Ivinghoe Beacon

Ivinghoe Beacon is a prominent hill and landmark in the Chiltern Hills, standing 233 m (757 ft) above sea level. It is situated close to the villages of Ivinghoe, Aldbury in Buckinghamshire, the Ashridge Estate, and the village of Little Gaddesden in Hertfordshire, and is managed and owned by the National Trust. Ivinghoe Beacon lies between the towns of Dunstable, Berkhamsted and Tring. It is the starting point of the Icknield Way to the east, and the Ridgeway long-distance path to the west.

Contrary to popular claims, Ivinghoe Beacon does not rise to 249m above sea level as some sources claim. This is the highest elevation of the nearby Clipper Down, where a trig point of the same name stands at 249m above sea level making it the highest point in the east of England. Beacon Hill, as it is formally known on OS Maps, actually rises to 233m, 16 metres lower than its neighbour. The precise summit height is ambiguous as the Ridgeway marker sits at the summit of the hill at 233m, with a trig point sited a few metres away and slightly lower at 231m.

While physically quite prominent, Ivinghoe Beacon is not the highest point in the Chilterns, which is a few miles to the west at Haddington Hill near Wendover. Despite this, there is an indication that Ivinghoe Beacon has a line of sight to a landmark in Blue Bell Hill in Kent. Some 61 miles away to the east.

Ivinghoe Beacon is a popular spot for walkers, sightseers and model aircraft enthusiasts, who use lift generated by the wind blowing up the hill - a technique known as slope soaring.

Ivinghoe Beacon's appearance of remoteness, yet relative proximity to the film studios at Elstree meant that it was a favoured location for many dramas, especially those produced by ITC in the 1960s.