The ‘Needs to Know’
Distance: 11.5 miles (18.5km)
Time to walk: It took me just under 5 hours, mainly because I was stopping to look at the magnificent views & you can also explore the forest more
Difficulty: This is a hilly walk with several steep inclines & declines. It’s mainly on forest tracks & grassy paths. Please be careful on the Ridge during wet weather as the chalk stones can be very slippery
Dog Friendly?: Lots of off lead opportunities, but you will encounter sheep
Parking: Ashridge Estate free National Trust Car Park
Postcode: HP4 1LT
what3words: blitz.shudders.palettes
Public toilets: At the Visitor Centre at the start & end of the walk & at the pub in Aldbury
Map of the route:
Less than 1 hour from Northampton…
This is a fabulous walk with a real variation of scenery, some amazing views & some good hills. It starts at the Visitor Centre where you’ll also find a cafe & toilets
Ashridge is a country estate & stately home in Hertfordshire, England. It’s situated in the Chiltern Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about 2 miles north of Berkhamsted & 23 miles north west of London. The estate comprises 5,000 acres of woodlands (known as Ashridge Forest), commons & chalk downland which supports a variety of wildlife
It’s a stunning place to walk at all times of the year
Let’s Walk!
1. Having parked near the Visitor Centre walk to the right side of the Bridgewater Monument…
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater & 6th Earl of Bridgewater was a pioneer in the construction of canals during the early part of the Industrial Revolution. In 1761, he opened the Bridgewater Canal in North West England to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester, later extending it to Runcorn & then to Leigh. It’s often said to be the first true canal in Britain, & earned him the nickname of “the Canal Duke”
At the time, Charlotte Catherine Anne, Countess of Bridgewater & widow of the 7th Earl, was still in residence at Ashridge. She objected to the erection of an obelisk, which she considered to be in poor taste, & at her behest, the monument to the Canal Duke was sited some distance from Ashridge House so as not to be seen
To build the monument, the family appointed Sir Jeffry Wyattville, the architect who also worked on the Gothic Revival house on the estate. In line with the countess’s wishes, he altered the design to that of a Greek column
There are 172 steps inside & the abacus provides a viewing platform. Today the Bridgewater Monument, like the Ashridge Estate, is in the care of the National Trust. At weekends, the monument is open to visitors, who can climb 172 steps inside the column to enjoy views of Ashridge & the Chiltern Hills. It’s also possible to see as far as Canary Wharf in East London
2. Walk to the right of the Monument & turn right down the path…
The forest is famous for its fungi
3. Now just follow the forest track crossing a bridge…
Just keep following the path, looking out for the benches with gaps showing great views
4. On reaching the signpost turn right up the hill…
Follow the path up & round to the right to arrive at the road. Cross this & head down the lane towards the farm
5. When I did this walk the footpath had been diverted to keep me past the farm buildings & then left towards the gate…
Head into the woods & start to descend the hill
6. This is wonderful walking along changing woodland & the path’s well marked…
Eventually walk through the gate leading to the heath
7. Take the right path, passing through the gate & walking along the edge of the long field…
Look over to your right to see the Whipsnade Zoo Lion carved into the hillside
8. At the corner turn left & it’s time to begin the climb to the top of Ivinghoe Beacon…
The hill is an ancient signal point, which was used in times of crisis to send messages across long distances. It is also the site of an early Iron Age hill fort protected as a scheduled monument
Archaeological evidence has revealed human activity dating back to the Bronze Age, & the area contains many other scheduled Monuments, including a number of Bronze Age burial mounds & the faint remains of an Iron Age hill fort at the top of the hill. There also exists evidence of ancient farming as the Beacon is also crossed by deep channels which are thought to be cattle drovers’ paths & cross-ridge dykes. The prehistoric earthwork, Grim’s Ditch passes to the south of the Beacon at Incombe Hole
The chalk grassland supports a range of wildlife
A number of wild flower species grow on the Beacon such as rare types of wild orchid & pasque-flower, & these support endangered butterfly species such as the Duke of Burgundy
Ivinghoe Beacon’s appearance of remoteness, yet relative proximity to the film studios at Pinewood Studios, Elstree & Leavesden, has made it a popular choice as a filming location. It has been used as a location for many dramas, especially those produced by ITC in the 1960s
The Beacon has been used as a filming location in four Harry Potter films – ‘Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire’, ‘Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince’, & ‘Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows’ Part 1 & Part 2; BBC dramas ‘Killing Eve’ & ‘The Detectorists’ whilst also in the 2012 BBC adaptation of ‘Richard II’
In 2018 film crews shot scenes here for the Star Wars movie ‘The Rise of Skywalker’
9. Walk to the top to admire the views…
…& of course get a ‘Summit Selfie’…
1o. The route continues down the Beacon on the left…
On reaching the road…cross it & take the right path
11. Just keep following the track down the hill….
At the end of the track pass through a gate, cross the road & then go through the next one
12. It’s now time to cross Pitstone Hill & you have the choice of going over the hill or slightly around the edge…
If you aren’t sure where to go just follow the sheep!
13. As the track splits again take the right one…
…&, as it descends, keep to the right side & head for the woods…
14. On reaching the junction take the small path to the right down the hill…
At the bottom pass through a metal gate & then the wooden one on your left
15. Now follow the narrow path, passing through another gate to arrive in a farmyard…
Turn right & follow the fenced path around the very attractive house
16. Bear right past the white house &, after a few yards, look for a path on the left heading into the trees once more…
The path is quite narrow & eventually reaches a fork…take the right one
17. You’ll see a golf course on your left & shortly the path will open onto that course at a signpost…
Walk straight ahead across the golf course being aware, & giving priority, to golfers
18. At the gate, pass through & turn right & then left down the path towards Aldbury…
At the bottom continue through the gates & carefully onto the road, turning left down to the village Green & Pond
19. Aldbury is designated as a conservation area, with most of the land surrounding the village largely unaltered since the late medieval period
The village is a popular filming location, retaining several archetypical historical features, including a green & pond, well-preserved stocks & a whipping-post, & the church of Saint John the Baptist
Aldbury was also the home of Sir Guy de Gravade, known as the “Wizard of Aldbury”, who was reputed to be able to turn base metals into gold
If you input “film & tv credits for Aldbury” into Google you’ll see how many tv & film shoots have taken place here
20. Continue up the hill & bear slightly left onto the track continuing in the same direction…
Eventually you’ll meet the junction in the picture below & turn sharp right back up on yourself
21. Follow the track going up the steep hill until finally turning left onto a path…
Keep following the path ignoring those going off to the left for quite a distance to finally arrive at the barrier to a road
22. Carefully cross the road onto ‘Lady’s Walk’. Just keep heading straight…this section really looks like Harlestone Firs…
Eventually you’ll reach a cottage on the left. Just past it turn left back on yourself & go through the gate below into the pasture
23. Walk up the hill keeping the tree on your left & exit through another gate. Now keep ahead & past the golf club on the right…
Eventually you’ll turn left onto the main avenue back towards the Monument. Cross the road & continue back to the car park
So that’s the end of this superb walk which has a bit of everything…hills, woods, beautiful villages etc
It just wonderful so…
Go Walk!