t=2.1
Length: 18km (11m)
Toughness: 7 / 10
Transport: Take the 9:27 from London Marylebone to Wendover arriving 10:15. Return trains are at xx:26 and xx:56.
This is a classic autumn Chilterns walk with plenty of woodlands, a fine lunch pub and a selection of tea choices at the end: Rumsey's Chocolaterie for those with sweet teeth, No2 Pound Street for the wine and cheese lovers and the Shoulder of Mutton for those with a thirst for beer. Combinations of these places are possible. The ending of the walk is as usual via Coombe Hill and not along the valley bottom. I would also like to try a new variation just after point [3] in the instructions, about 200m after crossing Missenden Road, which avoids some road walking and takes in more of the Chilterns escarpment.
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N=18 on this walk including one late starter who caught up with us at lunch. The weather was w=cloudy-but-warm. The foliage was mostly green but with some orange tints in places, and this still made an excellent autumn walk. I was probably the only person who noticed the lovely maroons on the dogwood shrubs and the pink on some brambles.
Conversation was remarkably political at times, with Brexit, HS2 and the prospect of a Corbyn government all featuring from time to time. But I think by the end we had reached a happy consensus on all these issues. (Or maybe not.) On the train home the conversation turned to Strictly, which I noted prompted more enthusiasm from some hitherto relatively silent walkers.
We had two - three? - newbies on the walk who had done our walks previously with friends and now were trying the group. We hope all the political stuff did not put them off... Late morning our walk poster led us on a variation which cut out the road walking near Whiteleaf Hill and which certainly made sense to me.
Lunch at the Red Lion was very cosy. They get brownie points for having two vegan options (though I am not sure these vegans should really be allowed choice: it gets them over excited...). I think we we’re all happy with the food. All of the group I was with did the Coombe Hill variation at the end and two got a bit lost and did a variation on the variation. We all steamed up the very steep climb in such a way as to make one proud to be an SWC-er.
After that there was nothing for it but to endure chocolate cake and tea in Rumsey’s. Five of us then went to the Shoulder of Mutton for a drink - and to swop happy tales of summer travel.
Make that n=19 A certain Billy No-mates started an hour later so as not to spoil everyone else’s day. (The real reason is even more embarrassing - a misread train time).
Took the “Now that's what I call a” shortcut (purely to catch-up, you understand). Did eventually catch up with the advance guard but only on the station platform. Would have done Coombe Hill if I’d remembered the way. Can report, however, that the Russell Arms is now a community owned pub and a lot friendlier than the sniffy wine bar it became a few years ago. Also, in case no-one noticed any of the many signs, Ellesborough church does teas on Sunday afternoons.
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