WIGGINTON TO IVINGHOE BEACON [MAPS 46-48]
Overview
This final 5 mile/7.9km section of the Ridgeway may not seem much of a challenge but as most of this stage is uphill, with a steep climb to the finish itself, it’ll probably be enough. From the finish you’ll also have to walk at least to the nearest road, or probably to the nearest village, Ivinghoe. This will add around 11/2 miles/2.5km to your walk and you don’t want to be too tired to celebrate with a drink or two in one of the local pubs at the end.
Route
From Wigginton you’ll soon come to the pedestrian bridge (Map 46) crossing the crowded A41 that runs from Bicester down to the M25. Next up it’s the fast A4251 that you must cross without the aid of a bridge, so take care.
Soon after these two road crossings, the Ridgeway crosses the Grand Union Canal (Map 47). This runs from the River Thames in Brentford, up through the Chilterns via many series of locks, then onto Birmingham where it finishes 137 miles/220km later. Initially this was the Grand Junction Canal, opened in 1805, and running only from Brentford to Braunston, to link with the Oxford Canal. In 1929 it was linked to various other branches running up to Birmingham via Warwick and was renamed the Grand Union Canal.
Nowadays the main traffic on the canal is barges rented by tourists. The towpath, from the Thames at Brentford to Birmingham, is now also recognized as an official walking path.
After crossing two roads and a canal, next up is a rail line. You pass by Tring Station, now a minor stop for trains on the West Coast Main Line to/from London Euston. The large building next to the station used to be a hotel but has closed. There is a taxi company in the station car park (see p170), but if you’re not catching a train here there is little reason to stop.
You follow the road for a few more minutes and when you leave it, you can consider yourself to be beginning the last stage of the Ridgeway. If you want to visit Aldbury, don’t turn off here, but continue on the road for another half a mile/1km.
ALDBURY
Aldbury is a picture perfect English village, complete with duck pond, church and village pub. It would make a good alternative to staying in Wigginton if the accommodation there is full. The idyllic village has been captured on film many times for use in such productions as The Avengers, The Dirty Dozen, Inspector Morse, and more recently, Bridget Jones’s Diary: The Edge of Reason.
You’ll be surprised when you look inside the village shop. Not only is it very well stocked and much larger than it looks from the outside, but there is a post office in here as well as an ATM.
Buses leave the village for Tring (Arriva’s No 30 and Red Rose’s Nos 327 & 387) and other destinations; see pp40-4 for further details.
Where to stay and eat
Opposite the duck pond is The Greyhound (tel 01442 851228, web www.greyhoundaldbury.co.uk, 7D/1F, food Mon-Sat noon-2.30pm/6-9pm, Sun noon-4pm), a much filmed and photographed place. The pub is open all day and there is a varied menu with starters costing from £4 to £10.50 and main courses ranging from mushroom risotto (£5.75) to fillet of beef (£16). The en suite rooms are £65/75 for single/double occupancy.
There is also a B&B at Stocks Farm House (tel 01442 851397, web jennymarymead@aol.com, 2D/2T). This is a friendly place with en suite rooms for which they charge £40, or £30 for single occupancy. To get there follow the road northwards out of the village for about half a mile and the house will be on the left side of the road.
A good option for food is The Valiant Trooper (tel 01442 851203, web www.valianttrooper.co.uk, food Mon-Sat noon-2pm/6.30-9.15pm, Sun noon-2.30pm). This pub is less than five minutes’ walk from the centre of the village and is open all day. They have a changing selection of real ales to accompany their choice of filling ploughman’s and homecooked casseroles. The restaurant is often very busy.
Nearly opposite The Greyhound are the Town Farm Tea Rooms, open daily for tea and snacks.
The path climbs through woodland, sometimes level, but more often than not climbing. By now there will only be a few miles left and you might think it’s all going to be over soon. Then you’ll get your first glimpse of Ivinghoe Beacon, up ahead in the far distance. The word, ‘far’ is appropriate but at least the end is now always in sight. You can admire the increasingly stunning views from up here and plod on.
You can also see, down to your left a large, old chalk pit, now filled with water; this is a popular place for relaxing and swimming during the summer. The water takes on a turquoise colour, adding something almost tropical to the atmosphere of the place. If you are plodding your way up to the Beacon on a hot day, just the sight of it can make you want to run down there and dive right in.
When you reach the road and car park the Icknield Way puts in an appearance once more and stays with you all the way to the end of the Ridgeway. Gradually the Beacon gets closer until you are left with just one last climb to the end. This will just about finish you off if you started the day at Princes Risborough.
There is a Ridgeway information board and trig point at the end of the walk to go with the panoramic views. There are often other people up here but not many that have been on the Ridgeway for the last 87 miles, for sure. Take plenty of time to relax up here, enjoy the views and reflect on the previous stages.
When you are ready to leave the Beacon you have several choices. If you are lucky, someone might be waiting to pick you up from the car park you passed on your way up here. If not, you’ll need to walk down to Ivinghoe village. The best way to do this is to follow one of the many paths down the hillside to the main road. Be careful as it’s very steep and there are plenty of hidden holes in the ground.
Most paths finish near to the B489 from where it’s a boring walk into Ivinghoe. This road is very fast and not particularly wide. If you get on with it the 11/4 mile/2km walk from the top of Ivinghoe Beacon to Ivinghoe village shouldn’t take more than about half an hour.
IVINGHOE
Given its name you’d be right in presuming that this village is the closest to the end of the Ridgeway at Ivinghoe Beacon. This means that most Ridgeway walkers will pass through, or stay here, at some point.
Services
The village post office is located behind the Village Centre; just follow the signs round to the side of the building. They sell soft drinks and biscuits, but nothing more substantial to eat.
The nearest shop for groceries is Mason’s Stores (tel 01296 660052, Mon-Fri 6.30am-8pm, Sat 7am-8pm, Sun 7.30am-5pm) on Marsworth Road in Pitstone village about five minutes’ walk away. It’s also an off-licence and newsagent.
A number of buses (Arriva’s Nos 61, 61A, 63, 64, 161 & 162 and Red Rose’s No 327) stop here en route to destinations such as Aylesbury, Tring, Dunstable, Luton, Leighton Buzzard and Wendover but some of the services are limited; see pp40-4 for further details.
Where to stay
Ivinghoe Youth Hostel (tel 0870 770 5884, web ivinghoe@yha.org.uk) is set in a large Georgian building in the centre of the village. There are around 50 beds costing £13.95 each in a dorm room, or £59.50 for a family room sleeping five.
Meals and packed lunches can be provided (breakfast £3.95, packed lunch £3.55-4.50, and a two-/three-course evening meal £5.50-12) and there is also a self-catering kitchen. However, at the time of writing it was expected that the youth hostel would close in September 2007, as part of the Youth Hostel Association’s new policy of focusing on improving successful hostels and relocating facilities to areas where demand for accommodation is high, particularly for young people.
The alternative is to stay at Bull Lake B&B (tel 01296 668834, 1S/1D/1T) where the single room costs £30 and the doubles/twins are £60, or £30 for single occupancy. All the rooms have private bathrooms. It’s a popular place so booking ahead is essential.
To walk here follow Station Rd out of the village centre for about five minutes. The farm will be on your right.
Where to eat
The 17th-century King’s Head Restaurant (tel 01296 668388, web www.kingsheadivinghoe.co.uk, Mon-Thur noon-2pm/7-8.45pm, Fri & Sat noon-2pm/7-9.30pm, Sun noon-2pm), right in the centre of the village, is known for its high-quality cuisine. It’s not really the place for muddy walkers and with the average three-course meal costing £40, you’ll probably not find many of them in there anyway.
Down Vicarage Lane is the cosy Rose & Crown (tel 01296 668472, food Mon-Sat noon-2pm/6-9pm, Sun noon-2pm) which serves real ales and meals at lunchtimes and in the evenings. They have a separate board of fish dishes here, plus the usual pub grub such as gammon and eggs from £6 to £12.95.
In Pitstone village, just a few minutes walk away there is a Chinese restaurant and takeaway on Marsworth Rd called May Fu Peking Restaurant (tel 01296 661969, Wed-Sat noon-2pm/5.30-11pm, Sun noon-2pm/6.30-10.30pm, Tue 5.30-11pm). You won’t be stuck for choice at this well-liked place where main dishes cost between £5 and £8.
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