Opening of the Ridgeway Link Path - 20th June, 2007

The venue was the new Chilterns Gateway Centre on Dunstable Downs, not far from the outskirts of Dunstable. The building is long and low, lying just below the scarp of the Downs, its sloping roof echoing their curves, its glass front wall commanding an amazing view over the Vale of Aylesbury towards Leighton Buzzard. Fortunately, after all the rain, it was a bright, fresh morning, albeit with a stiff breeze over the ridge.

The group of invitees gathered in the exhibition area at the far end of the building, past the National Trust shop and the cluster of café tables. The dignitaries from the project partners, the Chilterns Conservation Board, the National Trust and Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire County Councils, were joined by people from the Local Access Forums, the Chiltern Society, etc, and your Secretary representing the Friends of the Ridgeway.

Soon CCB's Chief Executive, Steve Rodrick, and Strategic Access Officer, Annette Venters, our excellent organiser, called us to order, to listen to CCB Chairman Sir John Johnson, Philip Broadbent-Yale of the National Trust, and Nicola Harper of Natural England tell us about the new Centre and path and their respective interests.

The new Ridgeway Link was an idea springing out of the Three Counties traffic review of the area, and aims to improve accessibility of the Ridgeway and enhance the rights of way network in the area. The new route follows the line of the Icknield Way for the 7.5 miles between Ivinghoe Beacon and the Gateway Centre, providing an up-graded path, of National Trail standards, with steps where needed, way-marking and no stiles, and benefiting from the Centre's modern facilities and easy access to public transport in Dunstable.

The Centre is owned jointly by the NT and Bedfordshire CC, and is managed by the NT. It is designed to minimise impact on the ecology, and its iconic Wind-Catcher, at first glance an impressive modern sculpture, is in reality a temperature-stabilising part of the ventilation system!  We clustered at its foot for a brief photo-shoot before setting off on the promised walk along the first part of the new path, towards the Whipsnade Tree Cathedral, returning for an excellent lunch back at the Centre.

On the way home I could not resist a return visit to Ivinghoe Beacon and the start of our Trail, to look out over the line of the new path, and to enjoy the all-round views from this wonderful view-point. The Beacon provides the most dramatic possible start and finish point for the National Trail, but there is no doubt that the new path will provide an access route and facilities which will greatly assist many users of the Ridgeway, particularly those without cars and willing helpers to meet or see them off! It will also no doubt become itself a popular and attractive walk for many of the 250,000 people living in the Dunstable and Luton area, as well as for visitors.

Jeff Goddard