The four trails I’ve completed so far – Thames Path, The Ridgeway, Cotswold Way & North Downs Way – have all had one thing in common; each one is a designated National Trail and as such is managed and maintained by a dedicated body. As a result, National Trails are better maintained than your average trail; you’ll rarely find a broken stile or kissing gate. The signage too is usually superior both in terms of the quantity of the signposts along the trail and the condition of them. The most distinguishing characteristic of a National Trail is the famous acorn logo that you’ll see on most of the fingerboards along the trail.  

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So, bearing all the above in mind, the Wessex Ridgeway, whilst being longer than its considerably better off and better known cousin The Ridgeway, is only a ‘Named’ trail and definitely in League 1 rather than the Premiership and this would become very apparent right from the start of this challenge. Premier League trails get loads of beautiful signposts whereas League 1 trails like the Wessex Ridgeway only qualify for limited circular waymarkers attached to posts and gates.   

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