Discover Tring: Museums, history and trails

Tring offers a range of attractions for a stay: local history, natural history, historic architecture and outdoor trails. Each museum has its own focus. Tring Local History Museum explores the history of the town and its immediate surroundings; the Natural History Museum at Tring houses a private natural history collection. There are also walking and cycling routes in Tring Park and the surrounding area.

Museums and historic architecture

Tring Local History Museum presents the history of Tring and its immediate surroundings in a chronological exhibition of objects, images and documents. Its collection includes more than 3,000 objects relating to the history of the town and its local community. Exhibits include two pictorial Tring Tiles from the 14th century, as well as two fragments from the V&A collection, displayed on loan. Loan arrangements may change. The chronological arrangement provides a framework for placing individual objects and documents in the history of the area.

The Natural History Museum at Tring offers a different perspective: it houses the private collection of Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, who lived from 1868 to 1937. Those interested in architectural history can see specific architectural features at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in Tring: it contains fabric dating from the 13th century. Its floor plan comprises a nave with three aisles and a square-ended chancel.

Visiting the Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum at Tring is open Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays from 10 am to 5 pm; last admission is at 4 pm. Check the opening times before you travel. Free self-guided trails encourage children to ask questions and discuss animal features. The trails give the museum visit a practical focus: children can observe how animals differ and come up with questions about what they see.

Trails and landscapes around Tring

The 1.6-kilometre King Charles Ride in Tring Park is a bridleway and also forms part of the Ridgeway National Trail. A moderate walking route in the park is listed as 3.5 kilometres long, with an approximate duration of two hours. The route takes in views of ancient monuments and the restored Rond Point. The route details are presented in different ways: the King Charles Ride has a stated distance, while the walk description also gives an approximate time and difficulty level.

There are six guided walking and cycling routes through the Chilterns landscape around Tring; maps and printable materials are available. Details of individual routes may change, so it is worth checking the latest information before setting out. Tring Park also contains one of the largest areas of unimproved chalk grassland in the county. This area is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Nearby, about two miles north of Tring, College Lake offers signposted walking trails and a seasonal Wildlife Discovery Trail. The trail is seasonal, so the signposted paths and the Discovery Trail are distinct offerings. Tring railway station is 2.5 miles away and can be reached via a footpath along the canal. Route conditions may vary.

Market and local offerings

Tring Farmers’ Market offers a wide range of locally produced food and drink, as well as refreshment stalls. Along with the museums and trails, the market adds to the range of things to explore during a stay in Tring. You can tailor your stay to what interests you most: chronological local history, a natural history collection, architecture or time outdoors.

Discover more destinations: Borehamwood, Buntingford, Standon, Watford, Hexton, Knebworth, Datchworth, Boxmoor.

Return to the main travel overview: Hertfordshire.