Sunday 1 January 2023

01/01/23 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 15 - Hambleden

Scouting Film Locations on the Chiltern Chain Walk


The villages in this part of the Chilterns make a fine place to kick off 2023 walking. Completely unspoiled, timeless and a shoe-in for cinema location scouts. Hambleden, where the walk starts, was used in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Sleepy Hollow. Turville, the half way point, used in the Vicar of Dibley.

An Adventure Lab Cache to get my bearing in Hambleden. Locals keen to wish me "Happy New Year" and then point out the error of my ways in paying for parking, when I could have just slammed it in between a couple of land-ies, on the roadside.

Hamblden Church
An ALC Location - Hambleden

Like most of my discoveries on the Chiltern Chain Walk, this is fine walking - possibly the best so far - but once the walk is over, I am left with little of photographic interest.  Things to note - tracks through woods, many ups and downs, mud and a long, flat walk back Hamblden Valley from Ibstone.

Oh, and such a high volume of Geocaches that by the end of the walk, I am well trained at writing 2023, as I date the logbooks.

Hamblden Great Wood
Metaled Track providing access to the first woodland - Great Wood
Hamblden Great Wood
Into Great Wood, where the Geocaching starts
Cobstone Mill
Heading towards Turville, Cobstone Windmill ion the distance
Turville, The Bull and Butcher
Too early for the Vicar of Dibley's local - Turville's Bull and Butcher

13 miles done and the first Good Beer Guide Tick of 2023 awaits..... Hambleden's Stag and Huntsman.

Stag and Huntsman, Hamblden
Now to find the way in.

The front door would seem an obvious access point but the had written sign says "please use the rear door". The rear door has a hastily created barricade stating "please wait to be seated".

The "2023 death of the pub" appears to have missed Buckinghamshire.

A chef agrees that I am allowed a drink and many rooms are navigated to find a narrow strip of a bar, with just the one seat available. I'm almost too scared to leave it to find the wifi password for my first of the year cask Untappd checkin.

Stag and Huntsman, Hamblden
Its a LocALE Rebellion Huntsman Red Ale

The name gave it away - specially brewed (or specially renamed) for this place. All Untappd checkins have been made from here.

Pub Scores

 


Appearance 

4/5

Traditional, multi-roomed gem

Drinks

3/5

Two Rebellion Beers and a Doom Bar.  Huntsman in fine condition.

Atmosphere

2/5 

Mostly diners and the special occasion pub go-ers.  Extra point for being packed.

Delightful Surprises

1/5 

Barricade fortifications to stop punter access, do not count.


Walk Information

Distance - 13 Miles

Geocaches - 26 and an ALC

Walk Inspiration

Previous Stages - Stage 1Stage 2Stage 3Stage 4Stage 5Stage 6Stage 7Stage 8Stage 9Stage 10Stage 11Stage 12Stage 13Stage 14



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