A prominent hill and landmark in Buckinghamshire, Ivinghoe Beacon stands at 233m (757 feet) above sea level in the Chiltern Hills. It’s the site of an Iron Age hill-fort and an ancient signal point, and part of the Ivinghoe Hills Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The trig is a concrete pillar, and was originally a third order (tertiary) trig station.
From the Beacon there are sweeping views across the Vale of Aylesbury and into Oxfordshire; on a clear day you can see the three counties of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
Ivinghoe Beacon is the start (or end) point of the Icknield Way to the east, and the Ridgeway long-distance path to the west.
Apprearing very remote yet being close to two film studios has made the Ivinghoe Beacon a popular choice as a filming location:
- four Harry Potter films – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2
- BBC adaptation of Richard II (2012)
- Star Wars movie The Rise of Skywalker (the location was used to represent the planet of Kef Bir, with scenes featuring Rey, Finn and Poe)
Getting to Ivinghoe Beacon
The quickest and shortest way to the trig station is from the Ivinghoe Beacon Car Park along Beacon Road, or a slightly longer walk from the Steps Hill Car Park. There are many hiking routes that take in the trig point, from short loop walks to the long-distance Ridgeway National Trail. The Chilterns Loop from Tring passes Ivinghoe Beacon.
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