Book 2; Walk 1: Wendover
Circular via Coombe Hill
Standard walk: 18.5km
(11.5 miles)
For shorter options see
walk instructions
Difficulty: 6 out of 10
Train: Take the 9:27 am
Aylesbury-bound Chilterns Railway train from London Marylebone, arriving at
Wendover at 10:15. Return trains are at 28 and 58 past the hour until 19:28
when they become hourly.
Buy a day return to Wendover.
"This energetic walk serves as a fine
introduction to the Chiltern Hills, first passing through woodland, then
descending into hidden vales and fields before emerging out onto the Chiltern
escarpment above Princes Risborough at a spot that commands panoramic views of
the countryside below. Find the walk
instructions on the L=2.1 page
The recommended lunch pub
is the Red Lion in Whiteleafe 01844
344476, about 6 miles/10 km into the walk. Plenty of tea or stronger stuff
back in Wendover.
Sunset is around 18.21
2 comments:
#10 people at the station, and 2 caught up later so #12 in all. The weather was mainly #sunshine-and-showers. We all walked together up to Dirtywood Farm, and then took the short option directly to Whiteleafe Hill. Here we separated, three people went on to the Red Lion (where 2 others had already arrived) and the others went on to find a suitable picnic spot.
Lunch at the Red Lion was served quickly and the food was good, with a real fire adding to the cosy atmosphere. After lunch we retraced our steps for a short distance. We five then split up and two took the lower route along the Aylesbury Ring, and three of us went on up to Coombe Hill and the monument. There we were rewarded by a beautiful panorama of the country below us in the evening sunlight. After that onto the station where we met the two who had taken the lower route. They reported that some of the paths were closed off requiring diversions to get back to the station
I've done this walk a few times but don't think I've ever succeeded in following the correct route all the way (see below). Five picknickers on Whiteleaf Hill became 7 as we met the two late starters shortly after. Most of us tried to take shelter from a torrential shower in Ellesborough Church porch, where the new arrivals took the chance of an overdue sandwich. After that we all opted for the Coombe Hill route but when we saw how muddy and slippery the steep path up was, we decided to try and walk round the bottom.
At this point some of us got a bit distracted when we realised that a group of people passing us going downhill included a very prominent politician with a local residence. He says hello. After a brief chat with some of his security detail, we headed off and failed to find the path we wanted (two ahead knew where it was . . .) so we ended up on a path curving gently up nearly to the top of the hill. Then more slithering down to Wendover and the 1628 train.
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