Tea & Cake at Ellesborough Church, Walk from Wendover via Hilltop Views

Distance: 15.3km / 9.5mi Ascent: 447m / 1467ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Leader: Paul R (07974 696 802)

If you're looking for one good reason to join us on this walk, its tea and cake at Ellesborough Church. We earn it early as we start by climbing Coombe Hill for big views across the Vale of Aylesbury. This walk contains my favourite sections of the Ridgeway and views galore. Please bring a packed lunch.

We follow the Ridgeway for a good part of this walk. First up Coombe Hill and onwards past Chequers, the 16th-century country retreat of sitting Prime Ministers since 1921. Leaving the Ridgeway behind we discover the Iron Age hill fort on Pulpit Hill before briefly retuning to it to find a viewpoint on Chequers Knap above Kimble Warren, and wander through the rare box woodland of Ellesborough Warren before climbing Beacon Hill for views back to Coombe Hill and on to the Church at Ellesborough.

On descending Beacon Hill, we're welcomed at Ellesborough Church for tea and cake (card payment accepted). When suitably refreshed, we turn for home along the valley floor, this time walking the in the shadow of Coombe Hill, which takes its name from the old English word for a steep-sided valley "combe" which takes us back to Wendover, with optional drinks in a pub after the walk.

Starting Point
Grid reference: SP 86862 07771
Nearest postcode: HP22 6DU
what3words: connector.skis.zone
Start time: 11:05 am
Meet outside Wendover Library. Best parking options are £1.50 for the day at Wendover Library car park, HP22 6DU, considerately on local roads, or the station £6.40. Trains arrive in Wendover at 10:45 from the north and 11:01 from the south. The 502 bus from Tring arrives at 09:44, and the last bus is at 17:22, so plenty of time at the end of the walk.

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