Cycling The Tring 5 & Berkhamsted 6 Routes
Ashridge
Start/Finish: Aldbury Village Green, Tring HP23 5RT
Distance: 52 km (32 miles)
Elevation Change: +/- 316m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): Chilterns Cycleway, Grand Union Canal Towpath
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Grand Union Wendover Arm Canal Towpath, Grand Union Aylesbury Arm Canal Towpath, Chiltern Way, The Ridgeway, Ashridge Boundary Trail
Map: OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North
Links: Hertfordshire.gov.uk leaflet on Tring 5 and Berkhamsted 6, Aldbury, Tring, Berkhamsted, Ashridge
This is actually 2 separate cycle routes with a 2.5 km overlap along Newground Road. They’re distinctive individual rides but we decided to join them together to make the most of a long drive to get there. Aldbury is a great place to start as it has a few nice pubs and free parking around the village green.
From Aldbury we headed South towards Cow Roast on the Tring 5 taking a clockwise route. At the Southern point near Cholesbury there’s a choice between the standard route along Shire Lane or, as we chose, the off-road option along Kiln Lane and Brown Lane. Both options join back together at Hastoe, then head North through Tring, Little Tring and Wilstone. North of Tring you’re in Canal Country as the route crosses over the Grand Union a couple of times plus both the Aylesbury and Wendover Arms. From Long Marsworth the route heads South-East back to the start at Aldbury.
Part 2 is the Berkhamsted 6 route which follows the Chilterns Cycleway on a steep climb out of Aldbury. After a sharp left (North) on New Road the route cuts through the woodland around Ashridge up to its most Northerly Point at Ringshall. Turning South, the route follows the Chilterns Cycleway for about a mile, then diverts right (South) at Little Gadsden to enter the Ashridge College Estate (see photo above). Continue South for approx 4 miles into Berkshamsted Town Centre for a rest, coffee and cake.
Compared with the scenic Ashridge Estate, the final North-Easterly stretch out of Berkshamted is fairly unremarkable. The first part to the East of Northbury is a climb up to Tinkers Lane. All that climbing is then repaid with pleasant descent back to the start.
