OS Pathfinder: Aldbury, Ivinghoe Beacon and Ashridge
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 7.32 mi
- Elevation gain
- 728 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 728 ft
- Max elevation
- 790 ft
- TrailRank
- 1
- Min elevation
- 445 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Coordinates
- 126
- Uploaded
- August 1, 2020
- Recorded
- August 2020
near Aldbury, England (United Kingdom)
Viewed 16 times, downloaded 3 times
Waypoints
Waypoint
445 ft
os pathfinder aldbury, ivinghoe beacon and ashridge
(Start) Start by walking along the road in the Tring direction, passing the church, and at a public footpath sign to Pitstone Hill turn right through a gate (2).
Waypoint
461 ft
os pathfinder aldbury, ivinghoe beacon and ashridge
Head across to go through a second gate, continue along the left-hand edge of a field and look out for a gate on the left. Immediately turn right along a narrow path, go through two galvanised gates and continue along a path between wire fences and hedges. At a path junction go over to a kissing gate and across part of a golf course, following a path and keeping in the same direction. Later, keep along the left edge of trees and a hedge to go through a kissing gate in the top right-hand corner of a field, and continue between trees and scrub to a fingerpost at a path junction. Bear left and then turn right up a flight of steps, here joining the Ridgeway (follow the acorn symbol waymarks). Initially the route passes through woodland, but after passing through a kissing gate, it continues over open downland. The path later descends and curves gradually to the right, keeping close to a wire fence, finally bearing left to a stile in front of Pitstone Hill car park(3).
Waypoint
603 ft
os pathfinder aldbury, ivinghoe beacon and ashridge
Go through a gate, pass through the car park, cross a lane and take the path opposite that heads straight across a field. The path ascends before curving left to a stile. Do not climb it but pass to the left of it and head across, keeping parallel to a hedge and wire fence on the right, to a Ridgeway marker post on the edge of woodland. Continue through the trees and on emerging from them keep ahead downhill, by a wire fence on the right. Turn right through a gate in the fence, head uphill through an area of scrub and bushes, and then continue downhill. Bear left down to the corner of a road (4).
Waypoint
665 ft
os pathfinder aldbury, ivinghoe beacon and ashridge
Cross the road and follow the left-hand one of the two tracks ahead up to the summit of Ivinghoe Beacon, marked by a triangulation pillar (5).
Waypoint
753 ft
os pathfinder aldbury, ivinghoe beacon and ashridge
Retrace your steps to the road (4), cross over and then turn left at a National Trust marker post, along a pleasant path that initially keeps parallel to the road on the left, heading uphill between trees to join a track. Bear left along the track, which curves left to reach an open grassy area beside the road. Turn right alongside hedges on the right, parallel to the road, and at the end of this grassy area turn right (6) along a track signposted 'Ashridge Estate. Restricted access, Clipper Down Cottage only'ÃÂ and waymarked with a National Trust green horseshoe bridleway waymark, which is the waymark to follow for the next mile or so.
Waypoint
782 ft
os pathfinder aldbury, ivinghoe beacon and ashridge
Almost the whole of the remainder of the walk is through part of the splendid beech woods of the Ashridge Estate, over 4,000 acres (1,620 ha) of open grassland, commons and woodlands belonging to the National Trust. Follow the track through this attractive woodland, taking care to keep on the main track all the while, to Clipper Down Cottage. Go through a gate, pass to the right of the cottage and continue along another track: at intervals there are superb views to the right from these wooded slopes across the flatter country of the vale. Pass to the left of a log cabin and soon after crossing a footbridge you reach the Bridgewater Monument (7), erected in 1832 in memory of the third Duke of Bridgewater, the great canal builder and owner of Ashridge.
Waypoint
726 ft
os pathfinder aldbury, ivinghoe beacon and ashridge
Keep ahead past the monument to join a track in front of the National Trust shop, visitor centre and Brownlow Cafe. Turn right and follow the track downhill through woodland. At a fork take the right-hand lower track to continue downhill to a road and turn right for a short distance to return to the centre of Aldbury village.
Waypoint
445 ft
os pathfinder aldbury, ivinghoe beacon and ashridge
Finish
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