T=2.2
Length: 17.3km (10.7miles), 4.5 hours. 6 out of 10
You can shortcut the ending after lunch by walking to Princess Risborough, the next stop on the line.
"This walk through a peaceful part of the rolling Chiltern Hills has one or two steep hills, but otherwise gradients are gentle and there are many fine views out over the valley and plain. The first part of the walk follows the valley bottom before following the Ridgeway to lunch at Bledlow. In the afternoon you pass through a series of secluded valleys before reaching Radnage and then over Bledlow Ridge and back along the valley to Saunderton."
Trains: Get the 0952 Aylesbury train from London Marylebone (running late? get the 1002 Birmingham train and change at High Wycombe), arriving 1052. Return trains are xx56. You can sometimes shorten the journey time by changing at High Wycombe.
Lunch: The suggested lunchtime place is the Lions Bledlow, 7km from the start of the walk, food from 12 to 2.30pm daily and has an extensive garden. There is also the church & Lyde Gardens for a picnic.
Tea: The Golden Cross is an excellent place to wait for the train.
2 comments:
Where were the hardy walkers of SWC? 6 regulars assembled at the Saunderton station, in a cold and misty but very atmospheric day. Frost everywhere, on trees, shrubs, bushes and spider webs (poor spider, are you still alive? Your legancy will be remembered in our amazing photographs).
We arrived at Lions at about 12:30. 3 picnickers decided to continue as they wanted to catch 3:56pm train. 3 others ate in the pub, a relatively basic menu but missing the pub classics like fish & chips or scampi & chips. One had fish cakes, two opted for chicken pie, portions were plentiful. Just when we were about to leave the pub, 7th walker who missed the scheduled train came in. so n=7. We let her to enjoy her meal.
The afternoon segment was relentless but full of surprises. By then, the ground frost has gone and the dreaded mud reappeared. A couple of walkers slipped to the ground but no harm was done. A brief sunshine in the middle of afternoon lifted our spirits.
One luncher sped to catch 3:56pm train. Two other decided to take a short cut and got to the train station just after 4:30pm, decided to stay in the waiting room at the station rather than going to the pub as it was cutting a bit too close to comfort.
To everyone's surprise, the luncher who went ahead appeared on the platform 5 mins later having completed the full afternoon walk. We were then joined by two picnickers who just missed 3:56pm train by a few seconds and spent nearly an hour in Goldern Cross instead.
Only one walker got away with 3:56pm train who smugly waived at the two who missed it.
So 5 on 4:56pm train to London. We had a very lively discussion on the train back as the fragmentation (isolation) in the afternoon got everyone into the social mood, despite the fact we were sitting in a quiet coach (woops...). We took a cue from a fellow passenger who gave us a thumb up 'you were very entertaining', in a nice way, when she got off at Marylebone station.
The late starter texted us confirming she has safely arrived at the station a half hour later and was enjoying a drink at Golden Cross.
A nice day out despite....
W=Frosty-and-misty
The question of whether the spider is now dead is an interesting one. Orb weaver spiders, that make the classic garden webs in early autumn, are females who have laid eggs and guard them until they die of cold. But other spiders “hibernate” (not the right word, because hibernation is slowing down metabolism, which only mammals do) and appear in spring. Just this week I was hammering wire mesh into fence posts and several spiders appeared out of cracks and scurried off. I would like to know more about this topic…..
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