# 🥾 Walk 216 - Hailey, Ibsden and the Ridgeway

On Saturday 2nd April, fifteen of us (including a few visitors to the group) gathered in the sunshine outside the King William IV pub in the small village of Hailey in Oxfordshire.

We set off along the lane outside the pub until it ran out and became a track at Hill Farm. We then turned south and followed the Chiltern Way through Warren Farm, past Warrens Chase and into woodland at Berins Hill. Here we departed from the Chiltern Way to loop back through the wood and out into open fields leading to Wellplace Farm. Joining a bridleway, we headed east to Ibsden Heath.

![Heading down to Warren Farm before the inevitable up to Warren Hill.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume16/images/warren_hill_hailey.jpg)

Turning north at the heath, we passed through Homer Farm, Upper House Farm, Ridgeway Farmhouse and Timbers Farm before we reached The Ridgeway. This ancient trackway goes from Overton Hill, near Avebury, to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. The short section we were to include in our route was the section that follows the course of Grim's Ditch. But before following it, we stopped for our picnic lunch.

We followed The Ridgeway westerly for a couple of miles before leaving it for the Icknield Way, heading south. Before long we turned left (east) towards Woodhouse Farm, where our leader got slightly confused over the route! (It can happen to the best of us.)

![Morrell's Bottom, on <i>The Ridgeway</i>.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume16/images/morrels_bottom.jpg)

After a bit of back-tracking, we were on course again and heading south along another section of the Chiltern Way, through Wicks Wood and Poors Farm back to Hailey village. See our route on Bing Maps.

After off-loading rucksacks, etc., most of us headed for the King William IV pub for a post-walk drink. Greg, one of our members who has been in the Berkshire Weekend Walkers since it started, was celebrating a birthday that day and had brought along a cake. This was divided up into many segments so we could all have a piece.

![Enjoying a drink at the King William IV pub after the walk.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume16/images/king_william_iv_pub.jpg)

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