About 25 years ago one bright, cold February morning I drove to Streatley with young son and bikes, and we rode west on the Ridgeway. After a while the track thawed in the sun and it became harder and harder to cycle on the soft chalky mud. Eventually, on our attempt to return, son's bike completely clogged up. I left him and struggled back to the car, fortunately 4wd, and then drove back to pick him up. There weren't any traffic restrictions on the byway then, luckily.
