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Dunstable Downs – Icknield Way Trail loop from Dunstable

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Hiking trails & Routes

Dunstable Downs – Icknield Way Trail loop from Dunstable

Easy

5.0

(2)

hikers

Dunstable Downs – Icknield Way Trail loop from Dunstable

01:55

7.10km

90m

Hiking

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: April 17, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Chilterns National Landscape

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

1.97 km

Five Knolls Barrow Cemetery

Highlight • Historical Site

The Five Knolls are prehistoric burial mounds or barrows. There are two pond barrows, which are circular flat areas surrounded by raised banks. The mounds are believed to be from the later Neolithic and early Bronze Age period, around 4,000 years ago. Excavations have found the remains of a middle-aged woman buried with a polished flint knife, as well as Bronze Age cremated remains in an urn. It is also believed that during the 5th and 6th centuries gallows were placed at this spot for Saxon invaders as a warning to others.
nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstable-downs-and-whipsnade-estate/trails/walk-in-the-steps-of-history-giants.

Tip by

2.29 km

Medieval Rabbit Warrens, Chilterns National Landscape

Highlight • Historical Site

These mounds were not burial places but medieval rabbit warrens. The first mound or more southerly mound is rectangular, while the next mound is a 105-foot (32-m) long bank. After the Norman Conquest, rabbits were valued for their meat and fur. Warreners managed the mounds and would send ferrets down to catch the escaping rabbits.

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3.25 km

London Gliding Club and Strip Lynchets

Highlight • Historical Site

London Gliding Club / Strip Lynchetts
The club was inaugurated in 1930. In 1939 Geoffrey Stephenson was the first person to glide across the Channel when he flew from Dunstable to France. The clubhouse and hangar form a listed building. During the Second World War, the club was used as a prisoner of war camp. Strip Lynchets on your left, to the north of the bridleway, are cultivation terraces or strip lynchets. They are believed to be medieval. They would have made cultivation easier and improved drainage for vines or for crops planted after ploughing.
nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstable-downs-and-whipsnade-estate/trails/walk-in-the-steps-of-history-giants

Tip by

3.43 km

Dunstable Downs

Highlight • Viewpoint

With breathtaking views, scheduled monuments to explore, and several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Dunstable Downs is a fantastic place to spend some time. Situated within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is the highest point in Bedfordshire. There are lots of footpaths to explore across the chalk grasslands, including several circular walks. The site is managed by the National Trust and there is a visitor centre. For more information, visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstable-downs-and-whipsnade-estate.

Tip by

3.59 km

Windcatcher at Dunstable Downs Visitor Centre

Highlight • Monument

The Windcatcher on Dunstable Downs provides ventilation for the visitor centre.
nationaltrust.org.uk/dunstable-downs-and-whipsnade-estate/trails/walk-in-the-steps-of-history-giants

Tip by

4.53 km

Icknield Way Trail

Highlight • Trail

The 110 mile long Icknield Way is an ancient road which runs along the side of the Downs, its history dating back 6,500 years. Connecting East Anglia to important sites such as Avebury it was a well-used road, and since prehistoric times, farmers, soldiers, Saxon warlords and medieval drovers have walked or ridden along it. When the rain fell onto the Downs, it seeped through the hills and emerged as springs at the edge of the Chiltern hills lower down. These springs provided water for people and their animals.

Tip by

7.10 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

6.24 km

704 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

3.78 km

2.00 km

592 m

548 m

113 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (230 m)

Lowest point (140 m)

Weather

Monday 18 May

17°C

9°C

83 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 27.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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Dunstable Downs – Icknield Way Trail loop from Dunstable

Five Knolls Barrow Cemetery

Medieval Rabbit Warrens, Chilterns National Landscape

London Gliding Club and Strip Lynchets

Dunstable Downs

Windcatcher at Dunstable Downs Visitor Centre

Icknield Way Trail

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