Chiltern Explorers - Hikes, Walking Weekends, Socials

Walk length 13miles/20km approx. Circular.

A hike with a great variety of scenery, including fine views and the summit of a number of hills including Whiteleaf Hill, Pulpit Hill Nature Reserve, Beacon Hill, Coombe Hill and a walk around the footpath close to the Prime Minister's Chequers country home.

Chequers house is the country house of the Prime Minister. It was given as a house for the Prime Minister in 1917 and dates from the 16th century.
The walk passes through a number of woods and scenic Chiltern countryside and uses a number of important footpaths including parts of the Ridgeway, an ancient track described as one of Britain's oldest roads and the more recent Alyesbury Ring.

Princes Risborough is a small country town that lies between the Vale of Aylesbury and the Western Escarpment of the Chiltern Hills, on the route of the pre-Roman Upper Icknield Way and is dominated by a chalk hill carving, the Whiteleaf Cross.

The walk should finish about 4.30pm and include a Snack/lunch stop however the time may be earlier or later than this depending on the weather and pace.

THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL HIKE IN LENGTH AND WITH A NUMBER OF HILL CLIMBS, PLEASE ENSURE YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THIS.

Cost

£7 cash payable on the day guided walk & meetup costs. You can do paypal (colin45@hotmail.co.uk) please use friends and family with paypal to avoid charges. Bank transfer if you prefer, please contact the organizer.

Train:
Ticket with a third off this with a group save or network railcard should be £20approx.

Meeting
Meet outside Princes Risborough Train Station for the hike to start just after the train from London arrives at 10.33am.

At London Marylebone Rail Station: Meet from 9.30am at London Marylebone to get the 10.00am train that gets to Princes Risborough for 10.33am (you may have to queue for groupsaves). Meet close to the WHSmiths (see photo below).

The organizer is not taking the train but will meet you at Princes Risborough.

For parking the station charges but nearby roads are free on Sundays such as Manor Park Avenue.

We may go for drinks at the end of the walk.

Please make a note of the organizers number - Colin 07709305681.

Walking Safety: Walking is a great way to keep fit and generally very safe; however it does contain an element of risk. Before going on any of these walks you need to be reasonably fit and be prepared to be responsible for your own safety. You should wear appropriate clothing such as proper walking shoes, warm and wet weather clothing and carry sufficient food and water. Please see our Terms and Conditions (https://www.meetup.com/Chiltern-Explorers/pages/Terms_and_Conditions/)

COULD EVERYONE PLEASE AVOID COMMENTS BELOW THAT ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO THE EVENT AS THIS GENERATES SPAM, JUST CHANGE YOUR RSVP IF YOU CAN'T GO. YOU CAN MESSAGE ME. MANY THANKS.

Walk length 9miles/15km approx. Circular.

A very picturesque walk from Saunderton to West Wycombe with a Halloween theme.

The historic village of West Wycombe is maintained by the National Trust and features many interesting buildings built between the 16th and 18th centuries. The Mausoleum and Golden Ball above West Wycombe village are impressive local landmarks.

The old village of West Wycombe and Wycombe Hill supports around 8 ghosts wandering the graveyards, caves and pubs! The hike will include a ghost walk mentioning some of the ghosts

The Hellfire Caves

West Wycombe hill has been used for a quarry for centuries for roads and houses in the area and the quarrying was extended in the middle of the 18th century to help employ local workers after serious crop failures.
The caves were supposed to have been used by Sir Francis Dashwood in the 18th century for his notorious Hellfire Club that may have involved Satanic or Pagan rituals but also a lot of partying!

Lunch & Finish

Please bring a snacks and water for the walk. The hike should finish at about 4.30pm and include a pack lunch stop, however the time may be earlier or later than this depending on the weather and pace (please don't arrange any definite evening plans).

For this walk we going to have an hour and a half for the lunch stop to give everyone the chance to explore the hellfire caves should they wish. You can bring a pack lunch or visit one of the local pubs in the village or the hellfire cafe, I would suggest a pack lunch as the pubs could be busy for food and allow time to visit the caves. There are some public loos close to the caves and the village. The hike will include a ghost walk.

We will go for optional drinks at the end of the walk at Saunderton, the pub is very close to the station.

The final hike back to Saunderton from West Wycombe is fairly short but it may start getting dark in the woods so please bring a torch for light and to ward off any ghosts!

ALTHOUGH THIS IS A SHORT HIKE IT WILL BE UNDULATING AND HILLY IN PLACES, PLEASE ENSURE YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THIS.

£7 cash payable on the day guided walk & meetup costs. You can do paypal (colin45@hotmail.co.uk) please use friends and family with paypal to avoid charges. Bank transfer if you prefer, please contact the organizer.

Train: Should be about £18 with a group save or network railcard.
The Hellfire Caves are open from 11am to 5pm; as this is Halloween the caves are decorated and will have some ghost actors wandering around too! If you want to visit the caves its £12 payable at the cave entrance, no group discount for this day.

Meet outside Saunderton Rail Station for the hike to start after the train from London arrives at 10.52am (there are no facilities at Saunderton station).

Train from London: The 9.53am train from London Marylebone gets to Saunderton for 10.52am. If coming from London I suggest meeting close to the WHSmiths (see photo below) from 9.30am to give you time to get tickets. Discounts available with a network railcard or a groupsave. If you get a groupsave you must travel back in small groups. The organizer will not be getting the train, but will meet you at Saunderton.

Car: Saunderton train station car parking is free on a Sunday (please check for restrictions and leave enough time to park).

Please make a note of the organizers number Colin 07709305681

Walking Safety

Walking is a great way to keep fit and generally very safe; however it does contain an element of risk. Before going on any of these walks you need to be reasonably fit and be prepared to be responsible for your own safety. You should wear appropriate clothing such as proper walking boots, warm and wet weather clothing and carry sufficient food and water. Please see our Terms and Conditions (https://www.meetup.com/Chiltern-Explorers/pages/Terms_and_Conditions/)

COULD EVERYONE PLEASE AVOID COMMENTS BELOW THAT ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO THE EVENT AS THIS GENERATES SPAM, JUST CHANGE YOUR RSVP IF YOU CAN'T GO. YOU CAN MESSAGE ME. MANY THANKS.

Walk length 15miles/24km approx. Circular.

A very scenic walk from Goring to Moulsford using a mixture of landscapes from woodland trails to river paths.

The hike starts from the small Chiltern Town of Goring-on-Thames, which has many historic buildings dating back to the 16th century before entering Streatley across the river and exploring the Mousford Downs and the Thames path.

The hike uses parts of a number of important national trails including the Ridgeway and the Thames Path. The Ridgeway is an ancient trail described by many as the oldest road in Britain and is about 87 miles long. The Thames Path follows the Thames River from its source near Kemble to the Thames Barrier at Charlton and is about 184 miles long.

THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL HIKE WITH A NUMBER OF HILL CLIMBS AS WELL AS FLATTER RIVER SECTIONS.

Lunch and Finish

Please bring a snack lunch and water for the walk. The walk should finish at about 4.30pm and include a 30 min snack lunch stop and pub at the end, however the time may be earlier or later than this depending on the weather and pace.

Transport and meeting

Meet Outside Goring and Streatley station for the hike to start at 9.45am (after the train from London arrives).

By train: The 8.49am train from London Paddington gets to Goring and Streatley for 9.41am.

I would suggest you meet from 8.30am next to the WHSmith shop at London Paddington to give you time to get a group save/buy tickets (see photo below). The organizer will not be catching the train from London but will meet you at Goring.

£7 cash payable on the day guided walk & meetup costs. You can do paypal (colin45@hotmail.co.uk) please use friends and family with paypal to avoid charges. Bank transfer if you prefer, please contact the organizer.

Train price should be approx. £20 return with a groupsave or national railcard discount.

Please make a note of the organizers numbers - Colin 07709305681.

Walking Safety: Walking is a great way to keep fit and generally very safe; however it does contain an element of risk. Before going on any of these walks you need to be reasonably fit and be prepared to be responsible for your own safety. You must wear appropriate clothing such as proper walking boots, warm and wet weather clothing and carry sufficient food and water. Please see our Terms and Conditions (https://www.meetup.com/Chiltern-Explorers/pages/Terms_and_Conditions/)

COULD EVERYONE PLEASE AVOID COMMENTS BELOW THAT ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO THE EVENT AS THIS GENERATES SPAM, JUST CHANGE YOUR RSVP IF YOU CAN'T GO. YOU CAN MESSAGE ME. MANY THANKS.