Connect Wantage with Slow Ways
We’re creating a network of walking routes that connect all of Britain’s towns, cities and national parks
more walks and reviews are needed to fully connect Wantage to the verified network. Can you give a hike and help?
Give a hike!Wantage
Oxfordshire
Slow Ways linking Wantage and Abingdon, Ashbury, Didcot, East Ilsley, Faringdon, Kingston Bagpuize, Lambourn
England / Oxfordshire / Wantage
Wantage’s seven Slow Ways are 64% checked
Help connect Wantage
Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.
Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.
Give a hike and help get a for every one of Wantage’s Slow Ways.
Walk to Wantage from further afield
Slow Way | Route | To do | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ashbury—Wantage
|
Ashwan one |
|
U U |
|
Verify me | Distance 18km/11mi | Ascent 181m | Descent 219m | ||
Faringdon—Wantage
|
Farwan one |
|
|
4 X |
|
Review me | Distance 17km/11mi | Ascent 95m | Descent 105m | |
Faringdon—Wantage
|
Farwan two |
|
4 X |
|
Review me | Distance 18km/11mi | Ascent - | Descent - | ||
Lambourn—Wantage
|
Lamwan one |
|
U U |
|
Verify me | Distance 13km/8mi | Ascent 210m | Descent 246m | ||
Wantage—Abingdon
|
Wanabi one |
|
4 X |
|
Enjoy me | Distance 18km/11mi | Ascent 64m | Descent 102m | ||
Wantage—Abingdon
|
Wanabi two |
|
U U |
|
Review me | Distance 19km/12mi | Ascent 130m | Descent 168m | ||
Wantage—Abingdon
|
Wanabi three |
|
U U |
|
Pioneer me | Distance 17km/11mi | Ascent 119m | Descent 81m | ||
Wantage—Didcot
|
Wandid one |
|
3 X |
|
Enjoy me | Distance 18km/11mi | Ascent 167m | Descent 132m | ||
Wantage—Didcot
|
Wandid two |
|
U U |
|
Survey me | Distance 18km/11mi | Ascent 114m | Descent 149m | ||
Wantage—Didcot
|
Wandid three |
|
2 Y |
|
Verify me | Distance 20km/12mi | Ascent - | Descent - | ||
Wantage—East Ilsley
|
Waneas one |
|
U U |
|
Verify me | Distance 15km/9mi | Ascent 162m | Descent 183m | ||
Wantage—Kingston Bagpuize
|
Wantkin one |
|
|
U U |
|
Double check | Distance 13km/8mi | Ascent 52m | Descent 43m | |
Wantage—Kingston Bagpuize
|
Wantkin two |
|
U U |
|
Review me | Distance 13km/8mi | Ascent - | Descent - |
Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?
If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Wantage and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?
This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!
Collective progress
63% of Wantage’s seven route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified
13/13
12/13
5/13
3/13
8 people have contributed to Wantage’s Slow Ways
2 people have pledged to walk and review a route
7 people have surveyed a route in Wantage
200km out of 218km have been walked and reviewed
426km of reviews have been shared in Wantage
Latest Updates
Hedges block the best of the view for this stretch of the route (Photo 2), but the landscape opens up beyond an intersection of byways at Sheepdrove Organic Farm (Photo 3). The Slow Way takes a well-maintained footpath (Photo 10) from the village into Wantage, and there is a short urban walk to finish by Alfred the Great’s statue in Market Place (Photo 11)....
Martin Ellis
There is a short urban walk to join the Icknield Greenway, a well-maintained cycle path east to Harwell (Photo 2). The Slow Way then leaves the Ridgeway for a footpath south into East Ilsley; parallel to the A34 and overgrown in a few places (Photo 8)....
Martin Ellis
A variant to Wanabi 1 that adds a loop between Ardington and West Hendred....
Martin Ellis
Wantage to Abingdon 1 (Wanabi 1) review. A route which weaves between several villages, and pub break points, on its way from Wantage to Abingdon. There is a pleasant urban walk to the centre of historic Abingdon, some of which is beside the Thames (Photo 7)....
Martin Ellis
The village of West Hanney provides the only break until you get to the outskirts of Kingston Bagpuize, which also features the photogenic and visitable Kingston Bagpuize House, about 1km from the end of the route. Both Wantage and Kingston Bagpuize have good bus services, which helps if you're doing this as a one-way trip...
Martin McGovern
Martin McGovern added Wantkin two, a new walk from Wantage to Kingston Bagpuize
Walk this routeWhere it leaves the Charney Bassett-Fyfield Wick road, the route follows a bridleway northward, running west of Swannybrook Farm....
Martin McGovern
I agree with pretty much everything in Strider's earlier review - this is slightly longer than the other two routes, but has great scenery. I cycled the whole way, using a hybrid bike which was fine. Anyone planning to try this with four wheels might want to check out the pictures I've posted - the entry to the long straight eastbound path at East Ginge is manageable for bikes, but for anything wider, it could be a challenge....
Martin McGovern
I walked from Faringdon to Wantage. Cut through paths in Faringdon and Wantage minimise exposure to traffic in town. Keep close eye on the map it's quite easy to miss a turn and the OS map is not always correct....
Strider
Whilst standing at a dead end close to Wickwood Farm a local helpfully pointed out the correct route which had been in use for 30+ years....
Strider
This gives an alternative route for wheels between Wantage and Didcot. Wheelchairs might need electric assistance up long inclines. Long hills, quite tiring....
Strider
The route heads eastward out of Wantage, running roughly parallel to the Reading Road, before turning northeast towards Steventon and then northward to Abingdon....
Martin McGovern
There is a short urban walk to join the Icknield Greenway (Photo 2). The walk to Harwell is directly east along the tarmacked cycle path (photo 4)....
Martin Ellis
I walked The Ridgeway from Wantage to Ashbury in the morning, including a break to join in the annual Scouring of the White Horse. Lunch in Ashbury, and then walked this Slow Way back to Wantage in the late afternoon. There’s a brief glimpse of the White Horse itself (Photo 3) from the path out of Woolstone....
Martin Ellis
Robert Glover added Wanabi three, a new walk from Wantage to Abingdon
Walk this routeFairly easy walk, not very muddy at present. Not very exciting scenery but a good view of Didcot from above Upton. Have to take a diversion through Harwell Campus...
Andrew Kerr
Nice route using the Icknield way and the disused railway line from Upton. Ran this after some decent rainfall and still good surfaces throughout. No turnstiles, one steep bit over Ginge bridge but not that bad....
Mathew_jones
This is a lovely direct route travelling through the Lambourn Downs up to the Ridgeway before descending into the Vale of the White Horse at Letcombe Regis for a flat finish to Wantage. Where the route takes a right turn at the next junction, the road continues for a while with the bridleway as a wide grassy verge on its left side (Photo 4). There is only about 200m of Ridgeway to walk before the route takes a left, over a stile (Photo 8) to descend (quite steeply in places) through fields and woodland (Photos 9 & 10) to Letcombe Regis....
Ursula
Starting in Ashbury the route largely follows a series of footpaths below the B4507 which runs along the northern spring-line of the Berkshire Downs below the Ridgeway all the way to Wantage. After Sparsholt the route makes more use of the road with quite a long section to Childrey and another section after crossing the B4507 at East Challow to Letcombe Regis. For visitors new to the area though, it may be tempting, as a more scenic option, to climb up to the Ridgeway from Ashbury to Waylands Smithy, following it to take in the Uffington White Horse and then on to Segsbury Camp where you can drop down to Letcombe Regis to pick-up the footpath into Wantage....
Ursula
A pleasant route for walkers using sections of the Icknield Greenway and the Ridgeway. From Wantage marketplace, the route follows a series of pedestrian alleyways and residential roads before joining a section of the Icknield Greenway which doubles as a cycle route to the nearby Harwell Campus. Crossing the Icknield Greenway again, the route follows a narrow footpath alongside Ginge Brook before ending at the first stile of the journey. After crossing under the A34, the route leaves the Ridgeway on a footpath through the fields....
Ursula
Neil Patrick McColl added Wanabi two, a new walk from Wantage to Abingdon
Walk this routeSome bits are very muddy / standing water after significant rain....
Neil Patrick McColl
If you don't want to cross stiles, look at the other wandid routes...
Neil Patrick McColl
The route should follow the Harwell - Wantage cycle path. That would avoid stiles etc, give a better surface but still be close to villages for facilities. I will suggest alternative based on that....
Neil Patrick McColl
Neil Patrick McColl added Wandid two, a new walk from Wantage to Didcot
Walk this routeThis route avoids stiles etc and is less prone to any mud....
Neil Patrick McColl
Reasonably easy to follow with little stickers on the standard council waymarks and fingerposts. A variety of surfaces from tarmac and gravel to grass, field edge and a couple of cross-field paths that may be ploughed or cropped but are usually reinstated....
jcgordon
Mainly a good route but it could be much improved by utilising the recently-opened Icknield Greenway....
jcgordon
Slow Ways added Waneas one, a new walk from Wantage to East Ilsley
Walk this routeSlow Ways added Wantkin one, a new walk from Wantage to Kingston Bagpuize
Walk this routeWantage’s Slow Ways starting point
Grid ref
SU3982887903
Lat / Lon
51.58858° / -1.42649°
Easting / Northing
439,828E / 187,903N
what3words
Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?
If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Wantage and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?
This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!
Facilities
Users have reported that the following facilities can be found within 1km of Wantage's meeting point
Public toilet
Wheelchair accessible toilet
Supermarket or convenience shop
Restaurant, cafe or pub
Accommodation
Accommodation for under £50 a night
Campsite
Bothy
Free wifi
Mobility scooter hire
Off-road wheelchair hire
Disabled Parking
Train station
Bus stop
Ferry
Official ‘Walkers are Welcome’ town
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