Thankyou to Peter Skuse of the Vale of White Horse Ramblers for this piece …
The Vale Way walking trail was launched on 3rd July 2015 by the mayor, Helen Pighills. Since then the local Ramblers group have waymarked the route by adding small blue decals with the words ‘The Vale Way Ramblers’ to existing way mark signs along the way. Last year the route was accepted for inclusion on Ordnance Survey mapping. Currently available on online maps, we await being able to purchase paper maps with the route shown.
This year the Ramblers have funded two metal finger post signs to mark the two ends of the trail. The sign at the eastern end of the trail was installed on the post at the junction with the Thames path adjacent to the bridge over the millstream near Abingdon weir on Tuesday 24th April 2018. The sign was officially unveiled by the Mayor of Abingdon on Thames, Cllr Jan Morter.
A sign at the western end of the route will be installed and unveiled in late May.
The Vale Way team left to right are Stuart Hughes, John Gordon, Peter Skuse, Jim Parke.
Details of the 27.25 mile route from Abingdon to Longcot via Wantage and Faringdon can be found at:www.ramblers-oxon.org.uk/thevaleway/valeway.htm
The route is divided into 5 shorter sections with instructions given for each section. Generally start and finish points can be accessed by buses. Please enjoy our wonderful Vale countryside and historic market towns and villages.
I still think this should have been called the Skuse-Hughes Trail in the spiritual lineage of Lewis & Clark and those brave Mountain Men of the early American West ;0)