Deacon Hill

Deacon Hill is a chalk downland hill in the Chilterns AONB (National Landscape) near Pegsdon, on the Bedfordshire-Hertfordshire border. The hill and its surrounding grassland are part of the Pegsdon Hills and Hoo Bit nature reserve, managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, and are designated the Deacon Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Families can follow open-access footpaths up to the trig point on the summit for some of the best views in the North Chilterns, passing ancient strip lynchets (cultivation terraces) and the deep earthwork along the old Icknield Way route. The chalk grassland is rich in wildflowers - wild thyme, marjoram, orchids and rare pasque flower - and butterflies such as dingy and grizzled skippers, while skylarks and buzzards call overhead and glow-worms appear on summer evenings. A popular 3.5-mile circular walk from Pegsdon (Chilterns National Landscape route, OS ref TL118301) climbs steadily through the reserve to the Deacon Hill trig point, then loops back through Pegsdon village. Access is from the old road west of Pegsdon and via the gate off Barton Road (B655). Open access at all times with free admission. Dogs welcome on a lead; tracks and paths across the grassland can be steep and uneven, so sturdy footwear is recommended. There are no facilities on site.