Starting the Icknield Way Path
Saturday 20th August 2022
Yesterday's indecision lingered on into today. I felt I ought to make use of my free time while the girls were in Japan to do another walk and possibly a wild camp, but there was another train strike on, which rather limited the options a bit. After much deliberation I eventually discovered the trains to Tring were still running, so I could have a go at extending my walk along the Ridgeway in the other direction, along the Icknield Way Path, which starts at Ivinghoe Beacon and heads north east from there.
London August 2022
John's Pictures

14:00:10
I had decided to economise on weight a bit, so had decanted this bottle of wine before leaving into the wine bag thing I have.

14:52:46
Strangely quiet at Euston this afternoon, probably because only one train line was actually running.

14:52:57
I thought the unusual quiet merited a video.

14:56:49
I treated myself to a First Class ticket, as on this line it's only a few quid more than standard class. It really isn't worth it of course.

15:35:19
Passing Hemel Hempstead.

15:45:30
Arrived at Tring. What an evocative name.

15:50:50
The first hour and a bit of the walk would actually be following the Ridgeway National Trail, rather than the Icknield Way Path. The route of the Ridgeway conveniently passes by Tring station and starts/ends (depending on which way round you do it) at Ivinghoe Beacon, where the Icknield Way Path also starts/ends.

15:57:02
It was actually quite a warm and sunny afternoon, so I appreciated these shady paths on the way to Ivinghoe Beacon.

16:01:51
Glimpses of views out from the woods.

16:22:46
You can see Ivinghoe Beacon off in the distance now.

16:22:49
Getting closer...

16:24:17
Good view of Ivinghoe Beacon here.

16:26:23
Ivinghoe Beacon under the shadow of a cloud here.

16:46:19
Part of the way up Ivinghoe Beacon.

17:06:58
Made it to the top of Ivinghoe Beacon.

17:07:04

17:10:26
The view down from Ivinghoe Beacon.

17:10:44
Very happy to be back at Ivinghoe Beacon, windswept as always, a favourite spot of mine.

17:12:00
More of the views from Ivinghoe Beacon.

17:34:23
Now on the Icknield Way Path!

17:55:40
I rather liked this hillside the path went along for a while.

18:03:51
I always assume every bird of prey I see on or near the Chilterns is a Red Kite.

18:29:59
A quick pub stop in the Red Lion in Dagnall before the ascent of Whipsnade Hill.

19:16:57
Passing Whipsnade Zoo, where I got a glimpse of camels through the fence.

19:21:31
The Icknield Way routes diverge here.

19:56:01
Made it to Dunstable Downs in time for this rather nice sunset.

19:58:47
Apreciating the sunset at Dunstable Downs.

20:04:24
Lovely though the sunset was, my thoughts were now turning to where I was going to spend the night!

20:04:27
Still, lovely sunset.

20:04:34

20:07:17

20:07:21

20:07:34

20:11:54

20:16:13

20:27:44
Nice tree here, particularly in this light.

20:32:49
Cool enough now the sun had set to put on a tweed jacket.

20:38:47
This is at the Chilterns Gateway Centre, and although not pictured here there were quite a few people around!

20:40:00
A beacon.

20:40:04

20:41:29

20:51:45
I realised I had probably miscalculated, hoping to find a wild camping spot around this time, as by this point I had reached this fairly popular spot just outside of Dunstable. It was a nice evening and lots of other people were out to watch the sunset.

20:53:19
Silhouettes of people standing atop the final hill before Dunstable.

20:58:16

21:10:04
I decided I ought to just sit down for a bit, have some wine and make some dinner, and hopefully everyone else would clear off!

21:12:03
Me atop a small barrow with a glass of wine.

21:59:39
Boiling some water to rehydrate dinner.

22:20:02
Tonight's dinner - a Real Turmat red Thai curry. I'm not sure it really tasted like a Thai curry, but whatever it was it was actually quite nice.

23:51:17
Eventually I decided having ran out of better options to just get into the bivvy and try to get some sleep, so here's a slightly ridiculous self portrait of me doing that.

00:32:05
Attempted to do a bit of night photography while lying in the bivvy, trying to get some sleep. Not a particularly noteworthy result but gives a bit of a sense of the view I had overnight.