A 170 mile route for walkers, cyclists and horse riders

The Chalk Grassland rossing six counties, the Trail is a For most of its length the Icknield Way runs over 170 mile (274 km) route linking chalk. The route passes through, and close to many National Trail in with The We hope you enjoy the Trail. Should you have any comments or National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special C National Trail on the Suffolk/ concerns regarding the route, please contact the appropriate Scientific Interest. border. County Council. Although few unaltered chalk grassland sites now exist A regional route for walkers since 1992, is also This leaflet was produced by Central Bedfordshire Council they remain one of the most precious elements in the available for horse riders and cyclists providing a and Icknield Way Association with support from: English countryside. The 20th century saw the walking and riding link between the two National addition of fertilisers the end of grazing and the Trails. ploughing up of grasslands all of which has greatly The Trail passes along an ancient chalk ridge but reduced the number of sites. Often all that remains of there is a variety of landscapes to view including the original grassland amongst the intensively farmed flat fenland and rolling chalk downland, as well as arable fields are the verges of the green lanes of the picturesque villages and ancient beech woodland. Icknield Way. The southern part of the Icknield Way Trail passes Typical chalk loving plants to be found along the way through the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural include the nationally rare pasque flower and ground Beauty. pine, the more common kidney vetch and clustered bellflower and a wide range of orchids. History It is probably the butterflies which provide the The Icknield Way is probably the oldest road in greatest visual attraction for naturalists. Suitably Britain. Historically a series of routes across the managed chalk grassland may support many species landscape, the Trail is part of an ancient trading route and very large populations of these beautiful that followed the chalk ridge across southern creatures. Look out for Brimstones, Orange Tips and England, from the Norfolk Coast across , the rarer Chalkhill Blues. to the plains of and on to the coast in . Today you can make this journey by following four recreational routes – The Peddars Way National Trail, The Icknield Way Trail, the Ridgeway National Trail and the . Archaeology The Icknield Way is a complex treasure trove of archaeological remains, waiting to be explored. The relics and sites of man’s occupation span several thousands of years, beginning from the earliest Neolithic times (4000 - 2000 BC), and running through the Roman and Saxon periods. Amongst the most common features of the Icknield Wallingford Way are the barrows or burial mounds dating from the Bronze Age (2000 - 700 BC) and earlier. Good examples are the Five Knolls burial mounds at and those at Telegraph Hill in Hertfordshire. m

o Crossing the Icknield Way at right-angles are long c . n g i s

e dykes, or bank and ditch earthworks, which may have d

This project has been supported by Icknield Way Association, the British Horse Society, n o t t

the Cycle Touring Club, East Anglian Trails. u once separated the path into territories. The longest h . w w w

Thanks go to the Chilterns AONB, English Nature, the Highways Agency, the National y and most easterly of these is the Devil’s Ditch near b d e

Trust, Sustrans and all the landowners who have assisted, and to Pat & Charles Baker c u Newmarket. d

o BEDFORDSHIRE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, for the wildlife photographs. r p d n

a , ESSEX,

October 2012 d e n g i

s HERTFORDSHIRE & SUFFOLK e D In Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, the route runs through the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

n Buckinghamshire the Trail links with the Swans Way the land now makes a livestock farm an unusual The route ends in Suffolk where you can join The and the Ridgeway National Trail. The route passes enterprise but there is a herd of wild boar near Peddars Way National Trail northwards to the North IChequers, the country residence of the Prime Balsham – kept well confined behind strong fences to or link to the west with the Minister. ensure that your encounter with them will be on an Hereward Way, which runs from Rutland Water imaginative menu rather than face to face! through Ely and Brandon. To the east lies the Angles In Bedfordshire the chalk grasslands and woodlands Way – the Broads to Brecks path which begins at found along the Trail are home to many special plants In Essex the Trail runs through the isolated villages of and runs along the Waveney/Little and animals. The Dunstable Downs and Sundon Hills Chrishall, Elmdon and Strethall. Although these were Ouse valley. give excellent views across several counties. traditionally agricultural communities, by the 17th century many of the villagers worked in the new In Hertfordshire the Trail passes through , textile industry centred on Saffron Walden. Britain’s first garden city. Ebenezer Howard the originator took the advantages of both town and In Suffolk the route passes through the picturesque As there are numerous villages and towns of various sizes along the route, many different types of accommodation are country and sought to blend them in a new style villages of Gazeley, Dalham and Moulton and there available, some of which provide facilities specifically catering settlement. are wonderful views over the with its unique for the needs of horse-riders and cyclists. landscape of large sandy fields separated by The Icknield Way crosses back and forth across the windbreaks of gnarled Scots Pines. Cambridgeshire border. The intense arable use of