Dunstable Downs is the high point of this corner of England, and gliders use the ridge's updrafts nearly every fine day. It is the highest ground in Bedfordshire, and from the top the plain stretches north towards the Midlands.
The ride that ended here started in the Peak District, so the downs feel like a gentle echo of the hills. Roads along the escarpment are twisty and open, with sharp bends where they climb or drop, and the views on a clear day are wide. The surface is generally good, but busy roads like the A5 and M1 run close by. On a sunny weekend the car park at the top fills with kite-flyers and walkers, so mornings and weekdays are quieter. Whipsnade Zoo, on the same ridge, has a huge chalk lion carved into the hillside, visible for miles.
Markyate sits on Watling Street, the Roman road that became the A5, and the town grew as a stopping place for coaches and travellers. Its long high street is lined with old inns and houses, and the name of the street has been in use since Roman times. Nearby, chalk grassland on the downs is rich in wild flowers, including orchids and rare butterflies such as the chalkhill blue, which fly in July and August.
Fuel and food are easy at Dunstable, with large stations and supermarkets, and Markyate has a few shops and a pub. A visitor centre at the top of the downs has a cafe with a terrace and a view that suits a tired rider.
Stay a little while to watch the gliders turn above the slope. It is an easy way to enjoy the end of a long ride.