Two Chilterns Circular Walks - England.

These Walks go via woodland and the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal - walking instructions around Wendover Woods - Chilterns, England

The walking available around The Chilterns in England is generally excellent with well marked paths and tracks which are also normally not obstructed by land owners. The countryside is often heavily wooded but you can also find nice open stretches high up on ridges too. Around Wendover (Buckinghamshire) walking is exceptionally good - with choices of woodland, canals and ridge paths. Our two walks below are easy to follow but bear in mind the area is quite hilly - we have placed a lot of photographs around the walks descriptions which hopefully show just how nice this area is.

How to get to the start: Take the A4011 out of Wendover then having gone past RAF Halton's Main Gate the road rises - just at the top of the hill look for a cross roads sign - turn right (take care since this is just a very short entrance road) and park just ahead on rough ground by the wooden barriers.

The longest of the two circular walks described below is around 14 kilometres and goes via the highest point in The Chilterns at 267 metres. It takes in a really nice stretch of the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal as far as Drayton Beauchamp then goes out across open countryside to the outskirts of Tring. It then makes it's way up along a really nice path too and through Pavis Wood (eventually using The Ridgeway) and finally the walk goes into Wendover Woods and back down to the start point.
The second walk at around 11 kilometres stays in Wendover Woods most of the time - again the walk uses a tiny bit of The Ridgeway and also a short distance on the Icknield Way. This area is really as good as it gets if you want to look at our English native trees in their full glory and the bluebells are excellent too. Of course Wendover Woods is one of THE places to go to for looking at the trees in the Autumn - the colours are fantastic. The walk also takes in Boddington Hill and it's Hill Fort - though the fort is fairly overgrown and apart from a couple of narrow bramble covered paths inside it is not that easy to explore. The walk finally takes you back round the edge of Halton Camp - with great views right across Halton, Wendover and the Chiltern Hills on the way.

Halton - Grand Union - Wendover Woods Circular. Flat to start but 2 climbs later - walk distance is 14 km.

Walk back to the road and cross over onto the smaller road opposite, follow this down and just after passing a road on the right take the signed wide path on the right. This descends through trees and comes out at a road, turn right down this road and follow it as it bends slowly left and enters RAF Halton's playing fields. Continue past the stadium and changing rooms on the right then a few yards past the end of the car park take a marked path on the right into a narrow belt of trees. Around 200 metres along take a path on the left which soon comes out in a grassy area and with the church graveyard on the right.
Keep ahead along the hedgerow and soon turn right to enter the churche's graveyard. Continue on the path as it passes in front of the church and heads out onto the road. Turn right along the road and on reaching the canal's bridge turn right onto the canal's towpath.

This is the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union canal - soon pass under a blue bridge and continue along this narrow and weedy canal. There are lots of the usual ducks and moorhens to be seen and also there are Little Grebe around. Go under 2 more bridges - eventually passing houses on the left and finally reaching the main road (A41). Go straight across and continue along the towpath now with the canal on the right. The canal is fairly barren along here since it was cleared and diverted to accommodate a new by-pass - having passed under the bridge take the steps up on the left and follow the path straight ahead through a gate into woods.

At the field edge Drayton Beauchamp's lovely church becomes visible - follow the path to the church - there are seats here so it's ideal for a picnic stop. From the back of the church head through the small graveyard to steps which go back onto the canal towpath. Turn left and continue along the towpath to the next bridge - leave the canal here. Go right and cross the bridge - the canal is dry here because it is in the process of being re-lined and restored - eventually it will re-open with a connection to the Grand Union. Walk along the lane and soon just as the road starts to bend take a footpath on the left. This actually starts off as a farm drive - follow the footpath signs passing buildings and into a field. The path follows the hedgerow and arrives at a stile - cross this and go straight ahead towards more farm buildings - the path goes between these buildings and emerges on a road.

Turn right and a few metres later turn left on a marked path - this goes round the edge of the field to reach another road. Go straight across the road and follow the small road as it goes up and over the A41 - immediately after crossing the bridge turn left. The path goes alongside the A41 for a short distance then goes half right between hedgerows. Ignore a cross track - just stay ahead to reach a small road. Go across this road and walk along Leafy Lane passing several houses - the road changes to a wide path and heads into woods. Stay on this rising path ignoring side paths and tracks - the path gets very narrow and more sunken as it climbs more steeply. As the path appears to end by some trees [ SP 91350 09420 ] go left and continue along to reach the edge of Pavis Woods. There is a gate here on the left which marks the Ridgeway, turn right and follow the Ridgeway Path through Pavis and Northill Woods as far as a road. Take the path opposite (this is now the Icknield Way) - go through a nice woods to reach a gate.

Go through the gate and onto one of the muddiest bits of path we have ever walked - even in the Summer this is often really soggy. Follow the path heading towards a large unusually designed house nestled in a dip, the views around here are particularly good. The path arrives at a small road - turn left and continue uphill and then take the next marked path on the right. The path heads across a field to a wood edge - go over the stile into woods and immediately take the path on the left. These woods are really old and neglected and it is a little weird walking through them. The path comes out on a forest road - go slightly right across this road and into the woods opposite. Within a few paces go left onto a

well made and wide forest path - follow this round to meet a track by a seat. Turn right and follow this to a road by the toilets and a new wooden cafe. Continue past the cafe and join another road - turn right and follow this road round to some very dark yew trees - turn left under the trees on a wide track - follow this sometimes quite steep track ignoring side paths and track to arrive back at the start point

Halton - Boddington Hill Fort - Wendover Woods Circuit via Wendover woods. Two climbs - 11 km
From the car park go via the wooden barrier onto the track ahead - follow this gently rising track through woods ignoring any side paths. Keep left when the track splits and continue up to reach fir and yew trees at the top of the climb. Go onto the forest road, turn right and follow this for a few metres then carry on straight ahead by a large signpost - now crossing a grass area (there are toilets and a cafe to the right). Rejoin the road, go right and almost immediately left onto a marked track via a barrier. Just as the path starts to descend take a marked path (next to a seat) which heads into fir trees. Shortly take a path on the right - this continues through fir trees and then through woodland as it follows the ridge.

This can be quite muddy and care needs to be taken because of quite slippery tree roots. Stay on the path eventually going through a more open area with a seat on the left - ignore any minor side tracks and paths. At a very wide cross track turn left and follow this grassy track to shortly reach the forest road. Turn right immediately before the road onto a wide muddy path, this is fenced on the left to start with - it curves through the woods and finally drops down to reach The Ridgeway. Turn right down this famous trail - when it turns sharp left continue straight ahead along a now really sunken path - this is The Icknield Way - and follow it straight down to a road.

Take the marked path on the right which goes through a hedge and into a field, turn left and follow the path alongside the hedgerow and on into small woods. The path soon continues between high hedges and with houses on the right. Just after the houses reach a Forestry Commission track, turn right along this - continue through the barrier then at a cross track turn left. This track now climbs and bends to the right - just before the large fir trees take a wide path on the right. Follow this path with dense fir trees on the left and good views of the valley on the right. Go left at a track t-junction and climb up steeply through more fir trees to reach another track. Turn left again and then shortly right at the next track junction. The trees are more mixed variety now - the track bends and climbs to finally reach yet another track junction.

Turn left, this climbs for a little while and then starts to descend - take the right hand track at the next junction. This track stays fairly level for a while as it winds to the right around Boddington Hill. Soon there are good views of Wendover below on the left and Boddington Hill Fort emerges on the right.

The track becomes very wide - continue on it until reaching a wooden barrier by a forest road. Bear left across a grassy area and then through a wooden barrier onto a very wide track. Follow this to a track junction and take the left hand track. This drops easily at first but then starts to really go down as it passes between really nice trees. At the bottom at a track t-junction and where there is a gate leading to the RAF camp in front of you go right onto a narrower path. Stay on this path still going through woods to reach a cross junction with steps in front of you. Turn left here and follow the path as it curves to the right and then take the next path on the left. This path goes alongside the perimeter of the RAF camp and then arrives back at the car park.

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