The last day and the sun was shining again to greet an early start from home to meet up with Graham who had been 'volunteered' to give us a lift at the end, that we planned on being around 4pm. It had been a good opportunity at home to stock with fresh food and drink in our day-rucksacks, now weighing in at a third of our full size bags carried the previous days as no glad-rags needed for the evening. 
Walking the familiar footpath down into Wendover to where we left off yesterday afternoon and out past Hambden Pond beside the clear chalk stream and passing the pretty Wendover Church. Before we really got going, we were stopped for directions to the gun club by 2 cars full of people ( yes we did know where it was even though the postman didn't)! On up Hog Trough Lane and passing our own allotment before being greeted by a field of the noisiest sheep who must have had 'mint sauce' mentioned to them by the farmer this morning, to make this much din!
Taking the left fork and Into our familiar Wendover Woods that we have been told in the past, has no part of the large woods that actually lye within Wendover! 
Being a bank holiday weekend, it was shared with runners, cyclists, horse-riders and of course dog walkers. The woods looked stunning until a shower came from nowhere that had us donning our wet cloths for just ten minutes before becoming too hot and repacking them away, this happening three more times today, with as you may remember, my pet-whinge of my boots coming off and on more times than a Belisha beacon. All was quite familiar to us on this section and for an hour and half the large loop the path takes through the woods, left us still no more than 20 minutes from home if walking in a straight line. 
On leaving Wendover woods we crossed Hale Lane, now being used for a Sunday cycle event, crossing and dodging the panting and out of breath cyclists with race numbers on their backs so they must have meant business. We were very happy to soon go through a kissing gate ( obligatory peck on the cheek) and Into a field for more tranquility. This was also an opportunity to put the wet togs away once again, until needed much later in the day. We tip-toed quietly by passing contented looking cows with their young, thankfully choosing to lay-down in the warm sunshine and ignore us before coming out onto a lane for a longish road section through Hastoe village.
After about a mile we entered into Tring Woods managed by the Woodland Trust, with boards erected everywhere in case you forget who's in charge. 
It maybe the Trust who are responsible for putting in quirky wood things with meaningful statements about life and peace but we must not knock them for improving paths and access and we both liked the opening up of long-lost vistas over Tring and beyond towards North Bucks. With lots of new seats added, we could take a break in comfort and watch the wonderful view pan-out below.
At the end of the park we pop out into the open again for a gradual descent over the footbridge spanning the duelled A41 before a short road section crossing the Grand Union canal and passing by Tring Station where normally a cup of tea and snack could be bought and a welcome wee stop taken, if only the station building wasn't closed on Sunday! 
Upwards now just west of the village of Aldbury that is yet another idyllic village used in Midsommer Murders. We were already sniffing the end, with a hint of regret, when we were cheered up by a young dad on a Sunday outing with two 2 kids on foot and also a toddler in one of those really handy back packs. We heard one of the boys say as we passed "why have they got sticks daddy"? We explained that they are really handy when you are older, which was easier to explain than going into the technicalities of an all-over body workout, saving 30% of pressure from your knees and stopping you wobble on down-hill gradients, plus of course fending off foliage, angry dogs, frisky cows and of course, naughty children!
Here we go again, on with our wet togs before leaving the woods and up onto the ridge via another much shorter but sharing the same name of Grims ditch, for an undulating walk back along the ridge, passing the steep-sided hillock, named by us, "Leah's Hill" after our eldest granddaughter, who insisted on running up it to beat us to the top, each time she comes to visit us. On top of the mound today were a big family group successfully flying their kites in the breeze. Thankfully the Ridgeway skirts lower down around this mound, saving a short sharp ascent before crossing the Aldbury road besides the small car-park. We were now on the last flat section before winding upwards past Steps Hill, probably getting its name from the steep steps that rise from the base of the hill to the top and offer a challenge for even the most fittest walker (yes we have climbed them ). Our end goal was now in view as we looked over towards Town Farm, a pleasant camping site at the base of the beacon, teeming with tents and caravans, being a bank holiday. 
This could make an excellent start / stop location for back-packers or those doing a logistical caravan/car switching trip. The now familiar Ridgeway sign said only 0.6 miles to go and no chance of being alone as most of the Town Farm campers had also walked to the top of Ivinghoe Beacon probably because they knew we were coming? A slowly-slowly up on the last steep stretch to a big hug of the Trig point followed by a big hug of Lesley of course....priorities! A kindly gent took our joint photo to avoid doing one of those 'selfie' things where one of us, or both our heads heads are missing and of course we forgot our selfie-stick today! 
Arriving early we just sat and admired the view for nearly an hour straining to look towards our start just eight days ago and around 90 miles or so away. It's a bit of an anti-climax at the top, a vandalised beacon-board points out the direction of landmarks, such as: Didcot power station! but no sign saying 'start of Ridgeway' or indeed, 'end of Ridgeway' unlike at Overton Hill that points out you have only 87 miles to go, plus of course your deviations to stop-overs.