THE ICKNIELD WAY (PART 1)

Ivinghoe Beacon to Dullingham 
- 90 miles

We had made all the necessary arrangements to walk the Icknield way several years ago, but due to circumstances beyond our control had to cancel.

Finally we are back to take up the challenge  ... or, at least part of the challenge.  Our original plan was to walk the Icknield Way and continue up the Peddars Way to the North Norfolk coast taking around two weeks.  This time around we don't have the luxury of two weeks' holiday, so we split the whole thing in two, and twiddled around a bit to allow us to take trains to the start and back home and to account for changes in accommodation .... and there we have it - The Icknield Way (Part 1).

Officially the Way starts at Ivinghoe Beacon (where we finished The Ridgeway several years ago) but the closest train station is at Tring, some 3.5 miles away.  A convinient departure point for us was at Dullingham station -  just south of Newmarket, and about 2 miles off the path.   Add in our walks to- and from the station at home and we clocked up 90 miles over the six days we had available.

Despite walking in September (as opposed to our usual May or June) the weather was very good to us.   Apart from one brief drizzly shower we completed the whole thing waterproof-free and for much of the time were in shirts-sleeves rather than fleeces.   Sunny days with cloudy intervals or cloudy days with sunny intervals - either way it was good walking weather!

Overall impressions were good, especially after the first two days.  Lots of open views from the tops of the Chilterns, and some lovely quiet green lanes and farm tracks and several quaint villages.    On the flip side, walking through an industrial estate in Letchworth and up-and-down the high street in Dunstable was not quite so enthralling ...

Our accommodation was variable - from the basic-but-adequate to the four-poster bed and roll-top bath - but evening meals were generally fantastic.  Carolyn was disappointed not to find fish pie on any menu (does anyone still make fish pie ?), but Steve's favourite 'walking comfort food' - bangers and mash - did feature quite heavily.  My award for this year's standout dish (and definitely in contention for the all-time prize) goes to the lemon panacotta served at The George at Baldock - wow!!  Worth a trip to Baldock just to try it.  Yes, really!!

As per last year, a good walk, but perhaps not spectacular.