Two circular rides in Dacorum
Two circular rides from Tring and Berkhamsted, visiting Aldbury and the Chilterns: Part 1 - Tring
| Distance: | Part 1 (Tring): 26 km (16 miles) |
|---|---|
| Time: | around 4 hours |
| Rating: | Moderate with some steep climbs |
| Starting point: | Anywhere round the circuit, eg Akeman St, Tring show me on a map |
Route description
This is the first part of a 'Cycle Hertfordshire's Countryside' leaflet covering two circular cycle rides from Tring (this page) or Berkhamsted (see part 2) town centres, both passing through the picturesque village of Aldbury. Whether you decide to follow all or part of any of the two routes, you will be riding through attractive scenery in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and some of the prettiest villages in the County. The two rides total a distance of just under 30 miles (Tring 16 miles, Berkhamsted 12 miles) all of which is on tarmac roads. Each route can be cycled comfortably in half a day or less.
You can begin your ride at any point along the route following the waymark signs. Both routes may be hilly along certain sections, so take it at your own pace. Although both routes are based mostly on quiet country lanes, some parts of the route may be busy at times, so take extra care.
Please read this leaflet carefully. It is recommended that you consult the Ordnance Survey Landranger Maps number 165 and 166 or the Explorer Map 'Chiltern Hills North' to make the most of your ride.
Further details of off-road alternative sections and how the Tring route can be cycled in two parts are contained in the downloadable PDF file of the complete route leaflet.
Points of interest
Tring
An attractive town below the Chilterns, Tring's name derives from the Anglo-Saxon 'Treung', the exact meaning of which is not fully known. A visit to the parish church of St Peter and Paul behind the main car park may be worthwhile. It has a fine monument to Sir William Gore, former Lord Mayor of London, who lived at Tring Park towards the end of the 17th Century. Tring Park is now owned by Dacorum Borough Council and is being restored as a public open space. Also worth a visit is the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum in Tring which houses a vast collection of natural history exhibits.
Wilstone
This large hamlet, with its wide high street and attractive red brick chapel built in l837, lies in the flat meadow-lands north of Tring. Horsechestnut trees surround the village on the nearby pastures. Wilstone Reservoir, which is passed on entering Wilstone, has the second largest reedbed in Hertfordshire.
Long Marston
Long Marston's village pond is noteworthy for being the site of the last known witch lynch in 1751. Further east, Gubblecote lies close to the site of a deserted medieval village.
Grand Union Canal
Just before entering the village of Marsworth you will cross the bridge over the Grand Union Canal. Built between 1793 and 1805 the canal formed a main link between London and Birmingham in the heyday of the industrial revolution. South of the village of Marsworth a flight of six locks lies between the upper and lower courses of the prehistoric Icknield Way which connected East Anglia with the Salisbury plain.
The Aylesbury and Wendover arms of the Canal provided local links for grain, timber, coal and cattle until the first half of the 20th Century. Please note that there is no general public right of way for cyclists on the towpath though permits can be obtained from British Waterways for some stretches.
Tring Reserviors
Startop's End, Marsworth, Tringford and Wilstone Reservoirs are all part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest famous for its wildlife. Grand Union Canal and Tring Reservoirs walks leaflets are available from either the Countryside Management Service, Dacorum Borough Council or British Waterways.
Aldbury
Aldbury is said to be the classic English village, with a village green, pond, stocks, timber-framed houses and a parish church. The stocks were built in 1773 and remodelled and still used in the late 19th century. The church of St. John the Baptist was originally completed in the 14th century. The pond is fed by rain and was a source of water for farms. The large lime tree in the village centre dates from Queen Victoria's jubilee of 1897.
Wigginton
Situated at the top of a hill surrounded by woodland Wigginton affords magnificent views of the Chilterns and the Vale of Aylesbury. The medieval church was rebuilt in the late 19th century when straw plaiting was an important, cottage industry in the village.
Hastoe
Shire Lane leading to Hastoe and Hastoe Hill forms part of the Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire border. This section of the route is crossed by the Ridgeway National Trail which runs from Ivinghoe Beacon to Avebury in Wiltshire.
Refreshments
There are pubs in all the villages along the route, where food can be purchased, or why not take your own refreshments and enjoy a picnic in the open air. Tea rooms can be found in some villages along both routes, Tring has various small town facilities including banks and cycle shops. For further information about the local area visit Tring's Information Centre in Akeman Street which is passed en route.
Waymarking
Signs like this are positioned to guide you round the route in anti-clockwise direction. This will make the majority of the turns left turns, thus your journey will be a little safer.
Safety
- This is not an off road route, you will meet cars and other vehicles on the roads during your trip.
- Wear a safety helmet.
- Ensure your bike is safe to ride.
- After dark you are required by law to display working lights.
- Wear brightly coloured clothes with reflective material.
- Treat pedestrians and horses with the respect you expect to get from car drivers.
- Get a bell and use it to warn others of your approach.
- Always ride in single file when roads are narrow or busy, and never more than two abreast
- Always follow the advice for cyclists given in the Highway Code.
Rights of Way symbols you might see
|
Yellow arrows indicate footpaths for pedestrian use only |
| Blue arrows indicate bridleways for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrian use only |
| Red arrows indicate Byways Open to All Traffic (BOAT) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles |
| Black arrows indicate Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPP) for horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians and may be legally used by other wheeled vehicles |
Maps
This map is based on Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Hertfordshire County Council 100019606 2004.
The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this web-site is provided by Hertfordshire County Council under licence from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfill its public function to provide information relating to its activities, services and plans. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to license Ordnance survey mapping for their own use.
See the Ordnance Survey site for more information.
This cycle ride and leaflet has been produced with the support of Hertfordshire County Council's Environment Department and the Countryside Management Service.
This is one of a series of waymarked cycle rides throughout Herfordshire. Look out for others on this website, or for the leaflets in local libraries and cycle shops.
