13 Dec 2025: Big Cat ! Ashridge to Ivinghoe Beacon

This was a circular walk of 7.23mi miles from Ashridge Estate cafe N to Ivinghoe Beacon and S return.

We were very lucky with the weather: nearly-clear skies, a warm sun, excellent early-winter lighting, all of which brought out the best of the countryside.

The Ashridge Estate is vast. The National Trust owns a major part of the estate (map), comprising 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares) of land within the Chilterns National Landscape. The NT’s estate encompasses Ivinghoe Beacon at the north, flowing to the Berkhamsted and Northchurch Commons to the south, with a lobe to the east covering the Golden Valley and the Frithsden Beeches. (Ashridge House is outside the National Trust’s part of the estate.) The NT acquired the estate in 1926, running it as a working estate – agriculture – ever since. But change is in the air: the impact of growing tourism has taken its toll on the estate, in particular, erosion of the qualifying features of the Special Area of Conservation, for which the NT has undertaken Project “Protecting Our Roots”. This involves increasing the numbers of tourist-accessible hubs, in theory to protect the remainder of the land, preparation of which has been to stop agricultural work at the estate (resulting in a look reminiscent of the “re-wilding agenda”, see also the context from a campaigning corporation). Naturally, part of the plans include the introduction of car parking charges.

Today’s route sat entirely within the Ashridge Estate, using paths off the typical tourist’s beaten-track.

The usual stats:

Event led by Khris R.
Attendance: 18 men.
Distance: 7.23 miles (11.6 km).
Altitude per GPS: low 669ft (203.9m), high 948ft (289m), climb 1302ft (396.8m), descent 1302ft (396.8m).
Time: start 11:07, end 14:57 (sunset 15:52), lunch 34 minutes, other breaks 18 minutes.
Speed: moving arithmetic average 2.45mph (3.9kph).
Weather: sunny, temperature up to 11°C, southerly wind ~6mph (9.7kph).
Number of sewage works: 0.
Number of churches: 0 (those seen at a long distance excluded).
Number of golf courses: 0.

Points of interest:

The elegance of the Ashridge estate’s woodlands was clear in the morning, as the excellent sunlight illuminated the trees, providing a variety of winter colours.
From Ivinghoe Beacon, long views northbound, bearing from the west to the north-east, were bathed in light, with little mist in the distance. It was possible to see Wendover Woods, Aylesbury town, Pitstone village and the edges of Dunstable and Houghton Regis from the triangulation pillar, the location of the group shot.
Lunch took place in empty barns at Ward’s Hurst farm, offering some shelter from the chilly gentle breeze. The eerie quiet of the barns indicated that tenant farmer had been evicted, to close the farm down, in preparation for “Protecting Our Roots”. According to hearsay from anonymous sources associated with the land immediately to the north, the plan for Ward’s Hurst farm might be to turn it into a themed craft centre. Time will tell!
Throughout the walk, especially in the hilly north, the rolling countryside shone resplendently in the winter sun, resulting in an outstanding natural beauty.

11 members attended the optional cafe stop at the National Trust Ashridge Estate cafe.

More pictures at https://www.flickr.com/gp/anemoneprojectors/MZ4s1y03w1.