18.5km (11.5 miles) or with shortcut: 13.5km (8.4 miles). Difficulty:7 out of 10
An energetic but rewarding Chilterns walk. You’ve got woodland, views, and an ancient hillfort.
There's a choice of two endings. The easiest takes you near the HS2 workings. The alternative involves a steep climb up Coombe Hill.
Trains: Get the 9:57 Aylesbury Parkway train from Marylebone, arriving at 10:45. Return trains at xx 57 and xx: 27.
Lunch:
The Red Lion (tel 01844 344476), Whiteleaf is recommended.
The Plough (tel 01844 343302) in Lower Cadsden, another possibility, is a short diversion from the walk route.
Anyone doing the shorter walk, via Cross Coppice, can choose between a detour to the fore-mentioned Plough or a late lunch, 2.5km from the end of the walk, at the Russell Arms, Butler's Cross (tel 01296 624411), a short diversion from the walk route. Food served noon - 4pm
Tea the Shoulder of Mutton (tel 01296 623223), near the station. Hot chocoholics may prefer Rumsey's (tel 01296-625060) on the High Street.
Directions here t=2.1
3 comments:
Five off the posted train found the outward route blocked by HS2 works.Three decided to do the walk in reverse, two decided to take the diversion indicated which involved finding the next crossing of the motorway. This took them back past the station where they picked up 2 late arrivals making a total of 7 .
The diversion was blocked off as was the next road over the motorway so the 4 resorted to doing the alternative Wendover circular via The Lee and Swan Bottom. On reaching The Lee, 1 went in search of a pub lunch and 3 looped back to Wendover where one went for a drink 1 went to Morrisons and 1 for coffee and cake at the deli. Two caught the 15.27 an 1 the 15.57. I hope others will report on how they got on. It was a w=sunny day and a lovely walk on good paths and not much mud compared to recent outings.
N=7
For reference over the next year or so, the diversionary route past the HS2 works at the start of the walk is to turn right as normal at the top of the station approach, cross the bridge over the main road and then follow the diversionary road round to the right across a temporary bridge over the HS2 works. About 150 metres after this temporary bridge, at the top of the hill, there is a road junction, with a side road going left. Follow this road to the left, ignoring another turning to the left (the other half of the closed road) shortly afterwards. This takes you onto a single track road with a broad gravel walkway to its right that goes over a low hill alongside the HS2 site and then down to Bacombe Lane. Turn right on this and you are back on the GPX route for the walk. Shortly afterwards you take a footpath to the left which takes you out into the fields and up to Cosgrove Wood etc.
Do NOT attempt to do the “standard” ending of this walk during the period of the works, but take the (in any case much better) alternative over Coombe Hill. Descending Coombe Hill you come to the road and have to loop round to the left on the diversionary road over the temporary bridge that you came out on.
No other part of the walk is affected by the works and when they are finished (sometime in 2026?) the old layout of roads and paths will restored.
Of the seven off the posted train at Wendover, five set off to do the full walk. Of these, two laggards separately took short cuts, both ending up in The Plough at Cadsden. One then set off to complete the walk, the other to look at a chalk figure cut into the hillside above Whiteleaf (not very impressive, of dubious antiquity) before hopping on a passing bus into Aylesbury.
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