Vole Explosion

WATLINGTON TO WENDOVER

5^th July 2023

   I didn’t sleep as well as I expected. When I had woken up at about 1.45am and gone out to the toilet, the rain had stopped and some stars were visible in the sky. It took me a while to get back to sleep, and the last thing I remember was a distant church bell chiming 3am.

   Even in the dark, the inside of the white tent had been surprisingly light. When dawn broke it was positively glowing and I woke up too early. My attempts to get back to sleep were thwarted by a group of noisy Magpies running up and down on the canvas roof and cackling to one another.

   Eventually I set off again in sunshine, and on an easy, level track heading north-east through woods and between hedges. Red Kites seemed to be particularly common in this area. Having declined in the UK, until only a tiny remnant population remained in mid Wales, the kite was reintroduced in the early 90s. Young birds were brought over from Spain and released at different locations around Britain. The Chilterns releases were the first, and most successful. So much so that things have gone full circle and young kites are now being taken back to Spain, where the species has recently declined. They are now impossible to miss around here, even gliding over urban areas such as Reading, and being fed in suburban back gardens.

   By mid-morning I had reached a turn off for the town of Chinnor and I walked downhill for about 700m to the town centre. Here I bought myself a large breakfast of baked goods from an incredibly well stocked bakery and stocked up on snacks for later.

   Back up on the trail, I made a pointless detour and walked up a steep hill to Chinnor Hill Nature Reserve which was supposedly the site of three ancient burial mounds. On reaching the top of the hill, I either didn’t see them or they weren’t very impressive.

   The rest of the walk was very varied, leaving Oxfordshire and entering Buckinghamshire to hike through open meadows and woods, past a golf course, over two railway lines, up some short, steep sections, and onto hills with great views. A bit of walking alongside a busy road brought me near the town of Princes Risborough. There was a railway station nearby and, after 11 miles (18 km) I had the option of bailing out here. I had booked a room in Aylesbury and it could be reached either from here or from the station at Wendover 6 miles (10 km) further on. I wanted to put in a good shift today and make the final day easier, so I skirted around the town and pushed on.

   I then climbed up what seemed to be the steepest part of the Ridgeway through the nature reserves of Brush Hill and Whiteleaf Hill. This was tiring but the views from the top were good. Whiteleaf Hill had a burial mound and a 100m (328 feet) chalk cross carved into the hillside. After descending again, I came to a very welcome pub in the village of Cadsden where I stopped for a rest.

   Fully refreshed, I continued through woodlands until stern security notices and CCTV cameras informed me that I had arrived at the UK Prime Minister’s country residence of Chequers. In what must be the most surreal part of the Ridgeway, the route goes through a gate onto the estate itself, across a grassy meadow, and then crosses the Prime Minister’s driveway. All the time the signs warned of dire consequences for straying from the path.

   On the other side, the trail headed uphill again through some lovely Beech Woods and came out on the wide expanse of Coombe Hill, with a wide panorama across the Aylesbury Vale below. There was a Boer War monument at the top, from which I enjoyed probably the best view of the whole walk. Having admired the scenery, I descended again through yet another nature reserve. All these reserves in a row form a string of hills on the Chilterns Scarp, and are mostly managed for butterflies and wildflowers such as orchids.

   Soon I reached the town of Wendover to complete the longest day of the hike, although it hadn’t felt like particularly hard work. There was a pub near the station where I had a dinner of steak pie and veg. before catching the train to my accommodation in Aylesbury, feeling stuffed and a little sleepy.

Lovely Homestays, Aylesbury (£46)

17.4 miles     28.0 km     9 hours