Length: 20.5 km (12.7 mi)
Ascent/Descent: 227/218m
Net Walking Time: 4 ¾ hours
Toughness: 4 out of 10
Take the 09.25 Northampton train from
Euston (Harrow & W’stone 09.37, Bushey 09.42, Watford J 09.45), arrives
Tring at 10.02.
Returns from Wendover: xx.27 and xx.57 (into
Marylebone).
The stations are on different lines and the lines are run by different train
companies.
Buy a Zone 1-6 Travelcard plus singles
from/to Boundary Zone 6 to Tring and from Wendover.
“This walk has plenty of variety - completely flat the first half of the
day, starting along the quiet tree-lined banks of the Grand Union Canal, then
past 'twitchers with bins' (aka birdwatchers with binoculars) beside nature
reserves-cum-reservoirs. In the afternoon the public footpath passes alongside
a MOD airfield with gliders pulled by tugs or whipped into the air by a
whirling wheel on a stationary lorry. For the last 3 km the land changes
completely, as you make your way up into a popular part of Wendover Woods, with
its "Go Ape" adventure centre, and exercise areas, nearly to the
highest point in the Chilterns, and then descend steeply into Wendover.” This is a stile-free walk.
Shorter Walks:
In the morning you can follow the Wendover Arm of
the Grand Union Canal either at its junction with the Grand Union just before
Marmsworth Top Lock, or - and better - after Tringford Reservoir. The latter
avoids the walk around the third reservoir (Wilstone Reservoir) and reduces the
walk by 1 km.
After lunch at the Oak, Aston Clinton, you could
get bus 501 from the centre of the village either to Aylesbury
Station (at xx.09) or to the centre of Tring (from where you can walk about 3 km [or
take a bus or taxi] to the station) at xx.45 (bus continues to Hemel Hempstead and
Watford J stations).
In the afternoon, to avoid the hills up into
Wendover Woods, you can take the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal and
follow it all the way into Wendover. This reduces the walk by approximately 2
km.
Lunch: The Oak,
Aston Clinton (11.5 km into the walk, food served to 16.00, table booked
for 12.30).
Tea: too numerous to list here, check details on
another Wendover walk’s page, here.
2 comments:
The train out picked up 10 minutes of delay due to 'congestion around Berkhamstead' and then n=2 of us ventured out into the entirely flat first half of the walk, along the canal and some reservoirs, bumping into loads of people, who all seemed very keen to get their walking or dog walking out of the way before noon. Funny that!
There was a fierce cold wind blowing and we could see the clouds moving in that from 11.45 onwards dropped some rain, not hard and lots of it but steady.
Some of the field boundaries were slithery but there was no deep mud.
Lunch at The Oak was average quality, but we had time, so a second drink was had. Waterproofs were certainly the order now, as 2 more hours of walking in steady light rain loomed.
At the Wendover Arm Canal we split, one following it into town (15.57 train), the other going 'over the top' through the wooded ridge (16.27 train).
Flora and Fauna: snowdrops in the churchyard at Drayton Beauchamp, wee yellow flowers in a field under some trees, a large egret on the canal and an expired young mole on a field boundary. How he got there I don't know, as no mole hills were visible. Maybe a bird accidentally dropped it?
A fine workout in good company.
w=dry-start-with-a-cold-wind-then-wet
Recap post canal split. A pleasant path into Wendover with a short detour into Halton (St Michael’s church). The area lends itself to seeing wild birds and being the sole walker helped in spotting a rare Kingfisher. This alongside seeing the colourful Mandarin ducks made the walk. Given recent transport mishaps it was a nice surprise to make the 15:57 back. As mentioned previously pre split a fine walk in good company maintaining a brisk pace.
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