Pete's Walks - Pitstone Hill and Hastoe (page 4 of 4)
Across the road the path continued between a tall hedge and fence, then between fences as it crossed the grounds of Pendley Manor (a hotel now, I think). I then turned left along a lane to reach the village of Tring Station. Here I turned right along the road past the actual railway station, and back out into the countryside. Shortly after a road junction, the Ridgeway took a path on the left, initially along a concrete drive, and then turned left at a crossroads. I was now on a bridleway lined by hedges, which continued for several hundred yards. I then stayed on the Ridgeway as it went right to reach the nature reserve at Aldbury Nowers.
The Ridgeway east of the A41
The Ridgeway in the grounds of Pendley Manor
The road out of Tring Station
The Ridgeway heading towards Aldbury Nowers
The Ridgeway heading towards Aldbury Nowers
I had thought of exploring the nature reserve for butterflies, but it was too windy so I just carried on, still following the Ridgeway, soon turning left on a path that initially went up a flight of 'steps' in the trees. It continued past more of the nature reserve, then ran for a long while through the woods of Aldbury Nowers.
Part of the nature reserve at Aldbury Nowers - I had thought of stopping to look for butterflies here, but it was too windy
View back towards Wigginton and Tring Park from beside the Aldbury Nowers Nature Reserve
The path beside the reserve
The Ridgeway continuing through the woods of Aldbury Nowers
The Ridgeway continuing through the woods of Aldbury Nowers
The path eventually emerged from the trees on the side of Pitstone Hill (where I spotted my first Small Heath butterflies of the year), following another part of Grim's Ditch gently up to the top of the hill. The path then turned right, running gently downhill before I went over a small grassy hillock to return to my car in the car park.
The path along another section of Grim's Ditch on Pitstone Hill
The path along another section of Grim's Ditch on Pitstone Hill
The Ridgeway descending Pitstone Hill - the car park is just behind the hillock in the middle of the photo, with Steps Hill beyond
I was obviously enjoying this walk, as I chose to extend it out to Hastoe. I've done the walk as far as Wigginton many times now, and the extension to Hastoe and back was also on very familiar paths (apart from the bit on Browns Lane, which I think I'd only walked once before), but familiarity certainly hasn't bred contempt in this case. I think it's a really nice route, with some great views across the Tring Gap and out across the Vale of Aylesbury, lots of woodland sections, and several ups and downs. I think I prefer doing it clockwise, so that I get most of the ups and downs over with early on in the walk, but it's still a good walk in the other direction too.