Hertfordshire Way Walk 6 Aldbury and the Ashridge Estate This walk covers the section of the Hertfordshire Way from Little Gaddesden through the Ashridge Estate to Frithsden Beeches. Start: Ashridge Estate Visitor Centre Nearest Post Code: HP4 1LT OS Map Ref: SP 971131 Distance: 9.3 miles (15 km) Ascent 600 feet (185 m) Parking: Monument Drive, Ashridge The walk follows the Hertfordshire Way from the start. From Monument Drive head towards the Bridgewater monument and the Visitor Centre. Take the tarmacked path and follow it round to the left with the visitor Centre and Café on your left. The track turns to gravel and heads down into the woods. Where it forks marked Medleys Meadow Track continue straight ahead. At the next fork bear right continuing downhill signed Hertfordshire Way. Ignore a crossing bridleway and pass a red brick house on the left as the village of Aldbury becomes visible ahead. On reaching the road turn right towards the village and at the road junction head towards St John the Baptist church passing the village green and duck pond on the right and the village shop on the left. After passing the church and as the road bears left look for a footpath on the right. Go through the wooden gate and head towards the farm buildings ahead. Go through another gate to the right of the farm buildings. Continue along the edge on the field with the farm buildings on your left, ignoring a path on the right. Go through another gate, on the left in front of a large green barn. Pass through two swing gates to follow the enclosed path between crop fields. When the path meets a crossing track at the edge of the golf course turn left. Ignore the bridleway on the right and then a crossing bridleway after which the track becomes a concrete drive. Go down the drive to the road. At the road turn right onto the road and head towards Tring station. Just before reaching the station car park go through a gate on the left-hand side on the road to join a path in the field heading back towards the drive you have just left. This is the official route however the path follows the edge of the field and you can take a short cut by joining the path directly opposite the drive and turning left along it. Continue along this field edge path roughly following the road. Where the road bears away to the left ignore a crossing path and continue along the edge of the next field with the hedge on your left. Nearing the end of the field ignore another crossing path, pass under the power lines, ignore another path and gate on the left to reach a lane. Cross the lane and ascend the tarmac drive, sign posted Tom’s Hill, which soon becomes a gravel track. Pass the house named Brightwood then Brightwood Cottage on the right. At a bridleway junction at the edge of the woods, turn right. Follow this path as it climbs upwards and emerges at the entrance to Tom’s Hill House. Cross the drive and take the Hertfordshire Way signed footpath with the house on your right to follow the wire boundary fence. Ignore a crossing path and a gate on the right. Bear right at the next path junction now with a clearing visible through the trees on the right. When you meet a broader gravel track turn right still keeping the clearing on your right. Towards the end of the clearing look for a fork in the track with a yellow topped post bear left following the Hertfordshire Way sign. In 100yds at another yellow topped post turn sharp left and follow the path now with another clearing visible on the right. Ignore a broad crossing track. At a fork ignore the path to the right at continue straight ahead to, eventually, reach a lane. Turn right onto the lane and in 250 yards at T junction cross the junction and take the path straight ahead. At the next fork in the path bear right towards the yellow topped post. Ignore crossing paths and stay on this broad track path following the Hertfordshire Way signs. The track continues inside the wood with a clearing visible on the right to reach Little Coldharbour Farm on the right. Continue ahead now on the gravel access track to the farm and follow it as it bears right to reach the entrance to Great Coldharbour on the right. Cross the entrance following Hertfordshire Way signs, ignoring the narrow path heading diagonally right to take the broad path straight ahead. In 300 yards at a yellow topped post take the right fork and as a clearing appears on the left stay on the path inside the trees. Ignore the path signed to Alpine Meadow on the right and continue ahead with a clearing on the left to reach Brickkiln Cottage. Ignore a wide gravel track to the right and a footpath to the left to enter a narrow clearing containing gorse bushes. At the next crossing path by a yellow topped post we leave the Hertfordshire Way. Turn sharp left here. Follow this well defined bridleway as it winds through Frithsden Beeches, ignoring all crossing paths to the left and right. When a clearing appears on the left join the gravel track and continue along the edge of the clearing with the trees on your right. Leave the gravel track where it turns right to head down towards the road and continue along the edge of the clearing. Ignore the first footpath on your right and continue to the edge of the clearing where a bridleway emerges from the trees go straight ahead taking the narrow path into the woods. This path leads down to the road opposite the gates to Rodinghead, where you joining the road still heading in the same direction. Pass the white cottage, Berkhamsted Lodge on the left and where the road bears left, take the signed footpath on the right-hand side of the road. Take this path as it climbs diagonally right away from the road. At the top of the slope you reach the buildings of the Management College and follow its boundary to reach the front of the College. Do not turn right to the front entrance but continue straight ahead to cross the main drive perpendicularly by a marker post, heading for the left-hand side of the copse ahead. You may need to divert around the football pitches but aim to pass to the left of the copse. With the copse on your right and the golf course on your left, look for a crossing rider’s track which leads into the copse. Turn right on this track and pass through the copse. On leaving the copse, with the college on your right, the track skirts to the right of another smaller copse. Leave the track here to follow a path which enters the woodland. Follow the path as it descends through the wood to reach the main drive on a bend. Cross the drive to a gravel track with a wooden barrier and follow this track down into Golden Valley. When you reach a diagonally crossing track turn sharp left to head back up hill towards the woods and a seat. At this junction the walk re-joins the Hertfordshire Way at the point it was left on the last walk (walk 5). You may find a Hertfordshire Way marker post hidden in the undergrowth just beyond the seat. Follow this path up through the woods. When Ashridge College comes into view follow the path along the wire boundary fence straight ahead. Follow the fence as it bears left then walk directly across the front entrance of the college. At the far end of the college, by Red Lodge where the drive bears right towards white gates, continue ahead on the grass towards a footpath sign beside a large hedge beyond the college buildings. Turn right here and cross the drive and take the wide gravel track heading towards a wooden barrier. Just before reaching the barrier take the path on the right and follow it along the edge of the trees. After 150 yards take a path on the left into the woods and follow this path. In 100 yards meet a gravel track turn left onto the track, now with the golf course on the right. Follow this track to meet Prince’s Riding, turn left and follow this wide avenue back to the Bridgewater Monument and the visitor centre. .