Tring is a small market town in the Chilterns AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), a range of chalk hills north-west of London. The area is popular for walking with beautiful countryside including the National Trust's Ashridge Estate (see below), and picturesque villages such as nearby Aldbury (see below). The Ridgeway National Trail passes Tring station.
In the late 19th century Tring Park became the family home of the Rothschild family, the mansion itself is now a school for the performing arts but part of the estate is open to the public as Tring Park. Lionel Walter Rothschild was known to ride around the town in a carriage drawn by his zebras, Tring Natural History Museum was his private zoological museum.
Tring town centre is 1¾ miles from Tring station, there's a good path all the way along Station Road. If you don't wish to walk there are buses from the station to Tring High Street (see below) but you may prefer to use the more frequent buses from nearby Berkhamsted.
Bus 387/389 from station to Tring High Street, 10 minutes journey. M-S 2-hourly. Tring PlusBus tickets can be used for this journey. Operated by Red Rose Travel. There are more frequent buses to Tring High Street from Berkhamsted.
www.chilternsaonb.org | www.visitchilterns.co.uk
www.chilternsociety.org.uk including free walks leaflets
www.nationaltrail.co.uk/ridgeway
Accommodation in Tring (with distance from station):
This museum covers the history of Tring and its people from the earliest days to the recent past.
Open FS 1000-1600.
www.tringlocalhistorymuseum.org.uk
Bus see above.
Tring Natural History Museum is in the grounds of the former Rothschild family home of Tring Park.
It was given to the nation by the Rothschild family in 1937 and is now managed by the Natural History Museum, London.
The Museum contains an extensive collection of stuffed mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. Café and picnic areas.
Exhibitions and events programme. Admission free.
Open TWThFSSu & BH 1000-1700.
www.nhm.ac.uk/tring
Bus see above.
Once part of a larger estate which included Tring Park Mansion, former home of the Rothschild family, Tring Park is now
managed by the Woodland Trust. It is a mixture of rare chalk grassland and mixed broadleaf woodland with great views from the higher ground.
Historic features include a summer house and obelisk. Admission free.
Open any reasonable time.
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Bus see above, then ½ mile walk.
* or 2¼ miles via High Street.
College Lake is a former chalk quarry which has been flooded and reclaimed by nature.
It is a great place for watching water birds with several hides on the 2 mile trail around the site.
Wild flowers can be seen in spring and summer on the chalk grassland.
Visitor Centre, café and picnic area. Admission free.
Open TWThFSSu 1000-1700.
www.bbowt.org.uk
A group of reservoirs built to supply water to the Grand Union Canal, they are a good place to
see wetland birds. Download a map from the Canal & River Trust website. Admission free.
Open any reasonable time but best to visit Apr-Jul & Nov-Feb.
www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk |
www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
A reserve of chalk grassland (and woodland) which supports many wildflowers and butterflies.
The Ridgeway National Trail climbs up through the reserve and passes a second section ½ mile further on.
Some reserve paths are steep and may be slippery when wet. Admission free.
Open at all times but best visited Apr-Aug.
www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk
The picturesque small village of Aldbury has timber-framed cottages and an inn set around
the village duck pond. There's even an old set of stocks by the pond. The village church is Early English style.
Aldbury is popular with walkers, many on their way to the Ashridge Estate.
Bus 387/389 from station to Aldbury, 3 minutes journey. M-S 2-hourly.
Tring PlusBus tickets can be used for this journey.
Operated by Red Rose Travel.
The Ashridge Estate is 5000 acres of the Chiltern Hills with beech and oak woodland, commons and chalk downland.
There are miles of footpaths to explore and the Visitor Centre is a good place to start. The estate supports a wide variety of
wildlife and the local woodland is noted for its carpets of bluebells in spring. The Bridgewater Monument was built in 1832 to
commemorate the third Duke of Bridgewater, also known as the Canal Duke. Climb the spiral steps for a great view from the top.
Café at Visitor Centre. Admission free.
Open Visitor Centre Daily 1000-1700 (1600 Nov-Feb). Bridgewater Monument Apr-Oct, SSu (Daily in school holidays) in good weather.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ashridge-estate
