Hike seven counties on Britain’s oldest road — Icknield Way Path

The Icknield Way Path is an enchanting long-distance walk that follows Britain’s oldest road through seven different counties.

Starting from the end of the Ridgeway Path at Ivinghoe Beacon, in Buckinghamshire, the trail runs for 110 miles (177 km) to the start of the Peddars Way at Knettishall Heath, in Suffolk. The trail combines with three other long-distance routes to link the Dorset and Norfolk coastlines via a prehistoric road (more on this at the end).

You experience a rich array of landscapes on this hike, including ancient woodland, serene farmland, wildlife-rich chalk grassland and heathland, as well as awe-inspiring hilltops with views that stretch for miles. You explore many traditional villages, too, most with welcoming inns.

The route is rich in history, passing many prehistoric sites and historic Grade I-listed buildings. It also affords impressive displays of wildlife at all times of year, exploring numerous nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Highlights along the way include: Ivinghoe Beacon, which towers over the countryside to afford spellbinding views; Dunstable Downs, which boast scheduled monuments, breathtaking vistas, and several SSSIs; the Pegsdon Hills, which offer the best panoramas over the Chilterns; Cavenham Heath, a nature reserve and SSSI where wildlife thrives; West Stow Country Park, which has 125 acres of wildlife-rich countryside and an Anglo Saxon village; and Knettishall Heath, which is home to 12,500 species of wildlife, of which 30% is rare.

The majority of the route is moderate, with a couple of challenging ascents and descents here and there. For the most part, you are never too far away from civilization and the route is waymarked. As such, it is a good choice for seasoned long-distance hikers and those just finding their feet.

In this Collection, I split the route into seven challenging stages, ranging from 15 miles (24.1 km) to 18 miles (29 km). However, the five routes that are considerably more than 15 miles (24.1 km) have suggestions on how they can be split. Of course, you can divide each stage into as many days as you are comfortable with. You can also walk any single stage, or a couple of stages.

You find accommodation at the end of every stage. However, places to stay can be limited so it is worth planning in advance and scheduling your rest days accordingly.

Getting to the start of the trail is very different, depending where you are travelling from. However, Aylesbury, Dunstaple, and Luton all have train stations and public transport links to Ivinghoe.

As I allude to in the final stage description, getting from the end of the trail is a little tricky. Once you have made it to Hopton, though, you can catch the 338 bus service to Bury St Edmunds, which has connecting train services around the UK.

The Icknield Way Path combines with three other long-distance footpaths — the Wessex Ridgeway, the Ridgeway, and The Peddars Way — to form the Greater Ridgeway, an epic country-crossing hike from Lyme Regis, in Dorset, to Hunstanton, in Norfolk, that follows an ancient trade route developed long-before Roman occupation. If you would like to combine these routes, follow the links below.

For the Wessex Ridgeway hiking route, click here: komoot.com/collection/935252.
For the Ridgeway hiking route, click here: komoot.com/collection/889209.
For the Peddars Way, click here: komoot.com/collection/991.