Giles was tragically killed in a traffic accident before he had completed this article. Maria, his wife, kindly allowed willing helpers to piece it together. It proves how much has been lost to future research by his untimely death.

His chapter is called Ancient Roads and Trackways

We take our roads very much for granted but how did they originate? Who used them? What was traded along their routes? Who repaired them? What stories are told of travel over time?

Today transport on roads is a major topic of debate, no less than through the ages. The Icknield Way (A417 through Blewbury just short of Blewburton Hill) and the Ridgeway have been used for centuries, originally as tracks for pack animals and pedestrians. Later came the drovers crossing the downs with several thousand sheep. In the 18th century the roads were maintained in better repair, especially so when the Turnpike Acts were passed by parliament. These improvements gave rise to stagecoach travel, to highwaymen and to the Royal Mail coaches. This fascinating historical account encourages us to explore each of the ways on foot.