The Sanctuary

Bed and Breakfast in Ogbourne St.George, Marlborough, Wiltshire

    Telephone: +44 (0)1672 841473    Mobile: +44 (0)7850 325344    E-mail:

Four-star accomodation at The Sanctuary

Public Transport for The Ridgeway

One of the joys while you're walking The Ridgeway is the relative remoteness and the absence of motorised vehicles, like cars and buses. Ironically, that can also be a blessed nuisance when you want to get to or from one of the surrounding towns.

On this page, we're listing the available public transport we're aware of. If you know of any more, please let us know.

Avebury and Overton Hill:

A Wilts & Dorset bus route connects Swindon, Avebury and Devizes. The B4003 "Stone Avenue" road is a 1Km walk connecting Avebury and the A4 close to Silbury Hill.

Route 95 connects Avebury and Marlborough.

There is also an X76 service which goes between Marlborough and Bath, along the A4 via West Kennett (near Overton Hill) and Beckhampton (by the Wagon & Horses pub). Beware: it does not operate on Sundays.

Ogbourne St.George:

Stagecoach route 70 and 71 from Swindon or Marlborough. Ask for the bus stop at the Marlborough end of the village, we are about 50 yards (or 50 metres) from the stop.

Route 5 on Sundays is now a Stagecoach route. From 23 October 2011 Stagecoach will commence operation of Service 5 which will run between Swindon and Salisbury via Marlborough. Locally it goes via Liddiards Green, Ogbourne St.George and Chaplins Stores, Chiseldon.

Alternatively, the Wilts and Dorset route X5 from Swindon or Pewsey. Please note: this is now a Monday-Saturday only service. This route stops on the village by-pass, and does not come through the village itself. From the bus stop on the A346, it is a five minute walk. Details on the X5 route can be found here.

Bishopstone and Ashbury:

See the Ridgeway Explorer (below)

Sparsholt Firs, Letcombe Bassett and eastwards:

The two B&Bs at Sparsholt Firs (Hill Barn and Down Barn Farm) are on the uplands away from villages. The most regular buses are from Wantage, which is an extra 6Km's walk.

Bus routes running north-south

The Lambourne Valley and West Downlands Transport Guide has a lot of useful information.

Route 82 Barnes Coaches (Lambourne to Wantage) crosses the Ridgway path at the Sparsholt Firs junction with the B4001. Wednesdays only

Route 107 - Weavaway Travel (Wantage to Newbury) crosses the path at the junction with the B4494 on its way through Farnborough (2Km south). Saturdays only.

Route 6 (Newbury Buses) (East Ilsely to Newbury) crosses at Bury Down on the hilltop north of West Ilsley.

You may find it easier to identify an available route by looking at the Oxfordshire County bus routes map. The various bus routes and timetables are indexed on the Subsidised Bus Services list.

Bus routes running east-west

38 WHITES COACHES (Childrey, Letcombe Bassett, East Challow, WANTAGE, Grove, Health Centre, Charlton, WANTAGE, East Challow, Letcombe Bassett, Childrey.)

67 and 67a HEYFORDIAN (Monday - Friday)
Route 67 connects WANTAGE, Letcombe, East Challow, Childrey, Sparsholt, Westcot, Uffington, Woolstone, Uffington, Baulking, Standford in the Vale, Shellingford, Fernham, Farlington, Southmoor, Longcot, Watchfield.
Route 67A connects WANTAGE, East Challow, Standford in the Vale, Shellingford, Fernham, Farlington.

The X47 "The Ridgeway Explorer" would be an ideal bus service for people walking the Ridgeway between Bishopstone and Wantage. Sadly it is Saturday only, plus Sundays & Bank Holidays from Easter until October.  It connects Swindon, Idstone, Ashbury, Woolstone, Kingston Lisle, Westcot, Sparsholt Firs, Childrey, Letcombe Bassett, Letcombe Regis, Wantage.

If you're waiting for a bus in Wantage in the Market Place, the King Alfred's Head (Bar and Bistro) is a nice place to wait. They will (by arrangment) accept bags for people who are walking the Ridgeway, if you stop there for lunch.