Pete's Walks- Barton and Deacon Hill (page 1 of 4)

If you are considering walking this route yourself, please see my disclaimer. You may also like to see these notes about the maps and GPX files.

Google map of the walk

I did this circular walk of about 10 miles on Saturday, 26h August 2017. It was a repeat of a walk I did in July 2014, the route being a shortened version of the Lilley-Barton walk that is one of my favourite walks in the Chilterns. Today, when I reached the foot of Deacon Hill I made a detour to the Knocking Hoe nature reserve and back (about a mile each way) to see the Autumn Lady's-Tresses there, so I actually walked about 12 miles.

I parked in Old Road, Barton-le-Clay (grid reference TL083305), by the entrance to some playing fields and started walking about 9.45am. I followed a footpath across the playing fields and then down a short alley, to emerge opposite Barton church. I turned right here, along Church Road, and at the end of the road I took a footpath going left, passing a paddock and then a field on my right. Just after the path turned right in the field corner, I went through a metal kissing-gate and followed a steep path (it uses 'steps' in a couple of places) up to the top of the Barton Hills.

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The alley between the playing fields and Barton church

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The path from Barton to Barton Hills

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The start of the path up to the top of the Barton Hills

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The  path up to the top of the Barton Hills

It was then a very pleasant stroll for about half a mile, following a fence-line on my left with the chalky hills sloping down on my right. There is one main valley here, with two or three side-valleys entering it from the eastern side where I was walking, the western slope being wooded. I continued along the path as it turned right, now with a hedge on my left, to cross above the end of the main valley - here, as elsewhere, - were good views over Barton Hills, to Barton, Sharpenhoe Clappers and beyond.

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Barton Hills

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Barton Hills

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Barton Hills

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Looking back from Barton Hills, towards Sharpenhoe Clappers (the wood-topped hill in the distance), Barton and beyond

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Barton Hills

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The last and largest of the side valleys ...

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... that leads down to this main valley

When I reached a hedge-corner I went straight on, soon coming to a path junction. where I turned left and immediately left the Barton hills nature reserve at a kissing-gate. I turned left, and followed a farm track for several hundred yards until I reached a minor road. I went left for about a hundred yards, then took a bridleway on the other side. This followed a hedge on my left for about half a mile until I came to track crossroads, where I turned left onto part of the Icknield Way long-distance path (the OS map indicates that this section is also part of the historic Icknield Way).

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The bridleway from Barton Hills

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The bridleway from Barton Hills

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The short road section

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The bridleway starting on the other side of the road ...

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... heading towards Galley Hill

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The bridleway approaching the Icknield Way