A FORMER Swindon resident who became fascinated by one of Britain’s oldest roads while growing up here as a child has now published a book on the Ridgeway.

After 40 years studying the ancient track used for more than 5,000 years by travellers, Clive Bowd has launched Tales Of The Ridgeway and describes how the road fuelled his imagination from a young age.

“To an urban child surrounded by smoke, terraced houses and people and lots of people, the Berkshire Downs, the chalk hills south-east of Swindon across which the Ridgeway runs, offered an escape from the drabness and noise,” he writes.

“It was this view of the green hills and large blue skies over the Downs that helped me fire my imagination, leading me to a life of walking, archaeology and exploration of wild places.”

Swindon itself makes several appearances throughout the book, providing the backdrop for Clive’s early years.

“My first experience of The Ridgeway was being taken up on to the Downs by my parents,” says Clive.

He describes how these walking trips eventually inspired him to find out more about local history and archaeology, leading to the publication of the book.

“These early forays were usually family affairs that included my parents and occasionally an older brother. They were accomplished using local buses to get us as near to the foot of the Downs. On these excursions we would cover several miles on foot exploring the local churches and sites of archaeological and historical interest, stopping at public houses for refreshment if the opportunity presented itself.

“At no time do I remember seeing my parents use a map – following public footpath signs along with one’s nose appeared to suffice. Mind you, it’s fair to say we were following in the footsteps of my mother’s family who had lived and worked on the land hereabouts for the previous three centuries and more. Even so, I remember more than once us being lost in the network of fields and woods that made up the approaches to the Downs just south of Swindon.

“One particular occasion stands out when we had my mother’s father with us. He would have been retired at the time, previously a boilermaker in the Great Western. We had attempted to find our way from Coate Water via Hodson to Chiseldon along the line of the old railway. We walked round the east side of the reservoir after first paying the few pennies entrance charge made by Swindon Corporation and then somehow fought our way through, eventually emerging out onto the lane.

At one point we left the railway and tramped through a cornfield. Once back o “On the railway track progress was good, until we arrived in Chiseldon. Here we had to scramble up the steep wall of another cutting in order to access the village and the other end of the lane from Hodson.

“My parents struggled up the bank as it was, but you should have seen my granddad. He made quite a sight huffing and puffing up that bank, his face turning purple and the sweat pouring off him... pushed by dad and pulled by mum.... dressed in his Sunday best, a brown serge pin striped three piece suit.”

The book details the various points of interest along the Ridgeway and the stories associated with them from the mysteries of the Neolithic henge monument at Avebury to the folk tales surrounding the Moonrakers, the nickname by which Wiltshire folk are known.

Tales of the Ridgeway is available as an e-book for Amazon Kindle users.