Wednesday 8 May 2024

06/05/24 - Chiltern Chain Summary

 

Distance walked on Circular Walks - 254.5
Geocaches Found - 191
Stages Completed In - 20
Start - Dunstable Downs - 26/08/18
Finish - Goring - 06/05/24


I stumbled on the Chiltern Chain Walk through Google. Its not an official Long Distance Path but has been meticulously put together and documented by someone called Pete. He created a route that covers the length of the Chilterns AONB through 20 Circular Walks that are ever so slightly interconnected, so a chain is formed. He writes;

I don’t really expect anybody else to walk the Chiltern Chain Walk, and I don’t intend to do much to publicise it. It was simply a challenge for my own purposes, to plan, design and create a long-distance path and then walk it. However, I have documented the route, by writing reasonably detailed route descriptions for each of the 20 walks. I would hope that maybe one or two people might find some of the walks of sufficient interest that they would do them themselves – indeed, I think that some of the walks are so good that it would be a shame if nobody else ever tried them. 

Sounds like he handn't budgeted on people like me having time on my hands.  So thanks Pete - appreciate your diligence in putting this together.

Chiltern Chain Walk Route
The route and the interconnected 20 routes


Highlights

The Chilterns provided fine walking and the walks - between 10 and 15 miles - provided enough justification to warrant the fuel to get down there.

The website was informative, well written and although .GPX files were not available, on-line resources allow the easy conversion of Google .KML files.

The Ridgeway was revisited, which is always a pleasure to walk. Ivinghoe Beacon a highlight.

Lots of pretty villages - Chesham, Chenies, West Wycombe, Amersham, Hambleden and Goring to name a few. The pubs were often ancient and full of character. The beer a touch more pedestrian, with lots of Brakspear.

Cache laden routes - often stumbling on some great circular trails, which probably had the CO wondering why I had only found a percentage of those available. A few ALCs in the villages, keeping the numbers up.

Lowlights

Lots of woodland. The footpaths through them were perfect for walking but disappointing for photographs.

The Stages

Stage 1 - The Dunstable Downs
Stage 2 - Studham
Stage 3 - Ivinghoe
Stage 4 - Pitstone Hill
Stage 5 - Wendover Woods
Stage 6 - Buckland Common
Stage 7 - Chesham
Stage 8 - Chenies
Stage 10 - Amersham
Stage 11 - Prestwood
Stage 13 - Parslows Hillock
Stage 14 - West Wycombe
Stage 15 - Hambleden
Stage 16 - Cowleaze Woods
Stage 17 - Christmas Common
Stage 18 - Stoke Row
Stage 19 - Exlade Street
Stage 20 - Goring

The Flickr Album

Chiltern Chain Walk

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