The Icknield Way 1

The Icknield Way. Part 1 from Ivinghoe Beacon to Dagnall.
23 January 2010

The map for this section is Explorer 181. The walk started in the National Trust (NT)
Ashridge car park at SP 965160. It meets the Icknield Way at Ivinghoe Beacon before
following it down to Dagnall. The return route heads South from Dagnall towards
Little Gaddesden before returning through the statuesque beauty of the Ashridge
beeches. Total distance: 12-14 km.

N
Ivinghoe
Beacon
The
Coombe
START
Dagnall
NT Carpark
SP 965160
Hog Hall Lane
Hoo Wood
Ivinghoe
Common in
Ashridge NT
Icknield Way
Little
Gaddesden

Today the approach to Ivinghoe Beacon was from the SW along the remaining metres
of the Ridgeway past Iron Age fortifications (dating from 500 BC) then up the chalk
slopes of the Beacon to its summit at 233 masl. The summit boasts a trig point and a
route map of the Ridgeway (which ends here). It is also the start of Icknield Way
which takes off towards the SE, heading towards the Coombe, Hog Hall Lane and
Dagnall the route today took in this section and then circled back from Dagnall
through Ashridge Forest to the Start point (SP965160).









Ivinghoe Beacon from the iron age earthworks Ivinghoe Beacon trig point (231 masl)

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The grassland of the Beacon is cropped by sheep which deter the invasion of scrub
species (mainly hawthorn and blackthorn) and ensure a profusion of chalkland
flowers in the spring and butterflies like the chalkhill blue and marbled white in the
summer. Not much sign of either today.

Down now on the eroded paths past unploughed pasture characterised by the nest
mounds of the yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus) towards the Coombe with its
mixed woodland of mainly oak, beech and ash. This wood is gently regenerating
itself as fallen trees are recycled at an imperceptible pace providing essential habitats
for flora and fauna before relinquishing their nutrients for future generations. A
Cypress plantation is home to fallow deer which can be seen throughout this stretch of
the Way












Lasius spp. mounds typify unploughed pasture An oak is recycled in the Coombe

Few flowers are to be found at this time of year, but the old faithful gorse (Ulex spp.)
can always be found, as, too can maidens waiting to be kissed (also not much in
evidence today). Hazel catkins are fattening on the twigs awaiting the opening of the
female flowers when they will shed their copious pollen and ensure next year’s hazel
nut crop for the (unfortunately only grey) squirrels.

Fungi are to be found in abundance in
the winter and do, of course play a
vital role in the woodland recycling
process. Some remarkable growths
can be seen in the shelter belt
alongside
Hog
hall
Lane
and
throughout Ashridge forest.

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From left to right: Jew’s ear (Auricularia spp.) is usually found on elder; this Honey fungus
(Armillaria spp.) is an indication that not is well with it’s tree host; and King Alfred’s cakes
(Daldinia spp.) join forces with a polypore and hairy stereum (Stereum spp.) to reduce this dead
beech to soil organic matter.

Down towards Dagnall and its Italian style church, but before the village was the
welcome sight of a red kite soaring above the patch of woodland to the left1. Re-
introduced in the early 1990s, these magnificent raptors previously persecuted to
extinction in the region by over-zealous game keepers now reign supreme in the
wooded Chilterns.

This was the end of the first stretch of the Way which from here forges ahead to
Whipsnade while this circular walk turns south to pass to the E of Well Farm
(SP992153) before traversing Hoo Wood and reaching the Ringshall – Little
Gaddesden road (at SP992138). A couple of hundred metres South on this road will
lead to a footpath on the RHS which takes a ‘V’ –shaped turn before heading North
towards Ringshall where it meets the B4506 (SP985142). The route can now
meander through Ashridge roughly parallel to Beacon road (i.e NW) which will lead
you back to the car park at SP965160.

1 http://www.watlington.org/downloads/wheretoseekites.pdf

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