Offley‭, Pegsdon Hills‭ & ‬Lilley (11.5 miles / 18.5km - Strenuous, Booking Required)

This walk is for up to 30 people, including the leader.

A challenging hike in the north-east corner of the Chilterns National Landscape, along grassy tracks and wooded lanes and up and down several hills!

This route has been designed to practice hill walking in advance of our long weekend in the Lake District. Our local hills are modest by national standards but the route has steeper and more numerous ascents and descents than normal for our group. The walk is open to everyone but please ensure you have a good level of walking fitness if you wish to join us on this walk. It is recommended only for experienced country walkers with an above average level of fitness.

Starting in the village of Great Offley, we'll cross the bridge over the Luton-Hitchin bypass then have our first taste of the Chiltern Hills with a loop down Stocking Lane and back up Birkitt Hill. We continue northeast past Summer Wood and across an arable field as we make our way towards Old Wellbury. We then turn westwards and have a steep ascent up Deacon Hill, where we’ll pause for our packed lunch break and can enjoy superb views across the countryside.

After lunch we’ll continue across the Pegsdon Hills Nature Reserve, dipping in and out of its little valleys where we may encounter sheep and perhaps some highland cows. We join the Icknield Way Path for a short time, passing under ancient beech trees and along a wide byway, before turning southeast along the John Bunyan Trail.

We’ll turn to climb up to the plateau of Lilley Hoo, then descend to Lilley where we’ll break at the village pub for a refresher before our last 2.5 miles. This final section sees us cross paddocks and walk uphill along the Chiltern Way then along field-edge bridleways back to Great Offley.

Optional post-walk pub stop at The Green Man in Great Offley.

In case of mud, please bring a change of shoes for visiting the pubs.

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: If you would like to join, you must book in advance using the Stag Walkers Meetup group - see Notes for how to book & what to bring. If you are unable to attend, please cancel your booking so that someone else can take your place.

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

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

Please car-share or use public transport if possible. To offer a lift or ask for one from a fellow walker, please use the Meetup event page.

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