Section Overview
The final section of the Ridgeway provides a fitting climax to the trail. At just 11.8 miles, it is the shortest section and rated moderate — a gentler send-off after the long, hard previous sections. But what it lacks in distance, it more than makes up for in drama, beauty, and a profound sense of completion.
The route traverses the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, passing through ancient beech woodland, open chalk grassland, and dramatic chalk escarpment before arriving at the ancient hillfort of Ivinghoe Beacon — the northern terminus of the Ridgeway National Trail.
Starting from Wendover
Wendover is a charming small town and an excellent base for the final push. With cafés, pubs, restaurants, and a railway station, it offers everything you need to prepare for or recover from the walk. The trail leaves the town heading north, immediately ascending toward the chalk downland and beech-covered slopes above.
The first mile climbs steadily through woodland, quickly leaving the sounds of the town behind. By the time the first ridge is gained, the views south and west are already impressive.
Coombe Hill
Coombe Hill, reached a few miles from Wendover, is the highest viewpoint in the Chilterns at 260 metres above sea level. The summit is marked by a tall stone Boer War Memorial, erected in 1904 to honour the men of Buckinghamshire who died in South Africa. The views from the top are extraordinary — on a clear day you can see across the Vale of Aylesbury toward the Oxford plain, with the Ridgeway's chalk scarp stretching away to the south-west.
The National Trust manages Coombe Hill and the chalk grassland around it, which supports a rich community of wildflowers and butterflies. This is one of the most visited viewpoints in the Chilterns.
Woodland & Farmland
North of Coombe Hill, the trail meanders through some of the finest ancient beech woodland in the country. Tall, silver-trunked beeches create a cathedral-like atmosphere, with dappled light filtering through the canopy onto the mossy woodland floor. The trail skirting the eastern side of the Chequers Estate brings the route close to the Prime Minister's country residence for the second time in two sections.
The woodland gives way to cultivated farmland as the trail descends and crosses several quiet lanes. Waymarking remains good throughout, though the enclosed paths can feel less obvious than the open ridge sections.
Steps Hill & Incombe Hole
The final miles of the Ridgeway are some of its most dramatic. Steps Hill and the hollow of Incombe Hole form a remarkable chalk landscape — a natural amphitheatre sculpted by centuries of erosion. In summer, the short chalk turf here blazes with wildflowers: clustered bellflower, common rock-rose, marjoram, and several species of orchid. Butterflies — including the chalkhill blue, dark green fritillary, and silver-spotted skipper — are abundant on warm afternoons.
Ivinghoe Beacon — The End of the Ridgeway
The Ridgeway ends at the summit of Ivinghoe Beacon (233 metres), an ancient Iron Age hillfort perched at the northern tip of the Chilterns. The ramparts of the Bronze Age and Iron Age fort are still visible, and the summit commands panoramic views in every direction — across the Vale of Aylesbury, toward the Dunstable Downs, and south back along the entire length of the Chilterns scarp you have just walked.
The National Trail marker post on the summit marks the official end (or beginning) of the Ridgeway. It is a deeply satisfying moment, whether you arrive having walked the whole 87 miles from Avebury or just this final section from Wendover.
Tring railway station, two miles to the north-east, provides rail connections back to London Euston and to the north. See our Accommodation page for places to stay near Ivinghoe Beacon.