LONDON TO LETCHWORTH
Head north out of London on the A41 and, surprisingly quickly, countryside replaces buildings and your shoulders start to drop. Sweep past Hemel Hempstead into the glorious Chiltern Hills before arriving at Ashridge Estate in Hertfordshire. After you’ve swooned at Ashridge House (below) and pretended the Duke of Hastings is promenading you around your new manor, it’s time to get a fresh-air fix.
Route highlight
The Ivinghoe Beacon Walk, a circular hike in scenic Ashridge National Trust territory, takes you through grassland and trees to the top of a hill with amazing 360º views. There are Bronze Age burial mounds and prehistoric earthworks, and in summer, the hill is like something from a Disney film, dotted with hundreds of wildflowers and rare butterflies.
Eat & sleep
From Ashridge, head east along country lanes until you reach the A505. This takes you through the market town of Hitchin (tip: if you’re visiting in June or July, stop off at Hitchin’s lavender fields, it’s an Instagram must) to Willian, a tiny village just outside Letchworth. Park up for the night at The Fox at Willian (from £75 per night; Foxatwillian.co.uk), which looks like a traditional pub but has a large restaurant tucked away at the back and eight cosy bedrooms. The menu’s chock-full of the sort of dishes you’ll need after a hefty hike, like 28-day aged cola-glazed rump steak and hand-cut chips or miso-barbecued aubergine, lentil dhansak curry and hummus. Rooms upstairs have roll-top baths, but the five chalet-style bedrooms at the rear of the pub have a motel vibe that befits a road trip: think quirky artwork, walk-in monsoon showers and huge, comfy beds. You can order a full English the next morning, or a continental breakfast with croissants, yogurts, cereal and juice can be delivered to your room. Finally, go big-cat-spotting at the nearby Woburn Safari Park before winding your way back to the capital.