Welcome to our English Walks Guides and Photos - circular walks you can do in
England using the Ridgeway National Trail to some degree.
Our several walks described below utilise The Ridgeway and The Wendover Arm of the Grand Union
Canal to create circular walks of between 9 and 12 miles and may also sometimes
include other National Trails such as the Oxfordshire Way, Icknield Way and the
South Bucks Way as well as parts of Grim's Ditch and The Thames Path.
Wendover Woods and Pavis Woods are well known for their splendid Autumn leaf display and
are excellent walking areas. There are lots of tracks and paths which are not shown on OS maps
however particularly around Wendover Woods there are several "You are Here" noticeboards
which also show some suggested walks etc. Also quite a few of the tracks are also ideal for mountain bikers.
GPS readings are OSGB British Grid and shown in [ ]s and are in easterly and northerly order.
Entering the correct Grid Letters into your GPS is essential ( i.e. the first walk
uses SP grid letters.)
Halton - Wendover Woods - Wendover - Grand Union (Wendover Arm). This 10 mile walk is a bit bumpy but gives you all sorts - beautiful woodland (Wendover Woods is very well known for it's Autumn Leaf Display), open countryside with associated views of the Chilterns, Boddington Hill Fort, a few miles along the Icknield Way and The Ridgeway and finally an easy walk along the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal. From Wendover take the A4011 which goes past the RAF Camp at Halton - about 500 yards past the Main Gates and near the top of the hill look for a cross roads sign - turn right (take it easy since this is just a very short entrance road) and there is a small parking area just ahead. Essential Walking Note - take a bag of bread with you for the ducks etc. later on the walk.
From the car park go between the wooden barriers and keep straight ahead
on the main wide track. This soon starts to climb steadily through the
trees - ignore all side paths -
the track eventually forks and here take
the right hand track. This still wide track continues to climb steadily
and then flattens out somewhat. Soon come to an open grassy area - this
viewpoint gives you views of the camp below and of Wendover plus miles of
Chiltern's countryside. Continue along the track - keeping straight ahead
when another track joins in from the right - eventually reaching a grassy
area which is at the end of a forestry road. Keep straight ahead going
through wooden barriers now heading towards Boddington Hill.
The track goes straight and fairly flat for a while now
with Boddington Hill Fort on the left. As the track curves round a small
path comes in from the right and here you get more good views of Wendover.
However stay on the main track but shortly take a path on the left which
almost immediately splits - go left again and follow this narrow path as
it goes through the woods and Hill Fort and eventually arrives back at the
forestry tarmac road. Go along the tarmac road passing the occasional
picnic table to reach the main Wendover Woods parking area - there is a
small wooden toilet block here and also a building has been constructed
which we understand is a cafe.
Follow the tarmac road with the buildings on the left and then take a wide
path via a wooden barrier on the right which has a signpost "Family Cycle
Trail 6 miles". 
The wide path soon becomes a grassy track and descends
through trees - at the track junction go sharp right and now stay on this
as it continues winding round the top of the valley to reach another track
junction. Go left and walk more steeply down to the floor of the valley.
Follow the track as it bends round to the right and then goes straight ahead into the
distance. Go straight across at a junction and then soon reach a small road by some houses.
Go left along the road then when it bends sharply to the right go straight ahead and onto the Icknield Way (there are several paths here but this is clearly marked). The path goes alongside a hedgerow and then becomes a very sunken leafy path. Continue along slowly climbing now with woods on the left and a field on the right - look out for a sign indicating The Ridgeway and here turn right up some wooden steps and continue climbing now quite steeply on a narrow path. At the top turn right and continue along this ancient National Trail - this section can be extremely muddy.
On reaching a road go slightly right to rejoin the Ridgeway on the other side. Initially the track is fairly wide and grassy but after a while becomes just a narrow path now going through quite thick woodland. This section is usually extremely muddy and can be slippery because of the tree roots. There are several path junctions but the Ridgeway is well marked so simply follow the acorn signs. The path drops down steeply in places - the tree roots can be a real hazard along here so care is needed. At the bottom the path bears left now with a fence on the right - to reach a track junction. Turn right and continue along the track passing several houses - the track eventually sinks low between high hedgerows and then passes a farm on the left to finally arrive at a tarmac road.
Go straight ahead on the tarmac road signposted to St Mary's Church (Church Lane) - passing school buildings on the left and then St. Mary the Virgin's church also on the left. Just opposite the church gates take a path on the right which passes a duck pond - you can go into playing fields here - there are several seats which make this a good spot to stop and have a drink and maybe lunch. The Ridgeway continues alongside the playing fields now as a small tarmac path - passing houses and more or less following a stream on the right. It eventually emerges on Wendover High Street - with it's clock tower on the right. Walk down to the clock tower then cross over the roundabout heading towards Aylesbury. Continue along going past several small shops, restaurants and houses to reach a junction, turn right into Wharf Road. Just after passing a school warning sign turn left onto the canal - this is clearly marked as the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal.
Now just stay on the towpath along this really lovely canal - there are loads of ducks, swans, moorhens and grebe along here all of them pretty chubby but still hoping you have some bread to top themselves up with. This is one of the nicest section of canal we have walked - so much wildlife, trees, shrubs and reed beds. Around 1.6kms from joining the towpath pass under a small white bridge and then the towpath sweeps slowly right to finally reach another bridge at Halton. Leave the canal and turn right crossing the bridge, continue up the road and take the marked path on the left into the churchyard. Continue along with St Michael and All Angel's church on the left and leave the churchyard via a gate on the far side. Turn left and go through some trees now with Raf Halton's sports fields ahead of you. Take a marked path on the right which brings you to a small tarmac road. Turn left and follow the road between playing fields and woodland. As the road goes quite sharply right continue straight ahead on a path which rises up through trees. On re-joining the road keep straight ahead soon to reach the A4011 main road. Cross over with care to very shortly reach the start point.
Halton - Wendover Woods - Tring Park - The Ridgeway - Halton.
This circular takes you through some of the best woodland in The
Chilterns, visits Tring Park and also takes in a chunk of The Ridgeway and
The Icknield Way. From
Wendover drive along the A4011 which goes past the RAF Camp at Halton - about 500
yards past the Main Gates and near the top of a hill look for a cross
roads sign - turn right (take care since this is just a small short
entrance road) and
there is a parking area a hundred yards ahead.
Walk on past the wooden barrier and along the track which starts to slowly
ascend - just after a grassy area and about 600 metres from the start a
walled path crosses the track, turn left and follow this now quite steeply
up through the trees to arrive at a small forest tarmac road. Cross the
road and continue on the path as it still climbs up to arrive at a fairly
wide grassy track. Go across this to very shortly arrive at a field edge.
Follow the path as it goes half left across the field and passes a trig
point [ SP 89067 09990 ]
half way to finally reach a style in the hedgerow. Cross the style and go right
to walk down a track and reach a tarmac road shortly afterwards.
Cross the road and go left a few metres and then take a track going off to the right - on the left is a car parking area for mountain bikers use (Aston Hill) - there are a lot of marked cycling tracks available for bikers from here. Continue straight down the track to reach some wooden gates - continue along in the same direction by taking a path which leaves to the left of the gates. This path stays flat for a while, with woods on the left and a high wooden fence on the right - then when the fence ends the path descends more steeply now with woods either side. The path ends at a small road, turn right and around 100 metres along take a marked path on the left - follow this as it passes some gardens on the right and then Drayton Manor on the left. The countryside opens out and the path goes straight ahead - with fields on the right and a very high wild hedgerow on the left. Go straight ahead at a cross track and then go right at the next cross track [ SP 91068 10678 ] to now walk down this tree and hedgerow lined track to reach a small road.
Cross over onto the track opposite (Leafy Lane) and continue along passing several houses on the left and then through trees to reach a track junction. Turn left and stay on this track as it winds clockwise round the field ignoring a track and a path which go off to the left. The path arrives at t-junction just inside Grove Wood. Turn right and walk up up this gently rising woodland track - at a marked junction keep left - this now sunken path starts climbing steeply - stay on it to reach a fence by a house. Continue ahead passing the house on the left to reach the house's driveway. Bear left in front of the house and re-enter the woods via a gate. Turn immediately right and follow the path through the woods - just before reaching a road take a path on the left which winds through the woods. Keep straight on at the first marked path junction and at the next marked junction bear right to reach a field. Continue along the path with the woods on the left - Tring and the busy A41 are now visible - the path swings round to drop down to a style - bear right and continue down to reach a small tarmac road. Turn left under the bridge and follow the road to a t-junction.
Turn right and then as the road bends left keep straight ahead - passing the museum on the left. Just after this take the signposted (To Tring Park) path going right and heading towards the A41 again. Cross the A41 via a twisty footbridge and enter into Tring Park grounds. Go half left now on a marked path which heads across the open grassy area towards Bull Woods. Just inside the woods go left on an ascending wide path which then soon reaches the Obelisk [ SP 93237 10698 ]. Turn right and follow the wide path as it climbs up to reach the Ridgeway/Icknield Way. Go right and continue along this old trail as it goes through woodland - ignoring any side tracks and paths. The wide path eventually climbs quite steeply and bends to the right as it goes through very thick woodland (Bishops Wood) to then arrive at a small road.
Turn left along the road to quite soon reach a road junction (Hastoe Cross) - go right here and follow this narrow country lane as it slowly climbs up to another road junction at Hastoe. Go straight ahead and keep on the road (this is in fact The Ridgeway) until it bends sharply left - go ahead here into Pavis Woods now with The Ridgeway exactly as it should be - track and path. Ignore all side tracks and continue in the same basic direction along this Trail to go through Northill Wood and eventually arrive at a small road [ SP 90513 08561 ]. Go left along the road for a few metres and then turn right via a metal gate to go into a very mucky farmyard area. Keep ahead with the barns on the left and then head out across the field - there is a Ridgeway post marker in the field which is useful because the path itself is totally unclear because of the cow's hoofs and cowpats. Head towards some trees down to the left of the field then cross through into another field and stay in the same direction now with hedgerow on the left. The path comes to a road on the left corner of the field.
Cross the road and then continue along the Ridgeway as it enters Hengrove
Wood - simply continue along through the woods - after a while the track
becomes a sunken trail and descends to eventually reach a marked
path junction. Here the Ridgeway goes sharp left, however stay ahead now
on the Icknield Way. This is another really nice treelined path, heavily
sunken in places - it descends to reach a small road at The Hale.
Go straight ahead on the road for about 300 metres - then turn right at a
Forestry Commission sign - the track passes a house on the right and then
continues straight ahead. Just before reaching the wooden barrier take a narrow
path on the left - this follows the field edge and climbs steadily to reach a
track. Turn left and continue up the main track until you reach a main track
junction. Go right and continue along the track as it climbs a little. About 900
metres along the track bends right - take a path leaving ahead on the bend and
stay on this as it climbs into the woods. At the top of the rise bear left
following the "footprint signs". Now stay on this path as it steadily climbs -
ignore cross paths and green tracks to eventually arrive on the tarmac road and
a large woodland picnic site.
Turn right along the road, fork left at the next junction - the road bears
right and passes a children's play area on the left. Just after this go
left on a marked path which goes under some very dense yew trees.
This leafy track then steeply descends down through woods - continue always
straight ahead to come back to the start point.
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