Pete's Walks - Ashridge Estate Boundary Trail (page 3 of 3)
The fence ended at a path crossroads, where I turned right, joining the Ridgeway as it made its way up Steps Hill. I continued along the Ridgeway as it made its way through a small wood and then over a scrub-covered hillside between Steps Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon.
The Ridgeway National trail, going up Steps Hill
Incombe Hole
The Ridgeway on top of Steps Hill
The Ridgeway, between Steps Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon
The Ridgeway, between Steps Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon
The Vale of Aylesbury from Ivinghoe Beacon
Dunstable Downs, from Ivinghoe Beacon
Again there were a lot of people about on the beacon, so I rather hurried to reach the top, where I turned right and followed a grassy ridge to Gallows Hill. I then turned right to go down a chalky farm track, then went right again, now with Gallows Hill and the Beacon on my right. This path led across a large field of cabbages or similar crop, to reach a steep grassy hillside where I turned left, now joinging the Icknield Way.
Dunstable Downs from Gallows Hill
The footpath east of Ivinghoe Beacon - the car park for Ivinghoe Beacon is at the top of the hillside ahead.
I passed through a wood, that included a rather spooky section of conifers, and then rose steeply through the trees to reach Ward's Hurst Farm (where five or six paths meet). Leaving the Icknield Way, I continued straight ahead (the paths here have recently been rerouted to avoid wandering around the farm and its numerous outbuildings), the path now running through a sequence of pastures occupied by sheep and lambs. The path then ran between Ringshall Copse and some small enclosures on the right, before turning right by a small reservoir and following a short drive to the road from Ivinghoe Beacon to Ringshall.
The wood on the way to Ward's Hurst Farm
View towards Dunstable Downs from Ward's Hurst Farm
The path from Ward's Hurst Farm to Ringshall
The path from Ward's Hurst Farm to Ringshall
The path from Ward's Hurst Farm to Ringshall
Across the road I re-entered the woods of Ashridge, with a large parking area close by on my right. I turned left, right and then left again, then followed a broad bridleway through the trees for about a quarter of a mile to where I'd parked on the Ringshall-Berkhamsted road.
Back into the woods of Ashridge, near Ringshall
The bridleway heading back to where I had parked on the Ringshall-Berkhamsted road in Ashridge
Surprisingly, it had been about 18 months since I'd last walked this route, and then I'd done it in the opposite (anti-clockwise) direction. It really was an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable route - I'd forgotten just how good it was. Of course, it helped that the conditions were so good - it made such a nice change to have blue skies all day instead of the constant grey skies I've been more used to recently!.