Pete's Walks - Ashridge figure-of-eight walk
I did this walk on Wednesday, 15th April 2009. It was a 'figure-of-eight' walk around Ashridge, Berkhamsted Common and Pitstone Hill, the two loops both starting and finishing at the Bridgewater Monument. It was in fact a slightly modified version of my Alternative Ashridge Walk. I converted it into two loops because I wanted to do a full days walk and at the same time photograph and record the second loop, which takes in Ivinghoe Beacon and Pitstone Hill, as that is a fine shorter walk in its own right (I've wanted to document it on this site for ages). Unfortunately the weather conspired against me - as predicted, it was grey and gloomy in the morning, but though it was warm and sunny in the afternoon it was also very hazy, so my photos wouldn't do the walk justice. I'll just have to do it again on a better day.
I started at the Bridgewater Monument about 9.55am, and took one of the main bridleways heading west. It had rained heavily overnight, so the bridleways and paths were quite muddy. I turned left and crossed the Ringshall-Northchurch Road, continuing along the avenue of beeches and on to Frithsden Beeches.
Muddy bridleway at the start of the walk
In a couple of weeks these woods will be carpeted with Bluebells.
Fallow Deer, near the Ringshall-Northchurch road
Path through Frithsden Beeches
I carried on through part of Berkhamsted Golf Course, then turned pack along a lovely path along a valley, just inside the edge of woods. Field paths then took me to Northchurch, then I was back in the woods as I made my way through Northchurch Common (where I saw my first Cuckooflower of the year) back to Ashridge and the Monument.
This path near Berkhamsted Golf Course goes through (literally!) a number of fallen trees that have had a section cut out like this
Field path between the golf course and Northchurh
Northchurch Common
Ashridge, bridleway near the Tom's Hill road.
I started the second loop from the Monument about 1.15pm, soon stopping to eat lunch on a fallen tree. I quickly forked left off the main track to the monument, descending through the trees then crossing fields and re-ascending back into the woods to rejoin the track just before the kennels at Clipper Down. I spotted my first ever False Oxlip on this section of the walk.
Bridleway descending from Ashridge
The main track to Ivinghoe Beacon, beyond the kennels at Clipper Down
The haze meant that the views from Ivinghoe Beacon were disappointing, as they were from Pitstone Hill.
Ivinghoe Beacon
The view from Ivinghoe Beacon over Gallows Hill to the downs was very hazy
Hazy view back from Pitstone Hill to Steps Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon
I made my way through the woods of Aldbury Nowers and across the golf course at Aldbury. I was feeling very tired as slogged my way up the steep half-mile final section from Aldbury to the Monument.
Grim's Ditch on Pitstone Hill heading for Aldbury Nowers
Path through Aldbury Nowers
Path across the golf course at Aldbury, heading back to Ashridge
Path from Aldbury back to the monument
It was about 4.15pm when I got back to my car, after about six hours and 10 minutes walking - I'm sure I've done this (or a very similar) walk in about five hours before now, I don't know why I was so slow today (though I did take quite a few photos).
I also saw my first Orange Tip butterflies today, as well as several Peacocks, and Brimstones, and a solitary Comma. I saw two Great Spotted Woodpeckers together, a Buzzard and, best of all, a Red Kite on Pitstone Hill. There was lots of Wood Sorrel in Ashridge (parts were almost carpeted with it!), a few Wood Anemones and lots of Garlic Mustard.