and the fallen leaves, whilst the shrill cries of circling red kites punctuate the constant birdsong that I had been missing on the gusty uplands. On a couple of occasions I even disturbed a solitary muntjac deer in the woods at close quarters, although far too fleetingly to capture in a picture.

In rejoining the eastward Ridgeway path from Wallingford at Mongewell Park an experience awaits, one of the true highlights of the whole journey. Here, the track runs atop the man-made ridge of ancient spoil alongside Grim’s Ditch, leading straight up from the Thames and into the wonderful woodlands of the Chiltern Hills for four miles or so to the village of Nuffield. I have mentioned this prehistoric feature before on my walks, in Hertfordshire – Grim’s Ditch (or Grim’s Dyke as it is sometimes termed) is actually a network of linear earthworks comprising channels and adjoining embankments, many of which are thought to date from Neolithic times. Their purpose is unknown; perhaps they were thoroughfares, or defence structures, enclosures for livestock or boundary markers, or maybe a varying combination of all of these?

The weather gods were certainly on my side today as, rather than the forecast deluge, I had the good fortune of just occasional light rain showers; I hope that these pictures convey something of my experience.

My Blog heading today is taken from a 1999 song title by David Bowie; I am indeed a ‘Thursday’s Child‘, and perhaps therefore, in the words of the old adage, I ‘have far to go’. It certainly seems that way as I write this on the fourth evening of my walk: having taken on the Ridgeway at short notice I am not quite at the fitness level that I enjoyed for my longer treks over the last couple of years. Covering 20-odd miles a day with an eight kilo pack, and over boggy ground, has been quite demanding, especially during the wet times, on Tuesday in particular. The early November nightfall has also been a constraint, necessitating a prompt morning start and a good pace all day. I can certainly feel the effects now of the backpack and the poling across my shoulders, as well as some muscle fatigue in my legs that requires a good few dozen steps after any stop in order for me to get walking again with any fluency. So, all in all, this trek has been close to the limit of my endurance – but there is just one more day to go now, for this child of Thursday.