Hughenden Manor, West Wycombe & Hellfire – Country Hike

Walk length 10miles/16km. Circular.

A scenic walk exploring the countryside close to Hughenden Manor and West Wycombe with a combination of woods and fields.

Hughenden Manor was the home of the famous Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli from 1848 until his death in 1881. He entertained Queen Victoria here in 1877. The house is now owned by the National Trust.

The historic village of West Wycombe is largely owned 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, visually dominating the village and can be seen for miles.

The old village of West Wycombe and Wycombe Hill supports around 8 ghosts wandering the graveyards, caves and pubs!

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 by Sir Francis Dashwood 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 walk should finish about 4pm and include a pack lunch stop and optional pub at the end, however the time may be earlier than this depending on the weather and pace.

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

Meeting

The walks starts outside High Wycombe Rail station at 11.00am after the train from London arrives. We will have a snack lunch stop at West Wycombe village before the return leg to High Wycombe.

Walk Cost: £7 cash on the day organizer fee. For paypal it is 'colin45@hotmail.co.uk' Please send as friends and family to avoid charges. For bank transfer message organizer.

Train: £27.40 return to High Wycombe from London Marylebone but should be about £19 with a group save or network railcard.

Train from London: The 10.12am train from London Marylebone gets to High Wycombe for 10.51am. If coming from London I suggest meeting close to the WHSmiths from 9.40am to give you time to get tickets as you may have to queue (see picture below). Discounts available with network railcard or a groupsave.

The organizer will not be getting the train, but will meet you at High Wycombe.

Car: Car parking at High Wycombe is charged but free off street parking is available 10mins walk away (Rectory Avenue or adjacent roads, please check for restrictions before parking).

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.