An Integrated Network of Southern English Paths

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In his famous book about  the Pilgrim Road to Canterbury, The Old Road, Hilaire Belloc made the observation that the topography of Central Southern England is dominated by six ranges of hills, all of which, more or less, emanate from the Salisbury Plain, where is to be found the great Temple of Stonehenge. This was the map he produced to illustrate the concept:

He went on to describe how these ridges became the first roads used by the early settlers of the country, when climate improvements made the county habitable, around 11,000 years ago. The other key route was The River Thames whose centrality to the region and navigability meant it was able to supplement the high routes. He also explained why the North Downs, linking the channel crossing at Dover to Central England became the most important road of all, and this was the subject of his book.

As a keen walker, I was intrigued by this idea; when I first read his book, I had already walked much of all six of the hill ranges and I wondered if could make this a more unified project. Essentially, I set out to use existing trails to build a network of paths that start at the Salisbury Plain and follow each the six ranges to the sea, adding in the River Thames as well, as this was the other critically important geographic feature.

What I came up with was an Integrated Network of Southern English Paths or INSEP, if you prefer. And here it:

PathFromToInformationMiles
link
GOLD         1.  The Greater Ridgeway
(aka The Great Chalkway)
Link
Wessex RidgewayLyme RegisAvebury*Link125
Ridgeway PathAvebury*Ivinghoe BeaconLink91
Icknield WayIvinghoe BeaconNr ThetfordLink101
Peddars WayNr ThetfordHunstantonLink45
GREEN2.  Pilgrim’s WayLink
St Swithun’s WayWinchester*Farnham34
North Downs WayFarnhamDoverLink126
PINK3.  South Downs WayWinchester*EastbourneLink100
BLACK4. Mendip WayWeston Super MareFrome*Link49
PURPLE5. Cotswold WayBath*Chipping CampdenLink95
YELLOW6. Great Stones Way
(passing through Stonehenge)
Salisbury *Avebury*Link38
RED7.  Salisbury Link Path
Clarendon wayWinchester*Salisbury*Link27
Shaftesbury Old DroveSalisbury*Donhead St Andrews*16
Wessex Ridgeway (part)Donhead St Andrews*Warminster*Covered in 1 above
Colliers Way (part)Warminster*Frome*9
Mostly Macmillan Way (small part)Frome*Bradford on AvonLink9
Kennet and Avon Canal (part)Bradford on AvonBath*Link9
BLUE8.  Extended Thames Path
Cotswold Canal Walk (part)Framilode, Severn EsturyCirencesterLink20
Thames PathCirencesterThames BarrierLink181
Thames path extensionThames BarrierDartfordLink13
Darent Valley Path (part)DartfordOtford*Link12
* = intersection point
                                      TOTAL MILES1,325

The Cotswold Way does not of course end anywhere near the sea, but otherwise the network developed much in line with my original idea. Nearly all of the routes use established paths, often National Trails, the exception being the Salisbury Link Path which, I readily concede, is something of a contrivance, designed to join several routes together. I have sometimes taken small liberties with start and finishing points to make certain routes join up precisely.

I have walked all of these routes and recommend them as a wonderful tour of Southern England as well as an exploration of its most ancient routes. 

GPS files can be downloaded for many of the routes from the Walking Englishman site.

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