MODERATE WALK FROM COW ROAST PUB TO WENDOVER USING RIDGEWAY AND ICKNIELD WAY FOOTPATHS

Map: Ordnance Survey Explore 181 - Chiltern Hills North (Aylesbury, Berkhamstead & Chesham)
Start: Come off A41(T) at Tring taking the A4251 towards Berkhamstead. The Cow Roast public house is opposite the BMW garage on right hand side.
Distance:  Approx 15 miles in total. 7 miles to 'Rumsey's Chocolaterie'  walking approx 7 hours. Greyhound Pub Wigginton is also good place for a meal and drink especially on way back.
Difficulty: Moderate. (25% downhill, 25% uphil, 50% on flat)
Dog Friendly: Distance maybe to far but you can turn back at any time. There are stretches which are muddy especially walking through wood. 

Check the weather

1030 - Cow Roast carpark. Excellent place to have a drink and a Thai meal on way back. follow path adjacent to sport field. Keep to right path until you walk past cottage(Tinkers Lodge) on right and meet road.

    Speak to the publican when you park here. I should think if you intend to buy a drink and/or meal when you return, it should be ok. 

 

 1040 -  Turn left at road following sign post 'The Chiltern Way'. Walk through tunnel(A41). Immediately after tunnel turn right following sign post 'Chiltern Way'. On reaching wood keep to track and on left you will see gate and sign post 'Wigginton 1'

1045 - Go through gate and walk across the field till you come to another gate.

 If field has crops, not to worry the path should be well defined. Walk straight across to gate. 

1047 - Go through gate following path to left of fence.     

      Horses in this field, just be careful

1050 Go through gate folowing 'Right of Way' yellow sign. Within a short distance you will meet sign post 'Public footpath to Wigginton bottom. Follow path uphill. It tends to be muddy because of trees.

1100 - Reach Farm gate. Follow sign post to 'Chiltern Way'

1105 - Reach road turn left and follow road for short distance where you will see sign post on right to 'Chiltern Way. 

    This path is sometimes overgrown with thistles and nettles in summer. If you are wearing shorts you will know about it.

 1114 - Meet road. Turn right and crossover to sign post 'Footpath to Hastoe'. Cross the field and go through gate. Turn right to prickly hedge and keep following path to right of hedge through wood until you come to road.

1124 -  Follow 'Chiltern Way' footpath.

1140 - Cross field over a track through a wood

1150 - Reach sign post. Turn right following foopath yellow sign. Keep to right of hedge going passed a frame house.

1143 - Reach stile. Turn left onto road. Cross over to 'Public Bridleway' blue sign 

1215 - Meet road. Opposite is 'Laylands Farm'. Turn right and follow public footpath yellow sign. Cross the road, through the gate. Keep to left of trees. Through second gate. Path is muddy.

1222 - Meet road. Opposite is 'Lane End' cottage. Turn left then turn right onto 'Hale Taylors' lane. Walk passed 'J L Coaches' and between house and 'J L Coaches' you meet a footpath.

1230 -  Follow footpath to stile following yellow sign. Walk across field towards farm. Climb over the gate. Walk towards gate to left of farmers gate.  Walk across road and follow path to leff of farm building. and right of wooden fence.

1243 - Climb over stile to sign post. At Track Junction walk across 'Ridgeway' path going downhill, down steps to stile. 

      If you have walk enough then this is a good time to return back.Turn right and follow 'Ridgeway' .

1245 - At this point you will be above a valley. Climb across stile and drop down steeply to bottom, Walk up other side to path. and turn left following yellow sign.

1255  - On meeting road, turn right for short distance opposite cottage on right a gate is hidden behind trees. Follow footpath 'Icknield Way'. This path runs alongside and above the road.. Follow this footpath through metal gate which then takes you back down to the road.

1300 - Follow road to Wendover

1320 - Reach signpost 'Village Centre'

1322 - Walk on path along house until you come to sign post 'Icknield Way'  bridleway. Walk down this path. Over the stream.

1327 - Opposite church entrance turn right passed pond. Walk over the field keepiing to the Ridgeway path.  You will reach a fork. Take left path into  housing estate. Turn right and follow road taking you into the back of the 'Red Lion' pub. Go through ArchWay and turn left following path to 'Rumsey's Chocolaterie' 

      This coffee house is a must stop. Fabulous meals, cakes and ice cream. The carrot cake is to die for. Highly recommend you stopping here for a bit to eat and drink before returning to your car.

1400 -Left coffee house and head off to the Church again via Red Lion pub.

1410 - At 'St Marys' church turn left and follow road until you come to a junction.

1416 - Cross over the junction and follow the 'Ridgeway'  acorn blue arrow. This road turns into a track. keep on this track.

1430 - At fork junction sign post 'Ridgeway' acorn blue arrow. Just keep following the sign. This track can be muddy. You will be walking through  'Barn wood'. It is a slight incline followed by a steep incline.. 

1440 - Top of brow path goes downhill slightly

1445 - On reaching a fork junction keep to the RidgeWay acorn blue arrow signs through 'Hale wood'

1505 -  On reaching road, cross over to Ridgeway path. Follow path leading downhill to gulley. Sign post 'Ridgeway'. Turn right following gulley uphill.

1520 - Path levels out

1523 - Meet road, cross over to gate following 'Ridgway Wigginton 3 miles'. Walk towards farm and mobile phone mast.

1534 - Reaching road turn left then right back onto 'Ridgeway'. This stretch can be muddy. Takes you through 'Northhill wood 'and 'Pavis Wood'.

1550 - Reach road turn left following road 'Ridgeway'

1600 - Take Church Lane until you come to junction

1610 -  Across road and follow 'Permissive Bridleway' footpath. Keep to this track  passing Wick farm until you come to Wigginton. Walk pass bungalows on left till you see football field on right. A gate can be seen between hedges, Go through gate an d walk across the field till you come to road. Turn left and follow road. 

1650 - On reaching 'Greyhound' Pub opposite on other side of road is signpost 'Footpath to Crawleys Lane', this will take you over fields  towards a stile at the end of the hedge and beginning of thee wood. Over the stile you will reach another stile. Go over this and you will enter the field were the horses are. Follow the signs for Cow Roast

1730 - Reach Cow Roast. Don't forget to have a drink and/or a Thai meal which is very tasty.