Rolling chalk downland above the Vale of the White Horse, threaded by one of Britain's oldest roads
Big skies and open chalk define this stretch of downland where Wiltshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire meet. It covers 1,731 km² of high, farmed ridges, dry valleys and beech hangers, with prehistoric tracks and hill figures scattered across the tops.
The Ridgeway runs along the crest, one of the oldest routes in the country, passing Whitehorse Hill above its famous chalk carving. To the west, Walbury Hill is the highest chalk hill in England and the highest ground anywhere in the area, while the Thames Path traces the northern edge by Pangbourne Meadow.
The going is gentle and well-tracked, good for walking and cycling most of the year, though the exposed ridgetops catch the wind and the chalk turns slick after rain.
