Start & finish: Tring Railway Station (HP23 5QS)
(S/E) From the station, cross the road and turn right on Station Road towards Aldbury. Cross the Northfield Road junction and continue along the side of Station Road for 100m. Turn left on to a bridleway climbing away from the road.
After 200m where the Ridgeway turns left, keep straight on and continue to climb gently with lovely views over Aldbury to the trees of Ashridge.
(1) Shortly after the path starts to descend turn right on a footpath signposted for Aldbury. For a stretch the path heads almost directly towards the church before curving to the right to pass to the left of Church Farm (now a complex of small businesses, including the Musette café) to meet Station Road. Turn left past the church to the village green (A).
(2) (Here is the alternative start from Aldbury) From the village green, take Trooper Road, signposted to the Valiant Trooper public house. After 100m turn left on a lane between houses. It soon emerges into allotments. Pass through the gate at the top of the allotments and turn right. When you get to the gardens turn left.
The path then turns right to pass between garden fences to a road. Turn left on the road and follow it uphill for 60m.
(3) When the road bends left you will see a footpath heading half right signposted 'Chiltern Way' (B). Take this path uphill - it climbs fairly steeply along the side of the hill to meet the road from Aldbury.
(4) When you meet the road, turn right and walk alongside the crash barriers for a short distance. The main road soon turns sharply left, but you keep straight ahead on a lane towards Tom's Hill. You pass several houses and some warehouses then cross over a parking area. Ignore all turnings to the left keeping straight ahead on a byway and passing through a gate in to the wood. The byway descends through the wood to another gate at the far side. These woods are known as 'The Hangings' and in spring you can see a fine display of wood anemones here.
(5) Leave the wood and turn left alongside it. After 50m the path goes through a gate in the hedge into a field. Here the path bears a little to the right, away from the edge of the wood and eventually brings you to the hedge on the opposite side of the field.
Pass through a gate and drop down steps through the narrow strip of trees. Keep left along the edge of the next field and pass through the next hedge and through a gate into a field. Here the path bears right away from the woods again and starts to descend diagonally across the field. You should aim just to the left of the buildings of Norcott Court Farm that you can see ahead of you. This field and that beyond the farm often contain alpacas.
(6) Pass through two gates to meet the road to the farm (Norcott Court Farm). Turn left and almost immediately right on a broad stony track, which becomes grassy after passing a gate. Turn right around the end of the paddock and after 80m turn left through the hedge and cross the field to the bridge over the railway.
Cross the railway and the next field to a gap in the hedge which brings you to a road (Wharf Lane). Turn right on the road which soon curves left to cross the canal and bring you to a major road opposite the Cow Roast Inn (now closed).
(7) Cross (A4251) the road, turn right and almost immediately take the byway on the left signposted to Tinkers Lodge. After 600m on this broad track you pass the lodge and come to a road. Turn left on it and pass under the A41.
Immediately after the road bridge take the footpath to the right. After a short stretch alongside the road it curves left between tall hedges. Almost immediately turn left through a gate in the hedge and follow the footpath across several fields a little to the right of the valley bottom. Pass through a gate into Lower Wood.
(8) (Here is the return point to the alternative start from Wiggintong) Shortly after entering the wood you come to a fork in the track. Our route follows the left fork signposted for Wigginton Bottom.
If you wish to visit the Greyhound Pub or have parked in Wigginton keep straight ahead following the line of the valley, ignoring paths to the right and left, and you will reach Wigginton and the pub in 1km.
Follow the Chiltern Way as it climbs steeply up the side of the valley then levels off near the top. After leaving the wood the path becomes a broad lane, curving left to follow the left-hand hedge where it enters a long narrow field then descends to a road (Wigginton Bottom).
Turn left on the road for 50m then right on a footpath that runs behind the roadside hedge before turning right by a house. The path winds between gardens and paddocks and through a narrow strip of woodland before emerging on a road.
(9) Turn right, cross the road and, after 20m, turn left through a kissing gate. (Alternative start from Wiggintong) Walk straight across the field and you will find a gate in the hedge opposite. Pass through the gate, turn right, pass through a hedge line and then turn left.
(10) For the next mile you will be following the line of Grim's Ditch (C) in a westerly direction. Follow the most obvious path, sometimes walking through the trees, sometimes walking to one side. Where you enter a beech wood, walk down the left-hand side of the wood to meet a road (Kiln Road).
Cross the road and keep on in the same direction (South-West-West), now down the right-hand side of a wood. You will still be heading West along the ancient line of Grim's Ditch. As you emerge from the trees the path bears a little to the left as it crosses a field to a gap in the hedge where it meets a broad lane.
(11) Here you leave the Chiltern Way, turning right on a broad hedge-lined byway. Soon after passing the first houses of Hastoe you come to a road (Church Lane) where you turn right. Here you join the Ridgeway (D), walking down Church Lane past the village hall to Hastoe Cross.
(12) Turn left at the T junction at Hastoe Cross heading towards Tring.
(13) After 200m, follow the Ridgeway right (North-East) off the road into the woods. After a short stretch through beech woodland the Ridgeway follows King Charles drive through Tring Park woods (E). This is a lovely track lined by tall lime and beech trees. In places there are extensive views across Tring to Ivinghoe Beacon and beyond. Continue in the same direction until you come to a five-bar gate through which you can see an ornamental temple 200m away.
(14) Turn right on the Ridgeway and pass some estate houses to a road (Oddy Hill). Cross straight over and join a footpath running along the right-hand edge of a field. To the right of the path you will see a trig point (F). Pass through a gate and you now have Langton Wood on your left. The path turns left round the edge of the wood and descends to a road (known as 'The Twist').
(15) Turn right on the road and almost immediately left on to a footpath signposted for Tring Station. This path descends steadily with views over fields towards Ashridge to the right. The path crosses high above the A41 on a footbridge then turns right and, shortly after, left to descend to the old A41.
(16) Turn right, following the tarmac path along the verge and cross by the bollards. Take the footpath to the right of the house where you crossed the road. The path continues its descent, once more with lovely views to the right. After 800m you come to a road (Beggar's Lane) where you turn left. Turn right where you meet a larger road (Station Road). This crosses the canal and leads to the station in 300m. (S/E)
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