Guidelines for Organisers of Events

GUIDELINES FOR ORGANISERS OF EVENTS

CONSIDERATIONS ACTION

Does date clash with any other big events in same area? • Contact National Trails Office* It is particularly important that walking, cycling and horse • Contact local Visitor Information Centre* riding events do not meet on the same path. Please note • Contact local library that racing of horses or cycles on a public right of way is illegal.

Have you consulted widely with those likely to be • Contact landowners* or land-managing bodies on affected by the event? the route • Contact parish councils* • Contact National Trails Office* about use of The Ridgeway • Contact Rights of Way Departments in Highway Authorities* regarding use of rights of way other than The Ridgeway

Are you insured? • Arrange public liability insurance Ensure you have adequate insurance for the event. As a • Arrange medical cover guide, local authority events must have £10 million public liability insurance and you will need the same for an event of any size. Insurance is your responsibility as organiser – do not rely on individuals having their own.

Are you very familiar with your proposed route and have • Walk and record the route before the event so that you carried out a risk assessment? you are aware of any potential hazards for event participants • Put in place emergency and evacuation procedures • Ensure you are familiar with the statuses of the route - rights of way, permissive paths, open access land, etc • Ensure the route is adequately controlled on the day through signage and marshalling • Consider scaling down the event if its size is inappropriate or likely to cause environmental damage Is the event likely to cause traffic congestion? • Contact Police Headquarters* in relevant county

Do refreshment kiosks and checkpoint need to be • Contact landowners* or land-managing bodies installed near The Ridgeway? Permission needed.

Is overnight camping needed on adjacent land? • Contact landowners* or land-managing bodies Permission needed. • Research other accommodation options (if applicable)

Is parking required at start/finish? • Contact landowners* or land-managing bodies if a field is needed

• Contact local authority or owners for use of car park

Are difficult/busy roads to be crossed? • Provide marshals and fully brief them See list below • Use mobile phones if appropriate but check coverage as there are ‘dead spots’ along The Ridgeway.

Is First Aid likely to be needed? • Contact St John Ambulance* or Red Cross*

Does the route need signing? • Provide signs on own posts Do not put signs on Ridgeway signposts or landowners' fence • Put up signs just before event and remove as soon posts as possible after event

Have arrangements been made for emergency • Provide and fully brief marshals procedures in case anyone is missing, late or injured? • Ensure good record-keeping of participants • Know local hospital Accident & Emergency Departments* details

Do participants know their responsibilities? • Include details and guidelines in pre-event information, eg Countryside Code. It’s important that the natural environment is respected and that the route is not damaged and is left free from litter. • Fully brief participants again on the day

Have arrangements been made to collect litter at • Provide plastic sacks or litter bins refreshment areas/checkpoints?

Arrange for all signs, notices and litter to be removed • Provide work party! from The Ridgeway and surrounding area after event.

After the event, have you acknowledged all cooperation • Write to or phone key landowners and you have received? organisations that have helped.

* See Useful Contacts section below

The National Trails Team endeavours to provide you with helpful information and support so that your event is both enjoyable for the participants and also respectful of the environment and other Ridgeway users. If you would like to make a contribution from the proceeds of your event to the upkeep of The Ridgeway, we would be very grateful for any support you can give.

2 THE RIDGEWAY NATIONAL TRAIL

The Ridgeway follows existing public rights of way for 87 miles (139km) from Overton Hill in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. Public rights of way are privately owned with the public right on them being one of passage only, and they must be kept free from obstruction at all times.

Walkers can use the whole of the Trail while horse riders and cyclists are welcome on all 69 km (43 miles) of the western half of The Ridgeway between Overton Hill and Streatley on the River Thames, and short sections in the Chilterns to the east. For details of those areas east of Streatley where riding is permitted, contact the National Trails Office.

The Ridgeway is vulnerable to damage during periods of wet weather and we therefore strongly advise that horse riding events involving more than 10 horses are not planned between October and the end of March.

GUIDES

The Ridgeway National Trail Guide - by Anthony Burton, Aurum Press, 2013. (ISBN: 9781781310632). This is the official guide with written route description and Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 maps.

The Ridgeway Companion, - National Trails Office 2014 (978-0-9561074-5-9). The essential guide to accommodation and services along The Ridgeway. The guide is divided into six sections each illustrated with a map showing towns and villages along the route.

MAPS

Ridgeway: (Harvey Maps, 2008). Isbn: 978-185137478-6. Detailed waterproof map at scale of 1:40 000 of the route of The Ridgeway including locations of services close to the Trail. Ridgeway A-Z Adventure Atlas: (Geographer’s A-Z Map Company Ltd 2013). Isbn: 978-1-78257-000-4. Detailed OS mapping at scale of 1:25 000 in booklet format.

Ordnance Survey maps - the following sheets cover the length of The Ridgeway:

Landranger series (pink cover, 1:50 000 or 2 cm to 1 km) 173 Swindon & Devizes 174 Newbury & Wantage 175 Reading & Windsor 165 Aylesbury & Leighton Buzzard

Explorer series (orange cover, 1:25 000 or 4 cm to 1 km) 157 Marlborough & Savernake Forest 170 Abingdon, Wantage & Vale of White Horse 171 Chiltern Hills West 181 Chiltern Hills North

ROAD AND RAIL CROSSINGS AND ROAD SECTIONS

The Ridgeway crosses a number of roads (and railway tracks in one location) and in a few places follows a road for a short distance. All road/rail crossings and road sections need to be assessed for safety, but the following have been identified as requiring particularly careful assessment.

ROAD LOCATION OS MAP GRID REFERENCE A346 Southend near Ogbourne St George SU198735 B4192 East of Liddington Castle and for 200m SU218805 B4000 South of Ashbury SU274844 Minor road at Blowingstone Hill south of Kingston Lisle SU323863 B4001 South of Sparsholt SU343851 A338 South of Wantage 3 SU394845

B4494 South of Wantage SU419841 Minor road at Bury Down north of West Ilsley SU479840 A417 Where Ridgeway joins road at Streatley SU590815 A4074 At Mongewell/start of Grims Ditch section SU617879 A4130 At Nuffield SU675878 B480 South of Watlington SU694933 Minor road at Watlington Hill SU699940 A40 East of Lewknor SU728977 Minor road south of Chinnor SU741987 A4010 South of Princes Risborough SP807019 Minor road at Lower Cadsden for 100m SP826045 Minor road at bottom of Bacombe Hill just west of Wendover SP864075 Minor road west of Tring Station just before Canal SP948121 Minor road east of Tring Station SP953124

RAILWAY PLACE OS MAP GRID REFERENCE Saunderton, south of Princes Risborough SP801010

WATER POINTS AND TOILETS

Water points and toilets can be found on The Ridgeway at the following places: Key W = water point (sometimes with trough) T = toilets

WATER/ LOCATION OS MAP GRID TOILETS REFERENCE T Barbury Castle Country Park SU155762 W Elm Tree Cottage, Southend (please ask before using tap) SU198734 W Idstone Barn, Ashbury (summer only – this supply comes from a private SU263835 reservoir that a landowner kindly allows to be used and can be intermittent. Fill bottles immediately as it may run dry after a few seconds) W Hill Barn, Sparsholt SU338854 W, T Court Hill Centre, Letcombe Regis SU393849 T Goring-on-Thames (Car Park off Station Road) SU602807 W Grimsdyke Cottage, Grim's Ditch SU660872 W Church, Nuffield (on the wall outside) SU667874 T Watlington (High Street) SU689945 W, T White Mark Farm Camp Site, Watlington (March - November) SU697939 W Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve (close to A40 crossing) SU727976 T Princes Risborough (Horn Mill Car Park) SP809033 T Wendover (Library Car Park) SP868078

CAR PARKING

The following reasonable-sized car parking areas are on or close to The Ridgeway. It is essential that permission be obtained from the landowners for large groups using these car parks. Addresses of landowners can be found in Useful Contacts section.

LOCATION LANDOWNER OS MAP GRID REFERENCE On Ridgeway at Barbury Castle Country Park, 5 Swindon Borough Council – SU157762 miles (8 km) south of Swindon Rangers Team

National Trust car park for Uffington White Horse, National Trust - Ashdown Estate SU293866 south off B4507 (paying)

On Ridgeway at Bury Down on minor road from A34 West Berkshire Council and SU479841 to West Ilsley National Trails Office

Goring-on-Thames public car park (paying) South Oxfordshire District SU599807 Council – Transport and Streets

Princes Risborough, The Mount public car park, Wycombe District Council - SP806035 Stratton Road (paying) Transport and Streets

Whiteleaf car park, ½ mile (1 km) east of Princes Buckinghamshire County SP824036 Risborough Council – Green Spaces Team

National Trust car park for Coombe Hill, 1 mile (2 National Trust - Hughenden SP852062 km) southwest of Wendover Manor

Wendover public car park (paying) Aylesbury Vale District Council - SP868077 Transport and Streets

Pitstone Hill car park east of Tring National Trust - Ashridge Estate SP955149

National Trust car park for Ivinghoe Beacon National Trust - Ashridge Estate SP962162

USEFUL CONTACTS

ORGANISATION ADDRESS/WEBSITE TELEPHONE

National Trails Office Countryside Access, Signal Court, Old Station 01865 810224 Way, Eynsham OX29 4TL Website: www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway

Landowners - general Local shop-keepers, post office and pub may be able to help you find out names of landowners.

Also be able to help: National Farmers Union (NFU) regional offices Website: www.nfuonline.com

Country Land and Business Association (CLA) Website: www.cla.org.uk

Landowners - larger car parking areas Swindon Borough Council – Rangers Team 01793 490150 Website: www.swindon.gov.uk

National Trust - Ashdown Estate 01793 762209/ Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk 01494 755569

South Oxfordshire District Council 01491 823000 Website: www.southoxon.gov.uk

Wycombe District Council 01494 461000 Website: www.wycombe.gov.uk

Buckinghamshire County Council 01296 395000 Website: www.buckscc.gov.uk

National Trust - Hughenden Manor 01494 755565 Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Aylesbury Vale District Council 01296 585858 Website: www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk

National Trust - Ashridge Estate 01442 851227 Website: www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Parish councils Local authorities have lists of parish council clerks

Highway Authorities (ask for Rights of Way Departments) Wiltshire (excl Swindon) Wiltshire Council 0300 456 0100 Website: www.wiltshire.gov.uk

Swindon Swindon Borough Council, 01793 445500 Website: www.swindon.gov.uk

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire County Council 01865 810226 Website: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

West Berkshire West Berkshire Council 01635 42400 Website: www.westberks.gov.uk

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire County Council 0845 370 8090 Website: www.buckscc.gov.uk

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire County Council 0300 123 4040 Website: www.hertsdirect.org

Police Headquarters Wiltshire Website: www.wiltshire.police.uk 101

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire Website: www.thamesvalley.police.uk 101 and Oxfordshire

Hertfordshire Website: www.herts.police.uk 101

Visitor Information Centres Newbury www.visitnewbury.org.uk 01635 30267

Swindon www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/swindon 01793 466454

Faringdon www.faringdontowncouncil.gov.uk 01367 242191

Wantage www.wantage -museum.com/ 01235 760176

Abingdon-on-Thames www.abingdon.gov.uk 01235 522711

Wallingford www.wallingford.co.uk/ 01491 826972

Princes Risborough www.visitbuckinghamshire.org.uk 01844 274795

Wendover www.wendover -pc.gov.uk/ 01296 696759

Tring www.tring.gov.uk/ 01442 823347

St John Ambulance All areas of The Ridgeway Web pages for St John Ambulance event first aid 08700 10 49 50 for Event First Aid cover

First aid advice Web pages for first aid advice

Red Cross Event First Aid Wiltshire Web pages for the Wiltshire section of The 0844 412 2738 Ridgeway Berkshire, Buckinghamshire Web pages for the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire 01189 358213 and Oxfordshire and Oxfordshire sections of The Ridgeway Hertfordshire Web pages for the Hertfordshire section of The 0844 412 2738 Ridgeway

Hospitals with Accident & Emergency Departments Swindon The Great Western Hospital, Marlborough Road, 01793 604020 Swindon SN3 6BB

Abingdon▲ Abingdon Community Hospital, Marcham Road, 01235 205700 Abingdon OX14 1AG Oxford John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, 01865 741166 Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU

Wallingford▲ Wallingford Community Hospital, Reading Way, 01491 208500 Wallingford OX10 9DU

Aylesbury Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Mandeville Road, 01296 315000 Aylesbury HP21 8AL

▲ Minor injuries only, NOT 24-hour service

Updated March 2014