Historic Ridgeway secures £129,100 project extension

The Historic Ridgeway Project has been awarded a grant of £129,100 to extend its work until 1st May 2028, with the project expanding beyond its original footprint into Buckinghamshire.

Funded by Historic England's Regional Capacity Building Grant Programme, the project supports a dedicated team including the project manager and the project volunteer co-ordinator, with a programme of discrete conservation projects, tools and transport along the route. The majority of works projects are funded by the project's partners and work carried out with the permission of landowners and the many project volunteers.

Otis Gilbert, Heritage at Risk Project Officer, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this grant to continue the vital work on the nationally significant archaeology around the Ridgeway National Trail. It is an important way of working with local people, DEFRA and local authorities to support better management of the historic and natural environment in England’s most special places. The project will provide new opportunities for people to get involved in caring for archaeology near them.”

The extension takes the project beyond the central 30-mile section of the 87-mile Ridgeway Trail as it passes through Oxfordshire and West Berkshire, following the trail east into Buckinghamshire as far as Whiteleaf Hill.

Dan Bashford, Project Manager, said: “Every section of the Ridgeway National Trail has its own archaeological story to tell. Extending the project into Buckinghamshire will help us identify and record vulnerable heritage sites, improve our understanding of how people have used this landscape over thousands of years and put practical conservation measures in place to protect them for the future.”

About the Project

Historic England is the public body that protects and brings life to the heritage that matters to us all, so it lives on and is loved for longer. From the extraordinary to the everyday, our historic places and spaces matter. From community centres to cathedrals, homes to high streets, markets to mills – there are special places we all choose to hold onto, the legacy we want to pass on and the stories we continue to tell. That’s why we work together with people across England to discover, protect and bring new life to our shared historic environment, providing advice, knowledge, support and services. Follow us on social media @HistoricEngland.

The Historic Ridgeway Project works to protect and celebrate the extraordinary heritage of one of Britain's oldest routes. Its aims are to:

• Assess the condition and management of the 47 Scheduled Monuments along this part of the National Trail — all nationally important and legally protected sites — and improve that management in partnership with volunteers, landowners and occupiers.
• Identify other key heritage sites and work with stakeholders to improve their condition.
• Offer inclusive engagement and volunteering opportunities.
• Make the most of opportunities for education and interpretation.
• Improve wellbeing by encouraging engagement with heritage sites, dovetailing archaeological and ecological management with access and interpretation.
• The Historic Ridgeway Project is grateful to all its funders and partners, including the North Wessex Downs National Landscape and Chilterns National Landscapes, the Friends of the Ridgeway, the Trust for Oxfordshire's Environment, the Rural Payments Agency, Mend the Gap, Wild Oxfordshire and Natural England.
• The majority of works projects are funded by our generous partners, the work only possible through the kind permission of landowners and many project volunteers.
• Image attached of shows the important site at Wayland's Smithy. We have alternative images if you prefer.