Chilterns Weekend Walkers

From windmills to watercress beds, chalk streams to village greens and beechwoods ablaze with bluebells, there are so many discoveries to be made in the Chilterns.  But our treasured landscapes are increasingly under threat from over-development, pollution and now climate change.

For the past 60 years the Chiltern Society has been working to protect sensitive sites and now looks after 13 locations across  the region.  All were visited on a series of walks organised by Chiltern Society chair and CWW walk leader Simon Kearey.

Simon said:  "Many CWW members are also members of the Chiltern Society and this was a good way of introducing them and others to the sites that the Society owns and manages. For those who are not part of the Society it was a great introduction to the important part it plays in local nature conservation and site management."

Helping Simon deliver the walks were Nettie Dearmun, Jane Hervé and Andrew Clark, author of Fifty Great Walks in the Chilterns and More Great Walks in the Chilterns.

Andrew said:  "We regularly had good numbers and everyone seemed to enjoyed the walks. I know I did."

Ewelme Watercress Beds were the main attraction on the first walk.  No longer in commercial use, the site in Oxfordshire has, since 1988, provided a unique aquatic habitat for rare and interesting wildlife and plant species. 

The second walk featured Penn Jubilee Wood, where the Chiltern Society manages grazing. Twice a year, Dexter cattle graze the grassland surrounding the woods to encourage meadow growth. The site was planted as part of an initiative marking Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee which created 60 woods covering at least 60 acres.

Walk 3 provided 275m of ascent and great views along the Ridgeway escarpment on a route linking Whiteleaf Hill and Brush Hill.  Both sites boast an array of flora and fungi throughout the year, thanks to the chalk grassland habitat.

Whiteleaf Hill is well known for its 100m high chalk cross. First noted in 1742, its full history is unknown and the subject of much local speculation.  The hill is also home to other interesting archaeological features including a Neolithic barrow and First World War practice trenches.

Walk 4 featured Prestwood Nature Reserve where chalk grassland and scrub support an incredible diversity of flora and fauna.

Lacey Green windmill, an iconic Chilterns landmark, was the highlight of walk 5 led by Jane.  Dating back to 1650, it's England's oldest surviving smock mill.  

Since 1971 it has been restored to working order by Chiltern Society volunteers, but in 2023 its sails had to be removed once again because of rot.  Another round of fundraising is under way to secure the windmill's future.

Starting from Wendover, the sixth walk included a climb to the highest point in the Chilterns, a display of orchids and a visit to Cobblers Pits, an old chalk pit beside the Wendover Arm canal.  A mix of yew trees and glades gives the site a contrast of light and shade.

Walk 7 from Piddington traced the evolution of the London to Oxford corridor through the Chilterns which has left a legacy of old packhorse trails, coaching routes, turnpikes and now a motorway.   Also on the route was Bottom Wood, an ancient 35-acre site cared for by the Chiltern Society since 1984 and home to over 700 different species of plants and animals.  There are numerous sawpits and a giant holloway which was used to access an old well during droughts in the 1920s.  

The ancient village of Cholesbury was the base for walk 8, which took in Grim's Ditch, an 18th century windmill and Cholesbury Camp, a hill fort constructed in the Middle Iron Ages and later occupied by the Romans.  It's one of the most impressive prehistoric settlements in the area. The ditch and the ramparts are now lined by avenues of beech trees.

This walk was Simon's favourite.  "I think Cholesbury was really great," he said. "Not only because it's a fantastic site with a lot of history, but the links between the Chiltern Society and that part of the world are very strong."

Walk 9 took in the 14th century Hampden House - the home of Hammer House of Horror films for a number of years, and the monument dedicated to John Hampden, a 17th century campaigner against 'arbitrary' taxes imposed by Charles I.

Visited on walk 10, Marlow Common North was leased to the Chiltern Society in 2013.  This local reserve has 73 different botanical species. 16 different species of birds have been spotted, and there are 50 types of fungi, giving plenty of interest in autumn.

Captain's Wood in Chesham Vale, the focus of walk 11, is believed to take its name from  19th century master mariner Captain Richard Spratly. Also named after him are the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The wood's hedgerows may date back to the seventh century. It has been a designated nature reserve since 1995.

Starting from Watlington Hill, the final walk visited Northend Common, the Chiltern Society's first new reserve since 2014.  The 31 acres of mixed woodland include open wildflower glades and a pond by the village green. 

So, what's the Chiltern Society's vision for its sites and the wider area in the face of  relentless pressure for housebuilding and development?  

Simon says: "Since its inception in 1965 the Society has promoted all that is good in the Chilterns. Today it's both a fundamental part of that history and a leading player for its future.  In terms of meeting the challenges of housebuilding and development, I would say we all have to live somewhere.  We just need to develop and design the right environments for people to both create better life outcomes and deliver personal enjoyment of those lives – and this is something the Society supports.  This equates to a policy of supporting the right build in the right place." 

CWW's walks to Chiltern Society sites ran for just under a year, with each scheduled for seasonal appeal.  Having completed all the walks, Tim Axten and Patrick Campion were awarded with boot-shaped trophies.

Andrew Clark says the Chiltern Society sites weren't the only focus for the walks.  "There was all the wonderful countryside to experience as well.  There were other points of interest and places for refreshments. My walks are usually designed to include as many as possible."

With a plentiful selection of pubs across the Chilterns, who could possibly ask for anything more?

• Photos by Anne Byrne, Anne Kimber, Anne Moore and Mark Percy