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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Wednesday 31 October 2018

Wednesday Walk Wendover Circular - a Book 2 Chiltern's Classic not for the Faint Hearted

Book 2, Walk 1 - Wendover Circular

Length: 18.5 km (11.5 miles)
Toughness: 7 out of 10 (8.5 out of 10 with Coombe Hill ending)

London Marylebone: 09-57 hrs       Aylesbury Vale Parkway service
Arrive Wendover: 10-45 hrs

Return: 16-23, 16-53, 17-20, 17-55, 18-26, 18-52 and 19-23 hrs

You get a good work out on this walk, particularly if you attempt the Coombe Hill ending, but  energy spent should be rewarded by Chiltern Hill's leaf colour in the many woods along the way, and you will have some lovely views today.

You will have to maintain a steady pace (no dawdling) if you want luncheon at the Red Lion pub in Whiteleaf - always best to 'phone ahead with numbers: 01844-344476  your e.t.a is 13-25 hrs.

More woods, steep bits and Chiltern's classic countryside in the afternoon before you have that very steep climb to the summit of Coombe Hill with its Boer War monument.  Then - relief - its downhill all the way to Wendover.  For your tea stop, chocaholics go to Rumsey's Chocolaterie, a short distance down the High Street, whilst I prefer the Shoulder of Mutton pub near the railway station.
T=2.1
Walk Directions here: L=2.1

13 comments:

Barbara said...

There's a lovely cheese and wine shop on the High Street, open until 5PM. Excellent wine selection. If you choose the same bottle of wine, you could share and save on price.

I did this walk today, 13th, and bought a Prosecco and a white one for 12 pounds each.

tartanrug said...

Tickets: for those with Freedom Pass this covers you Marylebone to Amersham so only buy ticket on from Amersham.

I will do the short version 8.4 miles (via Coppice Cross?) with a late lunch at the Russell Arms around 2pm.

Unknown said...

Hi all,I would like to join but I'm just worried we won't be able to meet without phone contacts. Where is the meeting point? Many thanks

JohnE said...

Meeting point is on the platform at Wendover when the specified train arrives (1045 if all goes to plan). The walking group should be obvious as there are unlikely to be many other people around.

See the notes on the This Week's Walks page for some brief notes and a link to more details for first-timers.

Thomas G said...

The gpx has this as a 20.2 km walk, with the pub reached after 10.6 km (and three of the five ascents), so a later train for the Network Railcard-holders (10.27, arrives 11.15) should still leave enough time to get to the pub before last food orders (just confirmed to me as 14.00 hours)...

Anonymous said...

I intend getting the later train and if necessary will join you for a ginger beer in the pub....
Rich

Marc Ricketts said...

I won't make it Tomorrow. Because 1. I will be working and 2. It will be my Birthday.

Marc Ricketts said...

I won't make it Tomorrow. Because 1. I will be working and 2. It will be my Birthday. But I hope the Walk goes well for you.

Anonymous said...

Hi actually I think the Chilterns trains allow you to board the train before 09.30 as I recall Thomas when you led a walk from Princes Rishborough to Wendover on a Wednesday we got the 09.15 train in winter. Those with network card was also alllowed.
I shall board the train at Harrow on the Hill
at the stated time. Hope the this helps for those without Freedom pass or SEnior rail card.
Monica

PeteG said...

Not for a Network railcard, but senior is ok. you can also get the train at harrow-on-the-hill just after 1009

Unknown said...

Hi, I'm currently at Marylebone station. See you at Wendover

Thomas G said...

The 3 late starters caught up with the main group at the lunch pub, and when we all left, I counted 16. 1 other (1 of the 3 late starters) was still inside, finishing lunch. 1 other had apparently walked her own short walk straight from the platform to lunch in Butler's Cross. I make that n=18, which is a record for this walk! [at least as far back as attendance numbers have been kept on the website] The weather was w=sunny-and-warm-for-the-time-of-year.
"Russet Hues-rating": not that great in the first third of the walk, I'd say, what with lots of brown leaves on the floor and lots of green ones on the trees. That changed markedly in the middle of the walk, along the north-facing woods, here we got the riot of browns, reds and oranges we had hoped for. Else: fine far views into Aylesbury Vale, plenty of ups and downs, soapy but not muddy ground, nice company.
Most if not all of the fast walkers did the 'via Coombe Hill' variant, some even fit in the - off route - top of Beacon Hill just before that.
We crossed the railway bridge in Wendover just as the 16.23 was pulling out, so decamped to the Shoulder of Mutton, or so we thought. But it's heavily scaffolded, with most of the interior bare and with lots of builders doing what builders do. Unfortunately, the Chef & Brewer website doesn't give a clue whether that's just a freshup or a close down and conversion to residential... So we strode on to the Tapas Bar/Restaurant next to the Wine and Cheese Shop. 8 of us settled in there for a couple, others went for a tea somewhere else. 17.20 train for both those sets of people. Others still went straight to the station for the 16.53.

Anonymous said...

For the non-alcos, the wine and cheese shop also do very good coffee and sweet stuff, and opens late on Saturday.