Interesting places to visit on a DIY

[Lightning Phil]

If you haven’t visited Ayot St Lawrence “new” church, then well worth building into your DIYs. If unlocked, the inside is also lovely. You also have the National Trust place (round the corner) where George Bernard Shaw wrote Pygmalion.



Ayot St Peter church is also interesting



St Paul’s Walden is where the Queen Mother grew up and there is a memorial at the church.

[Lightning Phil]

Another option for an 200 are the highest points of Cambridgeshire , Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire.  It’s sometimes run as a calendar event as “Herts High Five” from Ware in June.

[sparklyfish]

Ooh, good ideas Phil. I've done the Herts High Five; the main memory is of busy roads in Herts! Of those high points, I think Dunstable Downs best passes the sandwich test. And I've not visited the churches around the Ayots - good call. The 12 Apostles Greek Orthodox church east of Hatfield is also worth a visit - lovely mosaics.

Now I'm thinking about that area near Dunstable Downs, there are some other interesting places nearby:
- The Whipsnade Lion: good views from Main Road North heading out of Dagnall, and then turning right into Icknield Way towards Dunstable. Latter better for sandwich stop in the summer - just after a terrace of houses, there's a little grass corner of a field with a good view of the lion
- Whipsnade Tree Cathedral [hmm, if the next couple of weeks are dry then I might visit for my October audax]
- Ivinghoe Beacon and Sharpenhoe Clappers: I've enjoyed cycling past, any recommendations for picnic stops nearby?
- Or the perfect road for DIY fans:

[Lightning Phil]

There’s parking at Sharpenhoe Clappers. Otherwise if you continue to Harlington then turn left to pick up the road to Upper Sundon there is the country park up there for a picnic. Then onwards to Streatley for your return etc.

[Lightning Phil]

From Whipsnade you could visit Ashridge Bridgewater monument. There’s also a cafe there, further on on the left from the monument.

https://pitstone.co.uk/localinfo/bridgewater-monument-visitor-centre-ashridge/

[sparklyfish]

Well now, here's a good source of interesting places: http://follies.org.uk/index.php/map/
with a blog to match: https://thefollyflaneuse.com/

[Lightning Phil]

Minsden Chapel via short walk (just off bridleway if happy riding)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsden_Chapel

Hertford Castle

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hertford_Castle


Berkhamsted Castle

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/berkhamsted-castle/

Cholesbury Camp

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesbury_Camp

[sparklyfish]

Minsden Chapel - my word, what a barking mad story. Love it. Especially the faux photo - that is fantastic.

Today's find, which may or may not pass the sandwich test:
Woodland Trust's Ancient Tree Inventory: https://ati.woodlandtrust.org.uk/tree-search/?v=2376573&ml=map&z=11&nwLat=52.24597191312459&nwLng=-0.30419174372581015&seLat=52.024282491553265&seLng=0.7463758832273149