As usual, I am up first, mugs of tea in the room, but a more leisurely affair as we don’t need to pack suitcases today, and have very little that needs to be carried on trail today. We were down to the restaurant for yet another Full English, good that it was, after tomorrow morning, I will be glad to see the back of these for a few weeks. Too much of a good thing… and all that. First down, we were later joined by Andrew, Andrew, Harry and Rick, who also stayed here last night and are likewise completing the trail today.

Before getting back on trail, we went to explore the village church. St. John the Baptist Church is of Early English style, and was granted to Missenden Abbey by William de Bocland in about 1200. We were most interested in seeing the Pendley Chapel, also known as the Verney Chapel, an ornate memorial chapel which is located at the east end of the nave. It contains a tomb moved here from the dissolved monastery of Ashridge in 1575 but is older. Lying recumbent on the tomb are effigies of Sir Robert Whittingham (d.1471), a nobleman who was slain during the War of the Roses at the battle of Tewkesbury. Dressed in plate armour, he is lying next to his wife, Lady Katherine, a maid-in-waiting to Queen Margaret. She has her feet resting against a now sadly damaged animal that we at first thought was a cat, but is actually a hind. The knight is resting his feet against a wonderful Wild Man, bearded and hairy, clutching a stave or club.

There is much of interest in the church besides the tombs, such as medieval floor tiles and wall painting, and I was also taken with the alabaster and coloured marble wall monument on the north wall, complete with marble skulls gazing out from holes, dedicated to Thomas Hyde d.1570 and his son George d.1580. The Latin inscription Respice finem translates as “consider the end” or “look to the end”. A Roman cautionary reminder to think about the consequences of one’s actions, choices, and life path. A lesson for us all there.

After briefly wandering around the churchyard, noting the occasional iron headstone, it was time to finally get back to the business in hand, finishing the Ridgeway. We followed the Hertfordshire Way back out in to the countryside. Up to the golf course that we then crossed, rejoining the Ridgeway in the wooded hill beyond.

The path was easy walking, following the contours round Pitstone Hill, offering views out and over toward the Tring reservoirs and beyond. We could see the Pitstone Windmill below us. It is one of the oldest post mills in the country, milling flour for over 300 years. The Ridgeway continued on along and down, first following (another) ancient Grims Ditch, before crossing rabbit cropped chalk downland with the occasional orchid.

This is a popular place for day walkers and dog walkers and they were out in some force. We were passed by what looked to be a couple of individuals setting off on the Ridgeway, walking it the opposite direction, but most of those carrying packs were under-taking the Duke of Edinburgh expedition challenge, we recognised a couple of the groups from earlier.

Due to the tree cover, we came on the monument quite suddenly as the trees thinned and opened up to a wide grassy plateau, with the 33m (108ft) tall column standing proud. In truth, I don’t think it a particularly attractive monument. Designed by Sir Jeffry Wyattville in neoclassical style, the fluted Greek Doric column is surmounted by a giant copper funerary urn finial. It has an internal 172 steps leading up to a viewing platform that I had hoped to climb, but it is only open on weekends and bank holidays. It was built in 1832 to commemorate the ‘Canal Duke’, Francis Egerton (1736–1803), 3rd Duke of Bridgewater and 6th Earl of Bridgewater. In 1761 he opened the Bridgewater Canal in North West England to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester, in North West England. Later extending it to Runcorn and then to Leigh. While a horse could pull a one-ton cart of coal by road, it could pull 30 tons on a canal barge. It is said to be the first true canal in Britain.

As for us, that was it. The walk was over. The Ridgeway has been a superb trail, despite the occasional wet day. We had enjoyed over 5000 years of history, mostly gentle walking with moderate daily distances, together with some excellent drinks and meals in rather lovely accommodations. We had one final evening meal to enjoy tonight and a taxi ride to Tring station tomorrow morning. Mrs Three Points is in fine spirits and we are both already planning next year’s trail. A coastline in the north east of England has been mooted…