Just published – ’50 Great Walk In the Chilterns’ (www.chilternsociety.org.uk) by members of the Chiltern Society. Excellent walks in beautiful countryside, written by walkers who really known the Chiltern Hills.
Jun 082015
Jun 012015
Join the UK’s Big Pathwatch (www.ramblers.org.uk/get-involved/join-the-big-pathwatch), launched by the Ramblers on 13 July! Download the free app. Choose a grid square, walk the paths in it and record how good/bad they are. Have fun, and help the UK’s walkers!
Oct 192013
Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window
Walk Directions (7 miles, easy gradients, OS Explorer 245):
Through gate in car park fence (yellow arrow/YA); past church, along 2 field edges. Cross bridleway (349242, blue arrows); ahead with hedge on left, past Windmill Wood. Through gate under big ash tree (343250); through next gate at Hangman’s Stone and turn left (341252; no waymark), following field edge for ½ mile to road at Bendalls Farm (334249). Left, then right (336248, ‘Foremark Reservoir’) along roadway. In 300 m, by 3 tall wooden posts, right (336245) to reservoir edge (334244). Left for 500 m to Visitor Centre (336241); take path through woods (you soon pass a ‘Carver’s Rocks’ sign). In ¾ mile you cross a wooden stage over a pond in a dip (333229); fork left up bank to ‘Badger Path’ sign (334228); right up steps. At top (334226), right through car park; follow roadway as it curves left.
In 250 m, right through gate in fence (YAs); down stony path to Carver’s Rocks (331227; notice board). Follow path anticlockwise at feet of Rocks for 400 m, up to open area (331225). Ahead to cross it, and keep same direction along grassy path between blocks of trees. In 300 m, in a wet dell (333222 – an angle of fencing is shown on OS Explorer map), don’t bear right or take path past notice board, but keep ahead on lowest path to A514 (334222). Turn right on grassy path with hedge on left between you and road. In 200 m, left across stile, left to cross A514 (334220).
Ahead up Coal Lane. Just beyond entrance to coppice House Farm, left through hedge gap (336220). Ahead with The Oaklands wood on right; cross stile and keep ahead. Round right bend; in 70 m over the first of 2 stiles close together (339221). Follow field edge with fence and ditch on right; follow it round left angle; in another 100 m, through gateway in hedge (341224). In big open field, keep same direction for 150 m; then (342225) bear right (due east) for 300 m to B5006 (346225). Left along road for 400 m, passing side road on right, to reach brick house on right with outbuildings on left (349228). In another 50m, right through hedge and left along gravelled path (disused tramway). In 400 m go through stone tunnel (351232). In another 600 m, at brick mouth of next, longer tunnel (355237), up steps to turn left across tunnel mouth. In field beyond, aim for small brick building ahead (355239). Through gate, down to A514; left; first right to car park.
May 312013
Apr 112013
Walked around Stanton Drew, Somerset – stone circles, great views of Chew Valley Lake, cattle out on the spring grass. Primroses, white violets and first cuckoo flower. Avon Wildlife Trust volunteers improving paths at Folly Farm nature reserve – unsung heroes!
Apr 062013
The wild daffodils around Dymock and Kempley, Gloucestershire are still coming into flower. Walk the 10-mile Daffodil Way (www.kempleytardis.org.uk) – it’s a peach, and Kempley’s ancient Church of St Mary with medieval wall paintings is not to be missed!