Tring Park Wild Walk

Tring Park Berkshire Buckinghamshire Wild Walk Oxfordshire

Explore Tring: enjoy scenic views, Dancersend Nature Reserve wooded valleys and ancient parkland on Nestling in a sheltered Chiltern valley, this this walk through the Chilterns ancient woodland site was clear-felled in WWII, Starting in Tring, this 10.4km circular walk takes in and replanted with beech, oak, ash and cherry the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s (BBOWT) interspersed with conifers. Despite this disturbance, Dancersend nature reserve and the Ridgeway many old woodland plants, such as yellow archangel, National Trail. bluebell and stinking hellebore, have survived.

10.4 km/6.5 miles (about 3 hours) Fly orchid and white helleborine can be found under the beech To start the walk from Tring train station, allow an extra canopy, and fungi, including the unusual collared earth star, 1.5 hours punctuate the woodland floor each autumn. At the heart of There are additional paths through Dancersend nature the site is an area of flower-rich chalk grassland fringed with reserve to explore it further hawthorn, wayfaring-tree and dogwood. Chiltern gentian, BBOWT’s Aston Clinton Ragpits and College Lake nature greater butterfly-orchid and meadow clary are the stars of the reserves are near to this walk annual floral display. Many butterflies, such as marbled white, ringlet and dark green fritillary, utilise the rich nectar source of How to get to the start these herbs.

Postcode: HP23 5QR (Tring train station) Grid ref: SP 951 122 Most of the woodland is leased to the Forestry Commission, By bus: Check www.traveline.info for information about which is gradually reducing the number of conifers to local buses eventually recreate broadleaved woodland. The chalk grassland is grazed with a mix of hardy sheep, cattle and ponies. By train: The walk can start at Tring train station, check www. nationalrail.co.uk for train times Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) By car: There is parking at Tring train station, in Tring town BBOWT relies on the support of our members to help us look centre and limited parking at Water Works at Dancersend after local wildlife. By joining BBOWT you can help to secure By bike: There is cycle storage at Tring train station the future of special landscapes like Dancersend. Join us today!

Please help us look after wildlife by keeping dogs on BBOWT also manages Black, Northhill and Pavis Woods on short leads at Dancersend and picking up after them. behalf of Bucks County Council.

NATURE NOTES

Whitethroats Silver-washed Goldcrests Beech is one of arrive in fritillaries are are the our most iconic Britain from large orange smallest birds trees, particularly Africa in May butterflies in Europe, in the woodlands and stay for with black weighing of southern the summer, markings that just 5g. The England such as returning in early autumn. are found in woodland. Look bird is named after their those here in the Chilterns. The male constructs a deep, out for them flying from late brightly coloured head stripe. Trees grow tall and broad, cup-shaped nest of grass June until the end of August. These tiny birds can be hard with leaves turning a shining, and roots in a hedge or bush, Their name comes from the to spot as they flit among golden brown in autumn. the female then lines the silver streaks on the underside the branches in trees and The woodland floor becomes nest with hair, down or wool, of their wings. The adults shrubs looking for insects. littered with its nuts, known before laying 3-7 pale blue/ feed on bramble in the sunny They favour coniferous as ‘mast’. Beech wood is green eggs. The parents woodland rides and the males woodland, building a nest of used for furniture, and, from share the incubation, feeding have a strong, fast flight. moss held together by woven the 18th century onwards the young on insects. Listen Their caterpillars feed on cobwebs, which is suspended straight-trunked, uncoppiced out for the ‘scratchy’ song of violets, particularly common hammock-like in the fork of trees became a more this warbler in spring. dog-violets, growing on the two twigs. Their song is very frequent sight in woods and woodland floor. high-pitched. parks – ideal for timber.

Protecting local wildlife Berkshire Buckinghamshire The route Oxfordshire

From Tring train station If starting the walk at the train station, STAGE 4 follow Station Road, then High Street to Tring Park to Tring town centre into Tring town centre and then follow ½ mile and train station the main route. 1 Follow the broad track through beech wood, on to King Charles’ Ride, lined with mature beech and lime trees. Pause to take in the views over Tring and Ivinghoe Beacon. After ¾ mile, bear left on footpath STAGE 1 A41 down slope to the obelisk. Turn left to Station Road continue down slope to parkland. Turn Start to Dancersend A4251 right, crossing open grassland, to cross nature reserve the footbridge over the A41. Follow the From the High Street in Tring town Wiggington footpath, turn left on to Park Street and centre, turn on to Akeman Street, then right on to Akeman Street past the Natural right on to Park Road. Staying on Park Obelisk History Museum to the town centre. Follow King Charles’ Ride Road, 100 metres after church turn left High Street and then Station Road to return on to footpath past back gardens. After to the train station. a small area of beech (Woodland Close Wood), bear right across rough grass The Look for orange-tip butterflies in spring, High Street Mansion and turn left at road, passing under and the marbled white butterflies Natural History A41 bridge. Follow road for ¾ mile to Museum feeding on scabious and thyme in Tring Park sunken lane at Dancersend. As the road parkland in the summer. bends left around a small pond, turn Akeman Street Hastoe Lane right on to the track beside the cottage.

In the roadside hedges, look for Park STAGE 3 wayfaring-tree and field maple, and Road Marlin Hill Tring Hastoe Hill 4 Water Works to listen for whitethroat and dunnock Tring Park singing from the hedge tops. Marlin Hill Farm Turn right, past the Water Works and turn left on to Hastoe footpath. (If wet, continue on road up this slope.) Climb through wood to radio mast on the Ridgeway National Rail. Turn left and follow the Aylesbury Road B488 Ridgeway through Pavis STAGE 2 B4635 A41 Pavis Wood to road. Bear left and Dancersend nature Wood follow road through Hastoe reserve to Water Works and down Church Lane. Turn At gate, 300 metres from road, left onto Marlin Hill, then continue straight on to explore Ridgeway after 200 metres right into the chalk grassland clearings in Tring Park, which is managed Pond DANCERSEND NATURE RESERVE, by the Woodland Trust. then return to gate and turn right Water Look for evergreen holly in on footpath through beech. After Dancers End Lane Cottage 3 Works 100 metres, bear left on to grassy hedges, and wood sorrel ride through the beech, larch 2 in verges. Ridgeway and spruce of Bittam’s Wood. Bittam’s Crong After steep climb, pause at bench Wood Meadow before turning left on to footpath. Descend through the wood to DANCERSEND to St Leonards ASTON CLINTON NATURE RESERVE Crong Meadow, following the RAGPITS worn path to the left (under NATURE RESERVE Wendover power lines) all the way to road. Woods

N In summer, look for the many orchids and butterflies on the chalk grassland, and listen for B4011 the thin short call of goldcrest 0 metres 500 among the conifers.

KEY WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS J F M A M J J A S O N D BBOWT Nature Reserve Orchids and butterflies in the clearings, Dancersend 4 4 4 Steep gradient Chiltern gentian, Dancersend 4 4 Train station Chorus of bird song 4 4 4 Bus stop 4 4 4 Autumn colour and fungi at Dancersend Parking Specimen oaks at Tring Park 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4