Overview                   

This walk includes a world-famous museum, a magnificent village hall, a few follies and the all year round beauty of Tring Park.

Length:                         4.2 miles (Allow 2 hours)

Start & finish:               The Forge car park, High Street, Tring HP23 5AG

Access Information:     Easy walking on paths and lanes with one gradual climb

Food & drink:               Pubs and cafés in Tring. None enroute

Route

Turn right out of the car park along the High Street and take the second left up Akeman Street to the top.

1. Turn right, then left along Hastoe Lane, go under the flyover and turn right onto a concrete track.

2. Go past the gate and continue straight ahead for 180m to a path junction. Turn left uphill, keeping to the right of a hedgerow. Keep climbing to a wood, continue up along its edge and follow the path as it bears right into the wood.

3. Turn left uphill for 130m to a path junction. Fork right and continue uphill for a further 300m to the next junction. Fork right again to steps down onto a major track. Turn left uphill.

4. Continue past the wooden barrier and bear left along the rough lane to a road junction. Turn left and, at the bend, continue straight ahead into Church Lane. Walk past the village hall and continue to the junction with Marlin Hill.

5. Turn left up Marlin Hill for 200m and right into Tring Park. Walk along the track for a mile and, where the Ridgeway turns right, keep ahead down to a white building – the Summer House.

6. Follow the path as it bends left downhill to the obelisk. Continue directly ahead down to a kissing gate. Go through it, turn right and cross the open area of the Park towards a footbridge over the A41. Go through the gates, cross the footbridge and follow the wide fenced path towards a road.

7. Just before the road, turn left through a gate, walk to the right of the car park and right again over a bridge to a road. Turn left and immediately right down Akeman Street to the High Street. Turn right to return to the car park.

Points of Interest

Tring is where the Roman Akeman Street meets the ancient Icknield Way. Most famous resident was Lionel Walter Rothschild.

Natural History Museum was built by Rothschild as a private zoological museum.

Stubbings Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Hastoe Village is near the highest point in Hertfordshire, standing at just over 800ft.

The Ridgeway and Tring Park: The Ridgeway has been described as Britain’s oldest road. Tring Park is managed by the Woodland Trust.

The Summer House and obelisk: Both thought to have been designed by James Gibbs, famous for St Martins in the Fields.