Chilterns Weekend Walkers

CWW members hiked 500 miles in a weekend during the group’s biggest walking festival.

The anniversary festivals have become a highlight of the walking calendar. The first two in 2022 and 2023 took place at Penn Street on a single day, with a choice of five circular walks ranging from a 4.5-mile stroll to a challenging 16-mile double loop. All the walks intersected at lunchtime to bring walkers together for a huge picnic on the green with complimentary cake and prosecco.

Among the walkers at the first festival was Ramblers vice president Kate Ashbrook. She described the day as a “fitting celebration for an excellent group”.

Former CWW chair Andrew Zelin said: “It was a great success with a good turnout. It was very quick, easy and inexpensive to organise with just six weeks between inception and the event. We focused on what we do best: walks with food, drink and merriment in the pub afterwards. Not to mention the celebratory picnic!”

In September 2024 the concept was taken a stage further, with the festival expanding to two days using two bases and offering a record line-up of seven walks.

The focus for Saturday 7th was a picnic at Lane End. It was a 9.30am start for the first walk – a hilly 6.8-miler around Fingest, Turville and Skirmett led by Jane Major. Tim Axten led a 4-miler to Wheeler End later in the morning. At lunchtime, returning walkers were joined by a party on a 10-mile circular from Bradenham – a walk so hilly it required three pub stops to keep everyone hydrated!

In the afternoon, Tim set off again on a 6.5-mile walk via Bottom Wood and Frieth.

On Sunday 8th, walkers converged on Wendover Woods, a convenient picnic venue with plenty of benches near the cafe.

Lisa English catered for the ‘short haul’ market with a local 4.2-miler as well as bringing cakes for the picnic. She said: “The picnic tables at Wendover Woods were excellent on an overcast day when it wasn’t busy with families. But the tables did also spread the group out, which made it feel a little less like a shared picnic than at Lane End.”

The longest walk of the weekend, an 11-miler led by Alan Cooper, started from Tring, pausing at Painesend Farm to admire pheasants.

Meanwhile Mark Percy brought a group of 12 up the Ridgeway Path from Wendover town centre in the company of charity walkers on a Chilterns Three Peaks challenge.  The famous Wendover Woods Gruffalo provided an unmissable photo opportunity. 

After the Wendover Woods picnic, Mark’s walk continued with a flying visit to the Heritage Open Day at Halton House – the former Rothschild mansion used by the RAF as an officers’ mess.

He said: “I was quite apprehensive about the Halton House visit as a previous open day was cancelled at short notice. When we arrived this time round, we were confronted by a huge queue. For one anxious moment I feared we might be facing a long wait to get into the house. But it turned out that the people in the queue were waiting for buses to take them to a museum in a different part of the estate, so we got into the mansion with no difficulty, enjoying a look around the splendid grand salon, the boudoir and the gardens.

Afterwards, on the way back to Wendover, as if the walk couldn’t give any more, we were treated to a glimpse of a kingfisher darting over the canal.” 

More than 60 walkers took part in the two-day festival marking CWW’s 18th anniversary. Claiming the award for the most mileage were Alan Cooper and Ian Pryor who went on both the long walks, totalling 21 miles. Alan says his dog Nelly walked even further.

Ian said: “Big thanks to Helen and Graham for leading Saturday’s walk from Bradenham on paths seldom used and including three pub stops with great conversation, and to Alan for Sunday’s walk with great views over the Aylesbury Vale from Tring also ending in a pleasant pub stop. On both walks our leaders kept us away from the rain despite an amber weather warning!”

Jane Major had a busy weekend, leading a walk, completing two more and joining in part of a fourth.  She said:  "I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend of walking, even if I did return home a little weary Sunday afternoon.  It was great to see so many out and about enjoying the beautiful Chilterns countryside."

As well as leading two walks on the Saturday, group chair Tim Axten was back on Sunday for Mark's walk, clocking up nearly 20 miles over the weekend.  He said: "Once again, the walks festival was a big success.  It's a great opportunity to bring the group together, showcase the variety of our  programme and welcome newcomers."