Today I did a circular walk from the car park at Pitstone Hill, Bucks. The walk was basically Walk 4 of my Chiltern Chain Walk but in the opposite (clockwise) direction and with an extension westwards from Wigginton to Hastoe (using a bit of Walk 5 of the Chiltern Chain Walk).
It was very cold in a bitter wind as I set off, but I soon warmed up as I climbed uphill to the track between the Monument and Ivinghoe Beacon. I soon descended again, and near Duncombe Farm I saw a small flock of Meadow Pipits. Rising back up into Ashridge once more, I saw some Fallow Deer near the Monument. I descended again, down to Aldbury, where I had to wait for a string of racehorses to pass before I could cross the road. Climbing back up into the trees, I passed some more Fallow Deer near the hamlet of Tom’s Hill.
On the way to Cow Roast I passed two fields with Alpacas in them. When I reached Wigginton, I continued on the path following a section of Grim’s Ditch, which I use on Walk 5 of the Chiltern Chain Walk. When I reached the track called Browns Lane, I turned right to reach Hastoe, where I turned right again, following another bit of Walk 5 back towards Wigginton. As I followed the path through Tring Park, I stopped for lunch on a seat I’ve used several times before, overlooking Tring Park and a rather misty Vale of Aylesbury.
From Wigginton, the walk back to Pitstone Hill via Tring Station seemed to go very quickly. Again it was bitterly cold in the wind as I walked over the exposed chalk downland of Pitstone Hill, where I saw a Kesterl hunting. I was back at my car by about 2.45, having walked for only 4.5 hours – with hindsight, I wished I’d extended the walk further, beyond Hastoe. Nevertheless it was a very enjoyable walk, on a day that was bright and fairly sunny, and fairly pleasant when you were out of the wind.