Book 2 Walk 5b Tring to Berkhamsted
Length: 20.6km (12.8 miles) Toughness: 5/10
10:01 Northampton train from Euston arriving at Tring at 10:36.
Return trains from Berkhamsted to Euston are at xx06, xx:20 and xx:39 (journey time 32 minutes). Buy an off-peak day return to Tring.
This variant ending of an ever-popular walk is due a Sunday outing, though some may regret that it comes a few weeks too soon to catch the wonderful bluebell displays en route(sorry, Peter!). After following the Chiltern ridge as far as Ivinghoe Beacon, with superb views all the way, the route follows woodland tracks and paths to the lunchtime pub and then onwards to the Bridgwater Monument before descending through open fields to Berkhamsted. More information about features of interest on the route can be found on the Walk 5 page.
After leaving Ivinghoe Beacon, a short cut direct to the Bridgwater Monument saves a couple of miles walking but cuts out the lunchtime pub so you’d need to lunch at the Ashridge Estate visitor centre next to the monument if you opt to do this.
The recommended lunch stop is Bridgwater Arms (01442 842408) in Little Gaddesden. As always on a Sunday, reserving a table is advisable. A good place for tea in Berkhamsted is the Attic Cafe - on the top floor of the Home & Colonial antiques shop, 134 High Street (01442 878713; turn left when you reach the High Street. It closes at 5pm on Sundays and offers excellent home-made scones & cakes and a wide range of teas in generously-sized pots. There are plenty of other places too.
You will need to take the latest (2011) edition of Book 2 or else download the Walk Directions.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Just n=6 on this walk which was a bit surprising given its a lovely outing but perhaps some got left behind at Euston where a platform and display board mix-up meant a mad dash for the train. Needless to say there was no apology from the rail operator but so long as they are allowed to rip you off with impunity why should they care?
Weather w=fine-and-sunny. A bit of strange day this as when we got to the road and the "there and back leg" to Ivanhoe Beacon I decided not to do this for the "nth" time but continue on the main route confidently expecting my faster colleagues to catch me up in about 20 mins. But they never showed up! When we all met up in Berkhamstead they had inadvertently done the Tring to Berkhamstead shorter walk - missing out the pub - which I think is walk 2-05ab in Sean's master walk list. They were a bit stunned when I explained this to them and to be frank its an easy mistake to make if you are using the book as the multiplicity of paths from the tarmac road can be confusing. (Of course its a cinch with GPS (;>)). Still they had superb refreshments in Berkhamstead's Attic Cafe and enjoyed their day's walking .
in the afternoon I took the opportunity to explore a minor diversion from the route from the pub and I'll write a note on this on the walks comments page. Only David Colver did the walk as advertised so full marks to him!
The ending to this walk is lovely and Berkhamstead is a place well worth lingering in on a fine summers evening. It has a number of interesting pubs and cafes and "artisan" type places.
Did the walk as PeteB indicates. I've been to the beacon many times but always in dull or cold or rainy whether, never in sunshine.
Good lunch at The Bridgewater Arms with the best roast potatoes of the year so far. Why fuss after bluebell woods when there are roast potatoes to savour?
It might be worth updating the directions to say that while the Attic Tea Room closes at 5pm on a Sunday, it has a sign saying that last orders are at 4:30. I arrived at 4:33. So took tea at Carluccios, but saw no sign of the others.
Post a Comment