[1] From the car park of the National Trust Visitor Centre in the Ashridge Estate. SP971131, take the driveway immediately in front of the visitor centre and after passing it on your left, walk downhill on the main path/bridleway ignoring all turnings on the left hand side including the "Old Copse Trail", which can easily be mistaken as the main route at one point. When nearing the bottom of the hill, before it becomes less steep, you come to a cross roads with two other bridleways; take the one on the right, through the trees. The path becomes a driveway between the houses; follow it down to main road. At the junction turn right on to the road. This is a short piece of road walking as there is no pavement – take care.
Option – If the conditions are wet underfoot, then as this bridleway on the right has a short steep downhill section, you can carry on down the main bridleway until it reaches the road. Turn right here to the road junction. At this junction, just before the village pond, turn right onto Stocks Rd. and walk along the road to [2]. Note, this option means a couple of more minutes walking on the, normally quiet, road than the main route.
[2] Turn left onto the footpath just before the recreation ground car park. Note this is an alternative start point – SP965128, but has limited parking. When the path reaches the field, just behind the goalposts, go over the stile and take the path straight ahead alongside the fence adjacent to the recreation ground, then bear right to walk diagonally across the field to the far corner where you turn left onto a bridleway. After passing the “Stocks” golf club house take the next path on the right. When this path emerges on to the golf course follow it along the hedgerow turning left at the first footpath signpost. At the second signpost turn right, leaving the hedge. This takes you in between the fairways. On leaving the golf course, go straight across the bridleway on the footpath into the woods – “Aldbury Nowers”.
Option - if you are concerned about livestock, then ignore the footpath at [2] and go through the recreation ground and head for the far right hand corner of the field, avoiding any football or cricket match that might be going on. Go through the gap in the trees and turn left on to the bridleway noted in [2]
[3] Turn right onto the Ridgeway, indicated by the acorn symbol on the signpost, and up the steps.
(A) The Ridgeway national trail, which has been used since pre-historic times, runs for 87 miles between Overton Hill, near Avebury in Wiltshire and Ivinghoe Beacon – which is part of this walk.
This is where the optional route from Tring station joins the main route. Optional Start – SP951122 - From the station cross the road to the pavement and turn right. When pavement runs out, cross back over and walk on the grass verge. When opposite Westlands Farm entrance, which has a Ridgeway and Ivinghoe Beacon signpost, cross back over road and walk up the concrete drive. At the top of the drive continue to the hedgerow and turn left along the Ridgeway to point [3] on the main route.
This is a busy stretch of road, take extra care in crossing.
Almost immediately after climbing the steps you come to open grassland on the left hand side. This is a Butterfly Nature Reserve, which can be entered at various points along this stretch. When the path emerges from the trees, after about 1km, continue straight on up the incline following the Ridgeway across Pitstone Hill, with great views towards Ivinghoe Beacon (see photo), and down to the car park. Note this is an alternative start point. SP955149.
(B) As you ascend Pitstone Hill take note of the “trench” on the hillside. This is Grim’s Ditch, thought to have dated back to the Iron Age and was probably used as a territorial or farm boundary.
[4] Go through the car park, cross over the road and follow the Ridgeway uphill passing the steep sided Incombe Hole on your left (see photo). At the top of the hill bear left at the gate, keeping on the Ridgeway (note the acorn on the low signpost) for about 100 metres until the path splits in several directions. Take the path half left (about 45 degrees to the main, straight ahead path - see photo) to the gap in the trees/gorse bushes. Follow this path as it curves right around the hillside to the gate, where it rejoins the Ridgeway. Continue along the path to the road.
[5] Cross the road and continue along the Ridgeway to the top of the Ivinghoe Beacon. Take extra care crossing the road as it’s a bit of a blind bend for traffic coming down hill.
(C) The Beacon marks the end (or start?) of the Ridgeway. The summit, at 233m/765ft, is marked with a trig point and has superb views over the Vale of Aylesbury and as far as Oxfordshire.
From the top, turn right (from the direction of your approach) along the main path, go through the gate and continue along the ridge (see photo). You might be able to see straight ahead in the distance, if it’s been cleaned up, the White Lion cut into the Dunstable Downs hillside that indicates the location of Whipsnade Zoo. Just before reaching the next gate and fence in front of you, follow the path as it turns right/parallel to the fence down to the gate at the bottom of the hill.
[6] Go through the gate and after about 100metres turn right to go diagonally across the field.
[7] On exiting the field, through the kissing gate, there’s a choice of taking the direct route straight up the steep hill to the car park or the optional route that makes the climb easier/longer, by 5 to 10 minutes. Note; there are actually 4 paths in total on exiting the field, but the steep path straight up/bearing slightly right and the option to the right are easy to determine.
Optional route for easier climb - Immediately after the kissing gate at [7] take the path to the right following the fence, ignoring gates/stiles on the right, to the stile in the corner of the field. Go over the stile and turn left following the well-made path up to the car park.
Once in the car park, which is an alternative start point – SP963159, take the "unsigned" path in the far left hand corner (if facing the road) by the road (see photo).This path goes through the trees and runs parallel to the road. After emerging from the trees carry on for about 100m on the roadside verge and cross the road just before the cattle grid.
Take the access drive to Clipper Down Cottage (The Ashridge Cycle Route). After about 1km and just as the main track curves left to the Cottage, fork right on a track down towards a stile/gate. Go over stile and follow path along the hillside down to the farm road. Turn left here and then right just before the farm. Cross the two fields to the bridleway.
[8] At the bridleway turn left and follow it uphill. Keep on the main track and after passing the house on the right – “Tim’s Spring” the track bears left up to the Bridgewater Monument (see photo). The car park, at the start point, is over the grassland to the left of the Visitor Centre.