Chilterns Walking Festival: Dunstable Downs & Totternhoe Knolls (9 Mi/15 km - Moderate, Booking Req)

This walk is hosted by Stag Walkers as part of the Spring 2025 Chilterns Walking Festival. 15 spaces are available through Stag Walkers and 15 through the festival website.

A hilly all-day walk in the northeast Chilterns, visiting historic sites and a country pub, with fantastic views.

From the Chilterns Gateway Centre atop Dunstable Downs we begin by making our way downhill, enjoying views towards Ivinghoe Beacon. We continue along the bottom of the Downs, past the London Gliding Club, then turn towards Totternhoe, crossing fields where we may encounter livestock. Above the village we’ll come to the impressive earthworks of an 11th century castle, where we’ll stop for a packed lunch break and can enjoy 360-degree views over the surrounding countryside.

After lunch we’ll step back down to the village to visit The Cross Keys for a quick drink, then track around the side of Castle Hill and zigzag north to meet the Sewell Greenway, a shared-use path along part of the former Leighton Buzzard to Dunstable railway line. We’ll follow the rail trail eastwards for a mile before passing the site of an Iron Age hillfort at Maiden Bower. We then join part of the Icknield Way long distance path, taking us steeply uphill back onto the Downs, past the ancient burial mounds known as the Five Knolls. We’ll be rewarded for our climb with a reprise of the expansive view across the Vale of Aylesbury and optional refreshments when we finish at the Chilterns Gateway Centre.

Dogs are welcome on a lead.

For information about walking with the group, including our dog policy, please visit the Stag Walkers website.

Booking your place: Please book your place using the free Meetup website/app. Join the Stag Walkers Meetup group and click the 'Attend' button on the event page.

Please do not turn up for a walk without booking, as places are limited.

If the walk is fully booked, please click 'join waitlist' then please check back regularly as you will likely get a place. The waitlist gives priority to single bookings so if you wish to bring a guest, we recommend booking separately.

Unless you opt in to further communications, we will only use contact information you provide to get in touch about the walk.