Walking The Ridgeway Ivinghoe Beacon and Ashridge Estate

 Time to catch up on some missing legs of the Ridgeway.  My usual walking partner was on a jolly at Ascot races so I was flying solo today. Where better than the start or endpoint of Ivinghoe Beacon depending on your point of view. Standing 233 m (757 ft) above sea level it is close to the village of Ivinghoe in Buckinghamshire. It lies between the towns of Dunstable in Bedfordshire, and Berkhamsted and Tring in Hertfordshire.

Rolling Hills

Another blisteringly hot Summers Day and I left the car in the free car park . Following the signs I made my way to the summit of the Beacon. The chalky grassland is fairly easy walking although quite steep in places , another tester for the knee.
On arrival I wasn't totally sure what to do next?
I decided to have a wander around some of the fields and footpaths.There are breathtaking views of the Vale of Aylesbury right across to the Lion carved into the  chalk hillside at Whipsnade.

Huge Skies

Chalky grassland path

I soon found myself back at the car park after about half an hour. It wasn't time to pack up and go home that was for sure. I had noticed earlier on my map something called the 'Bridgewater Monument' in the Ashridge estate. All I had to do was to navigate myself there then !

From the main car park at Steps Hill I walked away from the Beacon following a woodland path 'Dunscombe Terrace' leading to the Visitor Centre on the Ashridge estate.

Restored Victorian shooting Lodge

The Bridgewater Monument

 The first thing you notice as you approach the Ashridge estate visitor centre is the listed Georgian 'Bridgewater Monument'.
Towering above the trees the monument was built in 1832 in memory of the third Duke of Bridgewater who once lived in Ashridge house. The monument is dedicated to 'the father of inland navigation' because the duke became famous for building canals during the Industrial Revolution.
I climbed all 172 steps to the viewing gallery and took in the views of the Ashridge estate.

It is said that on a clear day you can see Canary Wharf , The Shard Building and Wembley stadium. I must admit I did struggle a bit with the dodgy pair of old binoculars the kind man from the National Trust lent me.

Changing direction you can spot Waddesdon Manor and Wendover Woods in the distance.

The Ashridge estate is set within 2,000 hectares of atmospheric mature woodland with lots of marked trails to explore and is owned by National Trust.

I would have been quite happy to stay at the top admiring the view
all afternoon. However there was plenty more walking to be done.
There was time for a quick cup of tea with an old friend of mine who had seen my post on Facebook and arranged to meet up with me.
Only living in Berkhamsted it only took him a few minutes to arrive to a place he knew very well.

I never really  enjoy walking back the same route although sometimes it is unavoidable. From my lofty eyrie I spied a Golf Course out the back and a different path leading roughly in that direction.
After a quick study of the trusty ordnance survey map I reckoned if I could get the other side of the Golf Course and hopefully pick up the trail going up Pitstone Hill. From there it then joins the Ridgeway and the missing section would be completed back to the car park.

Stocks Golf Club

For once the plan worked like a charm !
by the time I had climbed up  Pitstone Hill the poor old legs were starting to feel it . In the heat I definitely began to feel weary and the ice cream back in the car park had never tasted quite so good.

Ridgeway Map