FREE HIKE 22K | Ashridge’s Timeless Trails

Join us for a full-day adventure through some of the best scenery in the Chilterns, featuring history, wildlife, woodland, and sweeping views. We’ll finish with an optional pub stop.

This 22 km (13.5 miles) easy/moderate hike begins gently along the Grand Union Canal, once a vital trade route, where locks, towpaths, and glimpses of wildlife set a calm tone before the climbs ahead.

The route then winds into beech and oak woodlands, carpeted with bluebells in spring and glowing with autumn colour later in the year. Shady trails lead through the historic Ashridge Estate, once royal hunting grounds, before opening out at the Bridgewater Monument, a striking landmark honouring the “Father of the Canals.”

From here, varied terrain carries us across wildflower commons and up to Beacon Hill, where sweeping views over the Chilterns make every climb worthwhile. The walk finishes in Aldbury, a picture-perfect village of timbered cottages and a duck pond, steeped in history and familiar from film and TV.

For those who wish, there’s the option to pause here for a celebratory drink, a fitting finale after a walk that blends discovery, effort, history, and adventure.

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✅ WHO CAN JOIN:

• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Our hikes are open to adults aged 21 and over.
• 👶 For safety reasons, we’re not able to include children.
• 🐾 We love animals, but pets (including dogs) can’t join our hikes.

Everyone is welcome to RSVP, but to keep things fair for all members:

• If someone cancels last minute or misses hikes without notice, they may be placed on a waitlist or removed from the group for future events.
• We do a quick check-in on the day of the hike, which helps us keep track and make sure spaces are available for those who really want to join.

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🚆 TRAIN COSTS FROM LONDON:

• Standard Return: £22.20 (or £14.70 with Network Railcard)
• We don’t arrange group train tickets, but if you arrive early, you may be able to team up with others who have a Network Railcard. Buying your own ticket gives you the flexibility to return at a time that suits you. If you hike regularly, a Network Railcard costs £30/year and pays for itself within a few trips.

🚗🅿️ BY CAR:

• Free parking may be available on nearby streets.
• Or use Tring Station car park: 1112 Station Rd, HP23 5QR (£7/day, check Saba parking).

📍 MEETING POINT OPTION 1:

• 09:00 – Meet at London Euston railway station ticket office
• 09:15 – Leave meeting point to board train
• 09:24 – Train departs
• 10:02 – Arrive at Tring
• On arrival at Tring, go up the stairs from the platform and turn left (do not cross the bridge to the main car park).

📍 MEETING POINT OPTION 2:

• 10:05 – Regroup outside the ticket office at Tring Station
• Please arrive early or on time. The group will not wait, and anyone not present when check-ins are completed at the scheduled walk start time will be left behind. Please ensure you manage your time and travel arrangements accordingly.

📱 There may be little or no mobile signal at the station, so calling the host might not be possible.

🚶WALK STARTS (after check-in):

• 10:10 – From the ticket office at Tring railway station

🏁 WALK FINISHES:

• 17:00 – Return to Tring Station
• 17:15 – Direct train to London (arrives 17:52)

🚻 TOILETS:

• Brownlow Café (after about 2 hours)
• Nature breaks
• Pub (after about 4 hours)

⚠️ TERRAIN, CONDITIONS AND DIFFICULTY:

• Distance: ~22 km (13.5 miles)
• Grading: EASY/MODERATE
• Ascent: 325 m | Descent: 334 m
• Elevation: 117 m – 238 m
• Hiking time: ~5 hrs | Total time: ~6.5 hrs
• Pace: ~5 km/h (steady, sociable, not a slow stroll)

🎒WHAT TO BRING:

• Packed lunch and plenty of snacks
• At least 2L water
• Sturdy hiking boots
• Layers & waterproof clothing
• Sun protection
• Daypack (optional poles)
• Any personal medication & small first aid kit
• Fully charged phone

📞CONTACT:

• Message the host via Meetup with any questions (before the day, due to limited signal).

⚠️DISCLAIMER:
By joining, you confirm you’ve read and accepted the group policy on the About page. You are responsible for your own safety, and neither the host nor the group can be held liable for injury, loss, or damage.