Walk Report

Chiltern Choice, Saturday 21st August 2010
5 walkers, 15 miles - leader Steve Singleton
Five of us met at Wendover station to walk a route hurriedly planned by the leader the evening before to visit as many as possible of the places mentioned in the walk description in 'Strider' as we could fit into a 15 mile walk. The weather forecast was for light rain, but the morning was dry, though dull and cloudy. From the station we set off along the B4009, then bore off left on the Ridgeway to climb to Coombe Hill. We descended to the church at Ellesborough, then headed south to climb Beacon Hill. We carried on south to pick up the Ridgeway again and followed it past Chequers Knap to Upper Cadsden. We could have stayed on the Ridgeway over Whiteleaf Hill, but instead followed the path across the golf course to pick up the Icknield Way at Whiteleaf. We followed the Icknield Way round the outskirts of Princes Risborough, before leaving it on a footpath to Looseley Row. We climbed to the windmill at Lacey Green, then took the footpath to Lily Bank Farm and turned left to the Pink and Lily for lunch. Most walkers had brought packed lunches, but we were all driven inside the pub by a heavy rain shower. By the time we were ready to leave the sun was shining. We returned past Lily Bank Farm, then attempted to follow a track through Monkton Wood to Great Hampden. We misplaced the track but made it to Great Hampden OK. We carried on past Hampden House and Little Hampden Common to Dunsmore, then it was back to Wendover Station, arriving at 16:11, in perfect time for the 16:13 train back to London. Thanks are due to David Wise, who knows this area of the Chilterns very well, for keeping the leader on track when he was unsure of which way to turn!

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