Newsletters
Summer Newsletter 2024
There’s a lot in The Friends of the Ridgeway’s (FoR) summer newsletter. Chair of the Ridgeway Partnership, Simon Kearey, introduces the new Ridgeway National Trail Officer, Ian Black. We look at two ways to get along the Ridgeway. Josie Hill provides an inspirational...
Spring Newsletter 2024
In the spring issue of our newsletter, we look at this year’s highly successful Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize Exhibition. Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger recently spoke in the House of Commons in favour of amending the law so as to get more public rights of way protected from...
Winter Newsletter 2024
In the winter 2024 issue of the newsletter we report on the final event, on Ivinghoe Beacon, in the year-long celebration of the official opening of the Ridgeway National Trail 50 years previously. We also look at the person who did so much to deliver this and so much...
Autumn Newsletter 2023
In this autumn’s newsletter we look at a lot of the things that have happened or got underway on the Ridgeway National Trail in the last three months. For starters, over 70 people converged on Coombe Hill, Bucks, at the end of September to celebrate the Trail’s 50th...
Summer Newsletter 2023
Horses figure large in our summer newsletter, with an article on carriage driving on the Ridgeway, and a review of the book The Bridleway, how horses shaped the British landscape. Another type of horse, the Uffington - chalk - White Horse, was under scrutiny by...
Spring Newsletter 2023
In our spring newsletter we start with the 7th annual Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize Exhibition which was a great success – great art exemplified by record sales and attendances. We look at the winners – and the visitors. The Ridgeway is a challenge in another respect:...
Winter Newsletter 2023
This is a big year for the Ridgeway National Trail – it’s 50th. We report on the launch of the anniversary, led by its Patron Mary-Ann Ochota at the Sanctuary, Avebury, and on the start of our #RidgewaySpotter activity that you can join in to give added interest to...
Autumn Newsletter 2022
In our packed autumn newsletter we look ahead to the 5oth anniversary of the Ridgeway National Trail next year, and how we might bring further tranquillity to it. The FoR Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize returns in 2023: dates inside. Hill forts are a feature on and near the...
Summer Newsletter 2022
Our summer issue leads off with Lucy Duerdoth , National Trails Volunteer Coordinator for the Ridgeway and Thames Path National Trails, running along the Ridgeway in the Race to the Stones, raising money for Friends of the Ridgeway in the process. The volunteers...
Spring Newsletter 2022
The Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize takes pride of place in this issue, featuring the winners of the four categories – photography, sculpture, wall art and written work. We continue our trawl through the FoR’s archives with press cuttings and photographs from the 1990s,...
Older Newsletters.
Summer 2020Following the letter from the Chairman, this Newsletter gives a Treasurer’s Update, then an introduction to new Trustees Dave Cavanagh and Duncan Strutt, a report on the Great Chalk Way, a report on the Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize 2020 with illustrations of some of the entries, Ridgeway Partnership news, the two articles on riding, then a report on the Department of Continuing Education, University of Oxford ‘The Land of the White Horse’ and a note on the Facebook conversation. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Winter 2020Following the letter from the Chairman, this Newsletter gives a report on administrative matters from the Secretary, a Treasurer’s Update, a letter from the Chairman of the Vale of the White Horse Local Group, update on the Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize 2020, some entries form the 2019 Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize, Ridgeway Partnership New Articles, an update on the Great Chalk Way, another Circular pub walks on the Ridgeway and a note on the Facebook conversation. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Autumn 2019Following the letter from the Chairman, this Newsletter gives a report on administrative matters from the Secretary, a Treasurer’s Update, information and entries from the Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize, a Circular pub walks on the Ridgeway, background on the Vale of the White Horse Local Group and note of a Facebook conversation. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Summer 2019Following the letter from the Chairman, this Newsletter gives a report on administrative matters from the Secretary, a Treasurer’s Update, a short introduction to two new Trustees – Tim Lewis and Carole Ruse, report on the Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize, an article on The Vale Islanders (who entrained us at the Ridgeway Friends Day), and a report on two long distance rides Horseback on the Ridgeway. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Winter 2019Our Winter Newsletter includes news on administrative matters from the Secretary, an article on History of the Ridgeway, Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize update, and a circular pub walks on the Ridgeway. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Autumn 2018Our Autumn Newsletter includes news on Motor Vehicle Stakeholder Working Group, Motor traffic in World Heritage Site, The Great Chalk Way, The Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize 2019 and the 2018 Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize winner. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Summer 2018Our Summer Newsletter includes news on The Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize 2018, Memories brought back by an entry to the Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize and Memories of the Ridgeway during the War. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Spring 2018Our Spring Newsletter includes news on The Swire Ridgeway Arts Competition 2018, Preliminary Notice of the AGM 2018, a new Trustee, an update on The Ridgeway Partnership and an update on The Great Chalk Way. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Autumn 2017Our Autumn Newsletter includes news on The Swire Ridgeway Arts Competition 2018, The Great Chalk Way, The Ridgeway Partnership, new Trustees and “A Morning Walk”. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Summer 2017Our Summer Newsletter includes news on The Ridgeway Friends Day & AGM, The Swire Ridgeway Arts Competition and the latest edition of the Trailblazer Ridgeway Guide. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Spring 2017Our Spring Newsletter includes news on The Swire Ridgeway Arts Prize, The Ridgeway Partnership, Preliminary Notice of the 2017 AGM, The Vale of White Horse Local Group and a review of the Ridgeway Guide Book ‘Walking The Ridgeway’. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Christmas 2016Christmas Greetings from your Committee. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Autumn 2016Our Autumn Newsletter includes further news on The Ridgeway Partnership, The Vale of White Horse Local Group and a review of the book ‘Middle Ridgeway’. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Summer 2016Our Summer Newsletter includes further news on The Ridgeway Partnership and the ever present risk of funding cuts. There is also a review of the successful 2016 Ridgeway Friends Day held in Goring-on-Thames. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Winter 2015Our Winter Newsletter includes further news on plans for The Ridgeway Partnership and an article on The Chilterns. Don’t forget our next AGM is on Sunday 24th April 2016 For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Autumn 2015Our Autumn Newsletter includes news on plans for the new Ridgeway Partnership and a review of “Walking in the North Wessex Downs” by Steve Davison. Don’t forget our next AGM is on Sunday 24th April 2016 For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Summer 2015Our Summer Newsletter includes news on the AGM held in April and the announcement of our new Chairman Anthony Burdall. A welcome also to the new Ridgeway Officer, Sarah Wright. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Christmas 2014, Issue 100Our Christmas Newsletter includes news on the retirement of our Chairman and search for his successor as well as developments for the new Ridgeway Trail Partnership due to be in place April 2015. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Summer 2014, Issue 99Our Summer Newsletter includes exciting developments for the new Ridgeway Trail Partnership, news on the publication of a Cicerone guide for The Great Stones Way, details of our successful Ridgeway Day held on the 10th of May, and a summary of our AGM. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Winter 2013, Issue 98In this issue we have news on the proposed Ridgeway Trail Partnership, status of the Great Stones Way project, information on the Deregulation Bill, 2013, and much more. For a copy of the newsletter, click on the image. |
 |
Summer 2013, Issue 97In this issue we provide updates on the status of the proposed changes to the management of the Ridgeway, some fascinating and on-going research on the source of the sarsen stones now standing in the Stonehenge ring, information on the Edward Thomas weekend (28th/29th September 2012), and details of a highly recommended walk from Moulsford to Aldworth. |
 |