Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

It's hard to imagine that our great ancestors would not have provided water along the way in some form if the Ridgeway was always intended to be a long distance route just for traders and the movement of armies as has been suggested. Unless of course it was originally intended to just link up local communities and not as a major neolithic highway but just grew in size. In that case water would not have been a prerequisite as the then farming community (supposedly) would have no reason to travel huge distances.
I have two books on the Ridgeway Path, The Oldest Road and Elizabeth Cull's Walks Along The Ridgway and also R.Hippisley-Cox's 1914 book The Green Roads of England that gives it great mention and is a joy to read.