Mosley
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Ivinghoe Beacon: 30 March 2025

A quick post for a little day walk.

I’ve had a post it stuck in this page of my Rough Guides Walks in and Around London book for a while.

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I had a spare Sunday and the sun came out, so I jumped on the train to Tring and took advantage.

The weather was glorious, the sky and the views were crystal clear, and the butterflies were out threading drunken, neon parabolas in the breeze. Spring had sprung and it was great to be out.

Back on the Ridgeway
Back on the Ridgeway
Ancient beech woodland in Aldbury Nowers
Ancient beech woodland in Aldbury Nowers
A small section of Grim’s Ditch Earthworks. Probably used to demarcate territory. Fun fact: in Old English the names Grim (and subsequently Graeme and Graham) were associated with the devil. Hence Grimsby translates as ‘place of the devil’, which seems about right. Also, there’s a strong link between earthwork naming and the devil. Hence various Devil’s Dykes around Britain.
A small section of Grim’s Ditch Earthworks. Probably used to demarcate territory. Fun fact: in Old English the names Grim (and subsequently Graeme and Graham) were associated with the devil. Hence Grimsby translates as ‘place of the devil’, which seems about right. Also, there’s a strong link between earthwork naming and the devil. Hence various Devil’s Dykes around Britain.
Ivinghoe Beacon is the last hill on the right.
Ivinghoe Beacon is the last hill on the right.
Views for miles...
Views for miles…
The Whipsnade White Lion. Definitely not an ancient chalk carving. Instead it’s a 1933 invention to advertise Whipsnade Wildlife Park.
The Whipsnade White Lion. Definitely not an ancient chalk carving. Instead it’s a 1933 invention to advertise Whipsnade Wildlife Park.
In The Coombe
In The Coombe

The only downside of being out somewhere relatively accessible on a day like this was that everyone else clearly had the same idea. When I got near the National Trust tea room and Bridgewater Memorial it seemed like every family and person with access to a telescopic walking pole had come out for the day.

Bridgewater (the canal guy) Memorial. (Yes it does look like someone just made a really ugly tower out of breeze blocks).
Bridgewater (the canal guy) Memorial. (Yes it does look like someone just made a really ugly tower out of breeze blocks).

Strong urge to plan something a bit wilder asap… 🙂