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.

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 9 - Chalfont St Giles

Stage 10 - Amersham

Stage 11 - Prestwood

Stage 12 - Princes Risborough

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

06/05/24 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 20 - Goring

The End of this Particular Road

The final stage of the Chiltern Chain Walk. Nearly 6 years ago, I set off on the Dunstable Downs, aiming to complete these series of interconnected walks at a rate of 4 per year. Not quite hitting the target but a fair effort considering the journey lengths involved.

An early start to Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. End of the Ridgeway and staring at Berkshire on the other side of an odd little wooden and concrete bridge. The Catherine Wheel or Miller of Mansfield identified for post ramble celebration.

The Berkshire / Oxfordshire Divide

Head east out of the village. A heavily laden cache trail providing entertainment through the downs and into Great Chalk Wood. Yep, the first half of this walk is all woodland. Said it many times on this trail - great walking but dull photos.

The terrain changes as we reach Mapledurham. Alas, its a dead end lane into the village, otherwise I would have been able to embed a YouTube from the 1976 film, The Eagle has Landed. I've been before and with 13.5 miles the longest walk in 2024, I couldn't afford to add anything extra.

Instead, its west, through the grounds of Hardwick House but never getting a clear view from close to bring a photo. Lunch stop on a bench on the outskirts of Whitchurch-on-Thames. A final push along the geocache heavy Thames Path back to Goring.

Little to photo - but here is a WW2 Pillbox guarding the Thames

Into the village on wobbly legs. The Catherine Wheel is a Brakspear pub, which has become the theme of these latter stages of CCW. I try my luck for a better pint but probably a worse pub at the Miller of Mansfield.

The Miller of Mansfield

All too Gastro for my liking. But its a bit fur coat and no knickers. 14 years ago  I stayed here for work and my double room - immaculately decorated - had no door for the en-suite. Hardly inspiring a romantic getaway.

Today, after battling for service with a man rather annoyed he had been served smelly fish - I find a decent pint of Renegade Good Old Boy. I even manage to get it topped up to the King's Pint by using only my eyes.

God, I am good at pubbing.

A chance to reflect on another goal ticked off.

Time to set a new one.

Good Old Boy

Walk Information

Distance - 13.5 Miles

Geocaches - 22 

Walk Inspiration

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10, Stage 11, Stage 12, Stage 13, Stage 14, Stage 15, Stage 16, Stage 17, Stage 18, Stage 19

30/03/24 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 19 - Exlade Street

 Woodland walking for a Gastropub with poor quality control

An 11 mile romp through South Oxfordshire, almost entirely in woodland. Pleasant enough at the time, but hardly providing interest for a blog. It's the penultimate stage of the Chiltern Chain Walk, so recorded for my own completeness only.

I start in Exlade Street. To provide an indication of scale, the Wikipedia page describes it as a hamlet that was significantly reduced in size when two house burned down. There is a pub, the Highwayman, that I make payment for use of their car park through post walk refreshment.

Looks like the Highwayman has already been on the rob

Soon into woodland, where I remain for day. Blair Witch vibes, with very few encounters with sentient life of any kind.

Today's Vista

Soon back at Stage 18's Stoke Row. Brakspear beers not enticing enough to convince me to revisit the Cheery Tree but walking further along the row, I take a pause at today's only item of interest. The Maharajah's Well - dug by two men to a depth of twice that of Nelson's Column over a year. In an act of international charity setting a precedent for Idi Amin's aid the winter of disconnect, paid for by an act of charity by Indian aristocracy in 1864.

The Canopy

In a blog of few highlights, I bring you a guilded elephant

Surprisingly, I turn down a visit to the Black Horse in Checkendon. Not necessarily because Whatpub states that the beer is on gravity dispense. More because I was excited at the trail of a number of mystery caches that I had quickly solved before heading down.

Back to the Highwayman - car park now full and people have to work hard to get here, so it must have something to offer punters.

C17th Original

Its a gastropub that doesn't do the sandwich that I am after. Instead, I can order off the nibbles section. Alas, they have sold out of £8.25 scotch eggs. Some would say that this is saving me from myself, but having been resigned to ordering mini chedders, I was upsold to Dick Turpin Loaded Fries.

Cue jokes that at least Dick wore a mask.

Beerwise, its nice to see some Locale Ales....  Marlow Rebellion bringing back fond memories of the Northern sections of the London Countryway walk. Renegade Good Old Boy was chosen.

Lifting to my nose was all I needed to tell me it was off. Leading to the frisson of sending it back and counter arguing a defence for "Its meant to smell like that".

Initial relief that it was instantly declared end of the barrel, leading me to be rather annoyed they tried to palm it off on me in the first place.

The replacement, after a barrel change

Walk Information

Distance - 11 Miles

Geocaches - 12 

Walk Inspiration

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10, Stage 11, Stage 12, Stage 13, Stage 14, Stage 15, Stage 16, Stage 17, Stage 18

28/12/23 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 18 - Stoke Row

 Remote Brakspear Pubs in Oxfordshire

With just two stages of the Chiltern Chain Walk to go, I am reaching the far western extremities. I'm also revisiting the Ridgeway but remembering little. Did I really have to walk across a golf course on Nuffield Common? How is that the three miles of Grim's Ditch seems so unfamiliar?

Thank God I blog.

Today's walk starts at the hamlet of Stoke Row. The Cherry Tree Inn to be exact.  From there, its the usual Chilterns loveliness. The flint ground coping with the wet weather better than yesterday's Warwickshire mudfest. Fine tracks, woodland that makes for good walking but poor photos and a distinct lack of anything interesting to report.

Items of most interest.....  A potential refreshment stop at Nettlebed's Cheese Shed. Geocaching on the Ridgeway. An unexpected WWII Aircraft Crash site that has an interesting modern story of remembrance.

Enough Cheese was consumed on Xmas night.... no need for the Cheese Shed

Geocaches make happy homes for snails

Loss of all life, after clipping Ipsden Church on a test flight

Which leaves the pubs. I'm in the heart of Brakspear Country. Their website gives little away as to where they now brew following a Fullers move in the early 2000s. They sold the brewing business to concentrate on the pub real estate. It appears they do now have a small brewery in Henley on Thames, although no idea what is produced there. From their website, I learn more about the only English Pope (1154, Nicholas Brakspear) than the fact that they moved brewing to Wychwood (RIP), subsequently conglomerated into Marstons. 

Despite the only two cask beers on gravity pour at the King William IV in Hailey, I shall be forever grateful for getting me out of the rain. As if by design, the heavens open just as I reach the door.  The only way to stop this is for me to have a half and don full top and bottom hard shells. Not a drop fell for the rest of the walk, as I rustled my way back to Stoke row.

A pub in splendid isolation

My half of "Oh Be Joyful" and the gravity racked barrels it came from

In a world of change, Quinno's pubsgalore review from 2018 stills holds true;

A wonderfully located rural pub in the Chilterns with the front garden affording a lovely view of the rolling hills, fussing farmers and wandering wildlife. There are three distinct areas inside after entering through the porch, with most of it given over to dining though drinkers can imbibe on the left-hand side. Décor notes - red and black chequerboard tiled floor, exposed brick, inglenook fireplace, brasses. Having been forewarned that the beer quality was ‘variable’ I was prepared for the two Brakspear ales on gravity…and inevitably my Hooray was flat and not overly enjoyable (ever heard of a hard spile?). It's worth a visit for the location for sure, but it isn’t anywhere in the league of a true rural gem like the Bell at Aldworth.

Fortified for the final three miles and the Old Cherry Inn - a similarly grand country pub, trading mostly on dining.  Dating from the 1830s - a nice history write up here.... although they fail to mention it was once owned by Carol Decker from T'Pau.

Big Van with the Hobgoblin doing deliveries on my arrival

A comfy chair, in front of a wood burning open fire was just the ticket after 13 long miles.

Even with an Oxford Gold.  

Walk Information

Distance - 13 Miles

Geocaches - 10 

Walk Inspiration

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10, Stage 11, Stage 12, Stage 13, Stage 14, Stage 15, Stage 16, Stage 17

30/07/23 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 17 - Christmas Common

The Unexpected Remoteness of the Chiltern Hills

Nearly 6 hours and 15 miles walking in the Chilterns. On several named paths - the Ridgeway, the Chiltern Way, the Oxfordshire Way. Yet I pass few people, visit no villages and the only pub is a revisit to the Fox and Hounds at Christmas Common. Visited on Stage 16 of the Chiltern Way.

I should have made a note of the entertainment that the walk author achieved. He recorded every wild flower observed to keep himself going. I can give you are report on the animals encountered - two large deers and a hare.

The walk starts at the Watlington Hill National Trust Car Park and works its way south to pickup the ridgeway, It's the usual Chiltern Ups and Downs, on great tracks and through lots of woods - the biggest being Warburg Nature Reserve. Packed lunch at Pishill Church and a most welcome post walk pint in on a sofa under a teepee at the Fox and Hounds. The Untappd lowest ever scoring Brakspear Gravity once again defying its poor reputation. Perfectly kept and I'll do my best to raise its average rating.

Starting the day going downhill from Watlington Hill NT Car Park

Information booth at Warburg Nature Reserve

Pishill Church - View from a lunchstop bench

The Oxfordshire Way taking me home

Familiar Ground, Familiar Pint - Brakspear Gravity at the Fox and Hounds, Christmas Common

I wish I could bring you more than a scattering of meaningless photos.

Next time, I will come prepared with my Guidebook to British Wild Flowers.

Walk Information

Distance - 14.5 Miles

Geocaches - 2 

Walk Inspiration

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10, Stage 11, Stage 12, Stage 13, Stage 14, Stage 15, Stage 16

07/04/23 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 16 - Cowleaze Woods

 Another beautifully boring yomp through the Chilterns

Only snippets of drama on this leg of the Chiltern Chain Walk. An Adventure Lab Cache in Cowleaze Woods tells me of the WWII crash site, taking me off path to find the memorial to 7 lost aviators. The information board summing it up best when saying "Tragically, having survived thousands of miles flown across Europe, they crashed here when they were so nearly home"  

Cowleaze Woods Memorial

Cowleaze Woods Inscription

The next 12 miles are so typical of the Chilterns. Super walking, amazing views, valley descents and climbs. Unusually for a Bank Holiday, its gorgeous blue skies and it would be a real curmudgeon whose mood is not lifted by the sight of new born lambs and walking along a valley floor under the shadow of soaring red kites.

Stokenchurch Tower - a marker along the M40 that means I am 90 minutes from home

Frequent views like the Oxfordshire Plain, towards the end of the route

The route runs through Wormsley Valley to the dry village of Ibstone. With the exception of the Barn restaurant at Turville Heath - pre-bookings only - there are no refreshment stops of any kind on this route until Christmas Common. And this requires a long pull uphill through Fire Wood.

I have never been so pleased to see a Brakspear Pub.

Water had expired 2m before arrival

The Fox and Hounds is a quintessential country pub, appealing to ramblers and diners in equal quantities. A small bar offers the smallest choice of drinks (wine excluded) that I think I have ever seen. Four keg fonts and a single cask hand-pull. At least the Brakspear Gravity session bitter will be fresh.

I take it outside for a choice of seating, either inside or outside a massive wigwam.

Think Nan is wondering why I photo my pints

Enough signal for Untappd, where I am surprised this session bitter scores so low.  2.9 may well be the lowest rating I have noticed. Yes, it 3.4%. Yes, I've purchased it four times previously and don't remember.  But it was clear, foamy refreshment that was most enjoyed. Maybe beer is all about circumstance. I was parched, the sun was shining and I knew was just a mile and a half from getting out of my walking boots and into comfort.

Alas, I hadn't expected that last mile and a half to be a drop down to the Oxfordshire plain and climb back up.

1450ft ascent in the gentle Chilterns.

Walk Information

Distance - 12.5 Miles

Geocaches - 3 and an 8 ALCs

Walk Inspiration

Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10, Stage 11, Stage 12, Stage 13, Stage 14, Stage 15

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.

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.

Metaled Track providing access to the first woodland - Great Wood

Into Great Wood, where the Geocaching starts

Heading towards Turville, Cobstone Windmill ion the distance

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.

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.

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 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6, Stage 7, Stage 8, Stage 9, Stage 10, Stage 11, Stage 12, Stage 13, Stage 14

02/06/22 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 14 - West Wycombe

Distance - 15 Miles

Geocaches - 7 and an ALC

Walk Inspiration

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

God Bless The Queen.  A four day weekend, although by Sunday, no-one has any idea what day it is.

This lengthy walk in the Chilterns was completed at the start of the holiday, when optimism was fresh and the sun was shining.

West Wycombe is where all the glory and interest is - and an Adventure Lab Cache takes me to five locations to tell spooky stories.

• A headless horseman at the golden sphere topped church of St Lawrence
• The heart of Paul Whitehead, stolen in 1837 by an Australian soldier
• The phantom monk at the Hellfire Caves
• Suki, died at the George and Dragon following injuries sustained from trickster locals, who she now haunts dressed in all in white
• A traveller, murdered at the George and Dragon, whose footsteps can be heard at the pub

I probably should have completed the walk at dusk.  At the end of October.

Church of St Lawrence.  Golden sphere a beacon for the route home

The Mausoleum 

Entrance to the Hell Fire Caves.  C18th Drinking Den

Entrance to West Wycombe.  C21st Drinking Den(s)

This walk is so typical of the Chilterns and I have said it before on this Long Distance Path.  It's superb to walk but not so great to photograph.  Pretty paths through mature woodland.  The ups and down of several pretty dry valleys.

You get the idea - it's lovely

But I'm sure you are here for the misery.  And pubs.

At 11:30am, I reach Fingest for a handsome looking pub - the Chequers.  At least its still going, even if its doesn't open for another 30 minutes.

Not the only traveller contemplating waiting for the scrape of the bolt

Forget Cask Marque Plaques - this is a TV Location

The water runs out at Studley Green. The OS Map shows the big blue cup of joy but Google is less enthusiastic.  If you look hard enough, you will find an entry for the Studley Arms but no picture or reviews.  Hitting the road about 500m away, a pub sign can be seen.  It has been repurposed to say "Welcome to Studley Green".  The Studley Arms died many years ago.

It's a 3 mile plod back to the car.  When very thirsty, its easy to mistake the red kites for vultures.

West Wycombe has a couple of pubs.  The aforementioned haunted George and Dragon.  The only Buckinghamshire entry in my CAMRA Heritage Pubs book, the Swan.  In the interest of new experiences, I make the short journey along the A40 to the Dashwood Arms.  A biker friendly roadhouse.

And Car Friendly

Rebellion Smugglers - and Water

The garden is being taken advantage off by bank holiday revellers.  The staff were being run ragged - sacrificing manning the bar in preference of delivering meals to hungry sunbathers.

If only I had known there was a second bar in the garden.  But would they have had the hand pulls on?

28/12/21 - Chiltern Chain Walk - Stage 13 - Parslows Hillock

Distance - 14 Miles

Geocaches - 4

Walk Inspiration

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

The hard part when planning Stage 13 of the Chiltern Chain Walk was deciding which pub to end at.  A potential 5 available on first double digit mile walk for a long time.

The reality was I need not worry - through a mixture of being too early (expected) and bad luck (unexpected), not a single one was open.

Too early for the Black Horse at Lacey Green and Red Lion at Bradenham.  The Boot at Bledlow Ridge has temporarily closed for Xmas - reopening two days later.  The Whip Inn at Loosley Row closed for refurbishment.

Too early for the this handsome freehouse - which may well be a Tearoom!

And that's lunch at the Boot cancelled.  An Xmas break

Most disappointingly was the Pink and Lacy, where I chose to start/end the walk.  I had passed it on Stage 12 and additional research showed that it is in the Good Beer Guide.  A 300 year old boozer with an historic bar dedicated to the war poet Rupert Brooke sounded just up my blogs alley.

The sign saying closed Mondays/Tuesdays was unnoticed until my weary return.  Even when a Tuesday is a Bank Holiday.

Timeless Boozer

Failing to find the "Except Bank Holiday" small print

A 14 mile route march in poor weather conditions, without stopping is how I spent my bank holiday.  On a positive note, the paths were good when not muddy and there was some variety between woodland and expansive views along the dry valley floors.  Revisiting the Ridgeway Long Distance Path is never a chore, even if I am going to have to look at the blog for a reminder.

Horsehoe Artwork at Kingswood House

Spirits not allowed to drop when there is festive cheer

Looking back over Bradenham from Slough Hill

The CAMRA GBG App came to my aid.  A quick look at the nearest (open!) pub showed the Golden Cross in Saunderton was not too far away.

The day saved by a Wye Valley HPA and Tuna Baguette - about three hours later than expected.

Thank the lord for Technology

Much needed - and the likely last Good Beer Guide Tick of 2021