Countryside walk… 6½ miles

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/walks Downs,

Enjoy the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside on this exhilarating walk across the

Dunstable Downs. Along the way, discover diverse wildlife, Iron Age hill forts and After an invigorating walk along burial mounds. Don’t forget to pop into the Chilterns Gateway Centre for some the Dunstable Downs, take a delicious food and a browse round our gift shop. well deserved break at the

Chilterns Gateway Centre café. Start: Visitor Centre car park Grid ref: TL 008195 Maps: OS Landranger 166 and Tuck into one of our local Explorer 181 & 193 specialities, such as the famous Bedfordshire Clanger, or our Getting here & local facilities tasty bacon roll.

By foot: footpaths from West Street and Tring Road, Dunstable By bike: public bridleway from West Street in Dunstable and . Cycle parking © National Trust available at the Gateway Centre The Downs are an ideal place By bus: Arriva 61, station to , alight West Street, Dunstable. Daily, except to fly a kite. Choose from an Sundays. From here you can join the walk at point 2 on the map excellent selection of kites in By train: Luton station 7 miles, from here take the 61 bus service our shop, from beginners to By car: on the B4541 between Dunstable and Whipsnade stunt kites; we even have a 3D pirate one! And if you need National Trust car park, WCs, café & gift shop open daily 10am-5pm (open 10-4 in winter, help constructing your kite, or closed 24/25 Dec). Contact us on 01582 500920 or [email protected] advice on how to fly them, we

are happy to assist.

Things to look out for… © National Trust/David Levenson t Five Knolls Our National Trust shop sells a Lying on the edge of the Downs, this Scheduled Ancient Monument is the largest round range of gifts, with a focus on barrow cemetery in Bedfordshire. Visible as bumps against the skyline, the burial ‘going local’. You can now find mounds were excavated in the 1850s and 1920s, revealing that they originated in the locally produced alcohol, late Neolithic and Bronze Age and re-used for burial in the Roman period. handmade jewellery, cakes, sweets, chutneys, vinegar and t Drovers Way rape seed oil. We also sell

Part of a network of tracks and paths in and around Dunstable, traditionally used by favourites, such as kites, Drovers to take livestock to market in Dunstable, but now popular with walkers and branded outdoor range and DCUK Collection. horse riders. © National Trust

t Wildlife ‘A walk that takes in some of the best views in Bedfordshire, The chalk grassland supports a wide variety of wildlife, including rare wild flowers, like thousands of years of history and a chance to be close to nature.’ the Bee Orchard, and butterflies like the Chalkhill Blue and Duke of Burgundy. Kate Sheard, National Trust Warden

Directions Terrain and accessibility

1. From the car park walk slightly downhill over the grass area, then turn right at the wind This is a 6½ mile (10.4km) circular walk; allow about 3½ hours. catcher following the path along the top of the slope past the site of the medieval Parts of the walk can become muddy and slippery after wet warren as far as the five knolls tumuli. weather, sturdy footwear is advisable. Some stiles and gates. Dogs welcome under close control. 2. Continue downhill to West Street, which runs along the line of the Way.

3. Cross West Street on to Green Lane opposite, known also as Drovers Way.

4. Continue as far as the crossroads. In the field diagonally to the right, the line of trees mark the rampart of Maiden Bower, an Iron Age hill fort. At the second crossroads, turn left along the Houghton Green Highway into village.

5. Cross Dunstable Road and follow Furlong Lane, turn left onto Church Road and left again on to Well Head Road. Follow this as far as the Icknield Way near Well Head.

6. Cross the road and follow the bridleway opposite as far as the base of the Downs.

7. Turn right at the end of the bridleway. Follow the footpath at the bottom of the slope, through the fence, until a track is reached on the left. NOTE: for a shorter walk, follow this track uphill and back to the starting point along an ancient hollow way.

8. Pass through a gate, turn left uphill for 45m, then turn right onto a sunken way. This path is an old ‘cut way’ which would have offered travellers an easier way up the slope. Follow this path as it climbs up the Downs and then back to the bottom.

9. Join the footpath that follows the bottom of the Downs.

10. Just before the road, join the bridleway which climbs uphill, looking back views of the Vale of Aylesbury and Ivinghoe Beacon appear.

11. With the car park on your right carry on uphill and turn left into a large grass field. Please keep your dogs on a lead in this field as there may be sheep grazing.

12. Follow the hedge line at the top of the field with more views of the Vale of Aylesbury on © Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey. your left. You are following the Ridgeway Link which joins Dunstable Downs to Ivinghoe All rights reserved. Beacon. After walking under a number of Beech trees and passing through a bridlegate, OS licence no. AL 100018591 the Chilterns Gateway Centre soon appears on the right.

As a charity, independent of government, the National Trust relies on the generosity of its supporters to continue caring for our countryside and wildlife, so that everyone can enjoy the beauty of the outdoors for generations to come.

Find out more at www.nationaltrust.org.uk