The Ridge Way ...
...., Britain's oldest road, is a high ground
route that follows the ridge of the chalk downs; was
clear of the dangers of the densely wooded lowland areas.
It was a Stone Age route when Britain was
still part of the continent and the Thames was a tributary
of the Rhine. The first Neolithic farmers came by this route
about 4500 BC.
The Icknield Way ...
..., from which The Side takes its name, is
a lowland route less ancient than the Ridge Way and running
parallel to it in Oxfordshire. This ancient track runs along
the northern edge of the chalk uplands from The Wash to the
edge of Salisbury Plain and passes through Wantage, home of
The Side. It was first used in prehistoric times as it is
on drained ground above the bogs of the clay vales but being
on the spring line has an ample water supply not available
on the exposed tracks of the ridge crests. Starting on the
coast around Hunstanton its course is traceable for 190 miles
along present day roads, byways and tracks (a number of the
roads and villages are named with variants of Icknield) to
Wanborough, a village above Swindon.
The local section of the Way
The Icknield Way enters The Side's territory
at Streatley and heads west along the A417 and its parallel
byroads passing Blewbury, Upton, The Hendreds, Ardington and
Lockinge to come into Wantage along Springfield Rd where it
forms the boundary of what use to be called Icknield School.
After going down Icknield Lane the Way passes north of the
town centre along Ormond Rd and The Portway to exit Wantage
along Ickleton Rd (B4507). The road hugs the steep face of
the Downs to avoid the deep cut spring valleys and so passes
above the villages between Challow and Compton Beauchump on
its way to Ashbury. From there the Way goes through Bishopston
and Hinton Parva to reach its traceable end at Wanborough
where the current road plunges down to Swindon while old tracks
swing south into Wiltshire.
Route of Icknield Way