Chequeing out Princes Risborough, 12 miles, challenging

Calendar

When:

January 8, 2022 @ 10:30 am

2022-01-08T10:30:00+00:00

2022-01-08T10:45:00+00:00

Where:

Princes Risborough station
Station Rd
Princes Risborough HP27 9DN
UK

Cost:

Free

Contact:

Natasha

Walk

Booking Required challenging Circular Limited Spaces (20) public transport Walk

This 12 mile circular walk includes a stop at a farm shop, a view of the Prime Minister’s country residence and a look at the oldest surviving smock mill in England.

Walk details

Would you like to explore a new area? The market town of Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire is an area that has been little explored by the group. On the northern edge of the Chilterns, the terrain is a little hillier than we are used to, but the views are beautiful.

This walk starts pretty flat following the Icknield Way trail out of Princes Risborough and passing through Whiteleaf golf course. After this we begin our ascent up a fairly steep hill, however the views at the top looking back on Princes Risborough will be worth it. We then follow a mixture of trails passing by the Grangelands and Pulpit Hill Reserve and then through Maple Woods. It is then that we catch site of our first attraction for the day – Chequers, the 16th century manor house which has been the official retreat of serving Prime Ministers since 1921. This was gifted to the nation by a conservative minister and his American heiress wife with the thinking that the respite from life in the city would allow politicians to think more clearly, as well as be healthier. The footpath itself then passes over the drive where we will be careful not to stray from the path as Chequers along with 15 other royal, governmental and parliamentary sites is protected by law, with trespass a chargeable offence (we will see lots of signage informing us of this).

Once we have finished deciding whether Boris is in residence, our footpath takes us to the Buckmoorend Farm shop, where we will have a short stop and the option of purchasing a hot drink and/or some snacks (this wasn’t open on the day I recced the walk but their website assures me they are open at weekends). From here it is a steep ascent up some steps, then following various footpaths that take us through Little Hampden and Great Hampden. Although we pass by a couple of pubs, due to the length of this walk and the need to get back before it gets dark we will save this for the end. Passing through woodland, we take the Chiltern way to Loosley Row stopping to admire the Lacey Green windmill, the oldest surviving smock mill in England on the way. Parts of it are 350 years old and it was restored by Chiltern Society volunteers in 1971 after its working life ended in 1915. We then begin our return to Princes Risborough. This does involve an approximately 5 min walk on a busy road with no pavements, so we will take care and walk in single file. The rest of the route is across fields. Once back in Princes Risborough we will have the option of visiting a pub.

Please note this is a fairly long walk with quite a few hills. Due to the need to finish before sunset we will need to keep a reasonable pace so a good level of fitness is required.

Travel details

By public transport

Travelling from Reading please take the 08:49 train, getting into Oxford at 09:16 where you will have a 25 minute stop. Leaving Oxford at 09:41 you will arrive at Princes Risborough station at 10:21. For the return journey, trains are once every hour. Note purchasing a split train ticket may be cheaper.

By car

Car parking is available at Princes Risborough station, or please park considerately on the surrounding roads.

Notes

If you or someone else from your household has COVID-19 symptoms, please do not attend.
Please be considerate to other path users and step aside to let people past – and don’t forget to say ‘hi’ or ‘thanks’!
Please bring a packed lunch and a drink.
It might be muddy – please wear suitable footwear.
If it’s a rainy day, please bring waterproofs.
Please feel free to contact the leader with queries about the walk, or if you are delayed on the day.

Booking details

This walk is limited to 20 walkers including the walk leader.
Do not turn up for the walk without booking, else we will have to turn you away.
Book a place on this walk by completing this Google Form. Booking will open the Wednesday evening before the walk.
If you have any queries, please email walkbookings@berkshirewalkers.co.uk.

Booking onto a walk

Most walks do not require advance booking, and you can just turn up on the day. We encourage those comfortable with Meetup to indicate there that you plan to come though, so that others can see there will be plenty of people there – this really helps to encourage new members to come along.
For the few which still have limited numbers, this is handled via Meetup. Follow the link to a walk’s Meetup page (or press 🎟 Register / 🎟 Tickets / 🎟), and mark yourself as attending.
Social and other events may have their own booking system – please see the event description.

Pace Guide

Gentle: led at a gentle pace with regular short breaks for water or rest. Should be suitable for anyone capable of the distance. (Expect 2–2.5 mph.)
Medium: led at an intermediate pace with fewer breaks but still suitable for most walkers. (Expect 2.5–3 mph.)
Fast: led at a quick pace with minimal breaks. May be a challenge for those with less fitness. (Expect 3 mph+.)

Speeds quoted are only a rough guide, including time spent on short water/rest stops and negotiating stiles/gates/roads etc. but not that spent on longer lunch or pub stops.