Month: June 2020

County Top 13 – Bedfordshire

Dunstable Downs – 243m / 797 ft – 10/03/20

So after a quick clean-up on the pub carpark in Wigginton I took a brief 20 minute drive to find a small parking area at a place called Totternhoe Knolls, just west of Dunstable. There were a couple of others parked up walking dogs but otherwise it was quiet and had decent views south across to the ridge of Dunstable Downs which was my target for this walk. It was dry now with no threat of rain but quite blustery and not knowing what terrain to expect I took the precaution again of wearing my trusted Altberg boots.

I set off initially eastwards along a muddy track and then up and over a fairly steep slippery knoll before joining a the grass track of The Chiltern Way/Icknield Way Trail skirting felds and then along the edge of a housing area curving southwards into the breeze before crossing over the B489 at a roundabout and heading for a public path up to an area called Five Knolls.

The initial climb was steep up onto the open access land of Central Bedforshire and as I crested the brow onto the ridge the wind was getting stronger and stronger. The path wound its way through the small rounded tops of the 5 knolls, it looked like a popular place for cyclists but there were none around. I put my head down into the wind and followed the route now due south along the ridge towards the beacon and visitor center I could see ahead.

It was an unexpectedly exhilarating walk along the top as the strong winds blew upwards from the steep face of the ridge below – there is a gliding centre there but that was not busy either. I struggled across the wide grassy downs towards a beacon and then to the visitor centre to find the trig pointing marking my destination. My attempts at filming videos were futile with the sound of the blowing gale.

There were hardly any people around, I had a quick look in the visitor centre and came out to admire the panoramic view northwards. I passed a young couple “sheltering” from the wind in a warm embrace then retraced my steps back to the path. I contemplated a steeper descent off the ridge to a lower path past the airfield below but decided to enjoy the wind for a while longer.

Panoramic view north from Dunstable Downs

I descended the way I came with views ahead to where I had parked. It was an uneventful walk back, a bit slippery again over the knoll as I neared the car park, which was now a little busier. Next on my plan was to have a “wet-wipe” clean up and a full change of clothes as I had decided to head into central London for my final quest of the day. Hopefully none of the other carpark users observed or was offended by my various states of nakedness during this interlude.

County Tops 11 & 12 – Buckinghamshire & Hertfordshire

Haddington Hill (Wendover Woods) 267m / 876ft & NE Shoulder of Pavis Wood 244m / 801ft – 10/03/2020

I awoke about 6am finally and properly after a semi-comfortable night in the back of the car (seats down and in my sleeping bag) where I struggled a little to find the best position to curl up in. Filled with a feeling of endeavour for the rest of the day I tidied up a little, sorted out some breakfast porridge bar and banana ready for the drive to my next destination village of Wigginton near Tring, which I expected would take just under 2 hours depending on how much school run traffic I hit at various points. The drive was initially on country roads heading south east towards Banbury after which a short stretch along the M40 then past Bicester and Aylesbury before finally arriving at The Greyhound pub to park shortly after 8.30am. The weather was windy and threatened some rain so I dressed accordingly and headed off westwards on The Icknield Way/Ridgeway along a lane out of the village and onto farm tracks which were reasonably dry.

Signpost at Hastoe

I passed one or two local dogwalkers and after a mile or so joined a country lane and walked through the small hamlet of Hastoe. The lane took me uphill and at a bend in the road I went straight ahead into Pavis Wood and onto a very wet, muddy, slippery woodland trail.

Entering Pavis Wood

I knew that this area of the wood was where I would find the county high point for Hertfordshire but decided to carry on as I would be returning the same way later after visiting the other county top on this walk just over the border into Buckinghamshire. I skated and slid through the muudy woods avoiding the odd mad cyclist. It was a bit of a trudge, no views, pretty flat but atleast I was no longer walking into the wind and after about a mile it brought me out opposite a farm by a small timber yard. I had a choice of routes to take here and opted for the most direct through some more woods and alongside a field following the valley downhill then back up on a short stretch of road before the last off road section to my target. Well I have to say that the downhill path next to the field was certainly one of the worst I have ever walked (or tried to walk) on! The “path” was thorny hedge on one side and barbed wire fencing on the other. It was narrow enough for 2 people maybe and made worse by the V shaped gully in the middle sitting under about 6 inches of mud and water. On the positive side it got my adrenalin pumping as I had visions of the unlucky slip ending impaled on the fence or the bushes. I carefully negotiated this unexpected trial and emerged up to my knees in mud at the road, took a left turn back up the hill and found the entrance to the next field on my route where I would temporarily leave The Icknield Trail. The field was quite flat and led into more woods (Tatnalls Wood) where the path was less obvious, winding and strewn with fallen debris. A short while later I came to a lane which was right opposite the entrance to the Go Ape adventure centre, which I assume was closed as there were about 2 vehicles on the car park. By the entrance there was a path into Wendover Woods where I found the stone plinth marking the highest point in the Chiltern Hills and Buckinghamshire, a short way away from the grid reference in my log book.

Go Ape in Wendover Woods
Chiltern Summit marker stone

I filmed the customary video log and headed off back in the direction I came, promising myself I would be avoiding the death trap path in the process. I did this by turning right after crossing the flat field to take a slightly longer route to get me back to where I exited Pavis Wood. A minor road for about 500m brought me back to the Ridgeway which I followed north east through a couple of boggy fields before reaching the timber yard and into the woods. I find it quite strange on this sort of out and back walk how it often seems terrain is in worse condition on the way out than on the way back – it has to be some sort of psychological thing I guess. And so it seemed I did less skating on my way back through Pavis Wood and in no time at all was hunting down the correct point (unmarked) of the north east shoulder which is the high point for Hertfordshire. I finally settled for a small mound just outside the woods at the bend in the road and stopped to do the necessary recording.

Bucks High point

So that was County Tops 11 and 12 ticked off and a quick 2 mile wind assisted yomp back to the car where I could disrobe the muddy gear and freshen up for the short drive into Bedfordshire and my second walk of the day.