Wendover to Old Swan Pub

(S/E) Starts and finishes in the middle of Wendover. Probably best to take an OS map, as there are a few points where paths diverge.

(1) Go through the arch at the Red Lion pub, through the car park. Take a path straight ahead into the park. Walk along the path with the stream on LHS. Keep following the path, past the pond on RHS until you reach St Mary's Church. Turn left along the road and continue past the school on RHS. At the junction (Well Head Cottage in front of you) go straight ahead. After around 500 meters, the lane turns into a track - keep straight on uphill. Continue past farm buildings on LHS, cross a drive (tree lined to RHS) and on to edge of woods.

(2) Paths diverge - take the paths that go uphill ahead (not the path to the left - if you go past a sign with a map of the woods, you have taken the wrong path!). The two paths ahead split - keep to the LHS path and on up the hill until you reach a couple of houses. Ahead and slightly to the left is a gate into a field. Skirt around the field until you reach a gate - go through gate keeping alongside the hedge on your RHS. Keep going until you reach the road.

(3) Cross the road slightly to the right down a drive. After a few yards, the drive turns to the left. After a few more yards, go through the gate on the RHS. Follow the path across the field and through a gate, keep going alongside a hedge on your LHS. Take the 2nd path on your left.

(4) Follow the path ahead until you reach a gate with a house on your left and some old farm buildings ahead/on your right.

(5) Take the left hand path. When you reach the road turn right and then after a few yards turn left up a track. Keep along the track - you will eventually walk past cottages (Swan Lane) to your right and reach the road. The Old Swan pub is on your LHS. Enjoy a pint! Once refreshed, retrace your steps back along Swan Lane, past the cottages now on your left and enter the woods in front of Cornerwood House.

(6) On entering Lordling woods the track divides 0 take the right fork and soon after you will see a marker post with 3 arrows. Take the right fork again (not the sharp right footpath) through the woods.

(7) The path through the woods can be a little unclear as it reaches the edge of the woodland - keep straight ahead until you reach a marker post by the field in front of you. Keep straight ahead across the middle of the field heading towards the woodland.

(8) At the marker post by the woodland, go straight ahead, then pass through a fence about 15m further on - following the yellow arrow ahead. The path soon leaves the wood - follow the path across the field to the line of trees ahead. At the trees, the path bears left and then right, around the right-hand edge of the field and then into the corner of the woodland. Keep straight on, towards the next field in front of you, ignoring any paths off. The path ahead, which cuts off the corner of the field to your right, to a marker post in front of you. Keep ahead, along the edge of the field towards an old brick wall that is falling down in places.

(9) Go through the notch cut in the brickwork (house to your right). Follow the path ahead, going slightly downhill. As you enter the wood, after about 25 yards, take the path to the left and you will soon join the Ridgeway.

(10) Turn left onto the ridgeway and follow the path for over a mile, keeping on the main well made track. You will eventually drop steeply downhill and join the path at waypoint 2. From here, retrace your steps back to Wendover.(S/E)

The Old Swan pub is about halfway round this walk - ideally for a summer evening refresher!

St Mary's Church in Wendover - although it is certain that a church has existed on the site since the 12th century, the present building dates mainly from the early and later parts of the 14th century. In medieval times the rood cross was venerated as a place of pilgrimage. During the Civil War, Cromwell’s troops camped in the church (you can still see the graffiti) and in 1799 the first penny savings bank in the country was started in the vestry.