The Chiltern Link

START: Wendover Station, Station Approach, Pound Street, Wendover HP22 6BN.

(S) From the station entrance, walk up the slope to the main road, turn left down through the village and turn right along Heron Path, on the right just before the mini-roundabout and clock tower.

(1) Continue ahead along the surfaced path all the way to a lane in front of St Mary’s Church. Turn left along the lane to a road junction and cross to a minor road directly opposite to pass Wellhead Cottage on the right. Stay on this gradually rising and later unmade track (A) for 1 km to the entrance to Boswells Farm and its lovely avenue of trees. Continue for a further 200 m to a path junction where The Ridgeway turns to the left. Walk straight on for a few metres and, at the fork, take the footpath on the left uphill to the top. Go through a gate past Concord House.

(2) Turn left and follow the field-edge as it bends to the right, gradually rising to a gate at the top of the field.
Go through the gate, continuing straight ahead. Follow the field-edge to the left of the hedgerow to a road.

(3) Turn right for a few metres and left along the concrete driveway for Kings Ash Barn. Where it ends, turn right through two gates into a paddock and continue ahead through two further gates to the edge of a large field. Walk directly ahead to the right of the hedgerow for the next 1.3 km to a crossing farm track. Go through the gate into a field, fork left towards the houses and pass through two further gates. In this field there is an option to visit the old and new churches by taking the stile on the right. Otherwise, continue through the field and a gate onto a road. Turn right along the road and, at (B) the Lee village green, fork right to the road junction by The Cock and Rabbit pub.

(4) Turn right, then immediately left along the lane for 350m to the first bend. Turn left on a wide path into the woods. Follow this wide track through two gates and continue ahead to go through a further gate onto a road.

(5) Cross to a stony lane directly opposite and walk along to Rose Cottage. Turn right along a wide track and, near the end, take the footpath on the right. Go through a gate and climb up the track. At the top, continue ahead on a path between a field and hedgerow. At the T-junction, turn right past a gate and walk between the fields for 500 m to a gate. Go through it, turn left and through the next gate to an unmade lane. Turn right, walk along the lane for 65 m, and keep to the left of The Old Cottage. Follow the path along and down through a gate to a lane.

(6) Turn left along the lane and take the bridleway on the right just after the junction with Little Hundridge Lane. Follow this bridleway for the next 2.3 km along (C) Herberts Hole to a lane. Turn right along it for 140 m and turn left through a gate into a field. Cross this field and the next to go through another gate onto a lane.

(7) Cross it, climb up and follow a wide path uphill keeping straight ahead through a small wood to emerge into Lowndes Park. Continue straight ahead with woodland on the right and a grassy slope on the left, then bear half-left up the grassy track to the top of the hill to see the excellent views over Chesham from the information board and ‘Rolling Pin’ mound. Bear half-right down the hill through the community orchard to rejoin the path to the right of the hedgerow. Stay ahead past the Guides HQ on the left and the large iron gates on the right. Follow the surfaced track round to the right to the main road, Church Street. Cross over and turn left along the pavement to the dual carriageway, St Mary’s Way. Take the pedestrian crossing over it.

(8) Turn left and immediately right along Church Street. Turn left into the High Street and right up Station Road to finish the walk at Chesham Station. (E)

"We hope you have enjoyed your walk. Please remember to rate the walk and add comments. We are interested in how we could improve the instructions or the route and would like to hear about any issues with paths on the route."

TERRAIN: Easy walking on good paths. No stiles but numerous gates.

START: Wendover Station, Station Approach, Pound Street, Wendover HP22 6BN.

FINISH: Chesham Station, Station Approach, Chesham HP5 1DH

FOOD & DRINK: Plenty of pubs and cafés in Wendover and Chesham, and The Cock & Rabbit pub and cafe at The Lee.

PARKING: Wendover Library car park, High Street, Wendover HP22 6DU

LOCAL TRANSPORT: Wendover is served by mainline trains between Marylebone and Aylesbury, and Chesham by Metropolitan trains from Baker Street. There’s an interchange at Chalfont & Latimer. For bus services please check www.traveline.info.

(A) Hogtrough Lane: The origin of the name ‘Hogtrough’ is unclear, but as early as 1620 the lane is recorded as being the way to Chesham. It is thought to have been well used by packhorses carrying shoes made in Wendover to the main centre of this local industry in Chesham.
(B) The Lee is one of the most beautiful villages in the Chilterns. Its name derives from the Old English leah meaning ‘a clearing in a wood’. The village encircles its large green, and has many beautiful brick houses. One of them is Lee Manor, once home to the Liberty family (owners of the Liberty department store in London). Sir Arthur Liberty bought the last two wooden hulks from the Royal Navy and used timber from them to construct the shop’s ‘Tudor’ facade. Only one ship had a figurehead, that of Admiral Lord Howe, hero of the battle of Ushant in 1794. It was brought to The Lee and positioned at the top of the rear drive to the Manor. Following the death of Sir Arthur’s nephew in 1952 it was moved to its present site at Pipers, a few hundred metres from the green. The Lee has been used many times as a location for the TV series Midsomer Murders.
(C) Herberts Hole: The origin of this unusual name isn’t known, but could possibly derive from ‘harbour’, a drover’s name for an overnight resting place. Over the last few years, the owners of the Hundridge Estate have planted new hedgerows beside the path. Some of the older ones have been dated to the 15th century, corresponding to the strong enclosure movement at that time. Some of the fields to the western end of Herberts Hole were given the name ‘Stubbins’, after the stubs or stumps of trees left in the ground as woods were cleared to create fields.