With Spring around the corner and the weather improving it is the perfect time to dust off your wellies and get out into the countryside. With many people moving to The Chilterns to enjoy the countryside, I wanted to pick out my favourite walks in the area.
Dunstable Downs
The Dunstable Downs are part of the Chiltern Hills and are 797 feet above sea level. Using The Chilterns Gateway Centre as a starting point, there a handful of short and long walks you can take, with the shortest being a couple of miles and the longest over 7miles.
Along the walk you will see diverse wildlife, Iron Age hill forts and burial mounds. If you head towards Whipsnade, you will see the Whipsnade Tree Cathedral and even hear the lions roaring in the Zoo!
Food: The Chilterns Gateway Café
Coombe Hill
Coombe Hill at 852 feet above sea level is the highest viewpoint in the Chilterns. There are a handful of good walks around Coombe Hill catering for all ages.
The 106 acres of the hill once belonged to the Chequers Estate but was handed to the National Trust in 1918. It is a good place to visit in all weather but if you go on a clear day, there are far reaching views over the Aylesbury Vale and all the way to the Cotswolds. The view point is marked with a monument dedicated to the men from Buckinghamshire who gave their lives in the Boer War.
Food: Russell Arms in Butlers Cross or The Plough in Cadsden
Ridgeway – Whiteleaf and the Hampden Valley
The Ridgeway is an ancient trackway described as Britain’s oldest road. The Ridgeway National Trail follows the ancient Ridgeway from Overton Hill, near Avebury, to Streatley, then follows footpaths and parts of the ancient Icknield Way through the Chiltern Hills to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. The National Trail is 87 miles long! But don’t worry, you don’t have to do it all at once!
This 7.5 mile walk takes you from beautiful Chiltern woodlands near Whiteleaf, then beside Grim’s Ditch to the grounds of the stunning Hampden House. It then explores the farmland and wooded hillsides around the Hampden valley, including the remote village of Little Hampden, before returning to Whiteleaf Hill and a wonderful viewpoint over the Aylesbury Vale.
Food: Hampden Arms in Great Hampden
Wendover Woods
Wendover Woods is a 325 hectare open access woodland site managed by the Forestry Commission. It is situated on the edge of the Chilterns escarpment and is a great place to take the family, with lots of trails, a cafe, children’s adventure playground and a fitness trail. For those that fancy a challenge there is also the Go Ape high wire forest adventure.
Wendover Woods has year-round interest, from beautiful displays of bluebells in the spring to barbecues and picnics in the summer followed by swathes of autumn colours as the trees turn.
Food: Wendover woods café or you can head into Wendover and visit Rumsey’s Chocolatier for a warming hot chocolate.
Cliveden National Trust
Cliveden Estate offers tranquil riverside scenery as well as stunning views of the Berkshire countryside on this winding walk along the riverbank and through the woods. Walkers can enjoy the fantastic views of Cliveden house, its famous parterre garden and watch boats pass by on the Thames. Cliveden’s spectacular country estate overlooks the River Thames and is open daily for most of the year.
Food: The Astor Grill at Cliveden House or The Feathers Pub, just outside the main gates
Burnham Beeches
Located near to the village of Farnham Common, Burnham Beeches encompasses 540 acres of ancient woodland and wildlife habitats. There is a large open green perfect for ball games and picnics and many family groups come together here at weekends. The area is popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders who all enjoy stopping at the excellent Beeches Café. Burnham Beeches is a National Nature Reserve and a Special Area of Conservation. There are two lakes, a host of paths through varied woodland and a raised boardwalk through the special conservation area. Whilst out walking don’t be surprised if you come across cows and horses which graze freely here.
Food: The Royal Oak in Farnham Common
Penn Woods
There are a range of options for walkers at Penn Woods. There are shorts stroll around the myriad of trails within the woods – passing huge alleys of rhododendrons and ancient avenues of trees to longer trails crossing over from the village of Penn Street to Common Wood. Penn Street is a quintessential English village with a grassland common and cricket pitch central to the village.
Food: The Squirrel in Penn Street
