AC,CollegeLake

by Peter Robinson
4 years ago
Near Aston Clinton, GB

150 views

Turn right onto the London road from Your Café in the Park in Aston Clinton and take the first right turn after the mini roundabout into Stablebridge Road. Climb over the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal and steeply up to Upper Icknield Way. Turn right and first left up Aston Hill to St Leonards; you can go up the road or through Wendover Woods, which used to be quieter, but now can be quite busy at times. You have now done the toughest climb!
Enjoy the typical Chiltern countryside of woodland and pastures through Cholesbury and Hawridge where a new Velo Café is planned on the site of the old Rose and Crown pub. Vale Road would take you downhill all the way to Chesham so watch for the sharp left turn which climbs out of the valley.
From the top you descend through woods and fields and pass under the A41 dual carriageway, cross the old A41 then over the grand Union Canal and the West Coast Mainline, with views of wooded hills as you approach Aldbury. Aldbury is a pretty village with a couple of pubs, a church built with flint and cottages grouped around a village pond with a shady tree opposite the village shop.
From Aldbury head west past the church and the Musette cyclists’ café on the right towards Tring station, but turn right before the railway. At the roundabout, turn left if you want to go to College Lake Nature Reserve, which has a café in normal times. The route continues to Pitstone, past Pitstone Green Museum on the right, which is open on Bank Holidays.
After passing under the railway and turning right, Cooks Wharf narrow boat marina is on the right before you cross the canal again.
Pass through Cheddington and along the straight avenue approach to Mentmore, then up a short steep climb into the village. From the village green drop down the hill past the church and turn left at the crossroads for Wingrave.
Turn left at the pond in Wingrave and head for Long Marston. On the right you may notice Beeching House the site of the former Marston Halt station on the Aylesbury to Cheddington line which closed in 1966 after Dr Beeching’s review of the rail network.
On the right before the crossroads in Long Marston is a board describing the gruesome murder by drowning in 1751, by a mob, of an elderly couple, because she was accused of being a witch.
Take the right turn to Wilstone and cross the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal before the village, then turn right at the Lower Icknield Way to return to Aston Clinton.
This is a hilly ride of 49 km (30 miles) with 500m (1637 feet) of ascent. We hope you enjoy it!