Walking The Ridgeway - Princes Risborough to Chinnor

Continuing from the northerly end of the walk we began in the village of Radnage, the next leg of the walk. As usual a circular walk incorporating a stretch of the Ridgeway and surrounding countryside. In total a walk of 9.6 miles.

 On this Royal Wedding day it was nice to just escape all the hype and get out into this green and pleasant land of ours.
We quickly had to cross the railway line going over the roof of Saunderton tunnel. The path then took us through Princes Risborough Golf Course which was strangely deserted for a glorious Saturday morning? More wedding watchers probably.   One of the holes looked particularly tricky with its pond right next to the green. The graveyard of many a golf ball I shouldn't wonder. Maybe the Carp are feeding on them? Some of them were massive and very tame too. Literally feeding out of my hand , either that or I am 'The Carp whisperer/ tickler ??

Once again we are treated to some amazing scenery and views and hardly a cloud in the sky. There is so much greenery it is quite re-assuring in these times of over-development. Above us there are plenty of  Red Kites that are so familiar around the M40 corridor and The Chilterns.

The Ridgeway joins up with The Icknield way sharing the same path until the IW takes a 

       straight course to Princes Risborough, while The Ridgeway meanders on a roundabout route. 

 Through the trees there are cracking views of Princes Risborough in the distance. There is a cricket match taking place , what could be more typical of a late Spring weekend afternoon?

The track at times climbs quite steeply and the chalk underneath is already parched and dry. Although it is nothing compared to the 'Chinnor Hill 'we encounter when we leave The Ridgeway which is a monster.

 Yoesden Nature Reserve is a beautiful sunny grassland bank and wood in the tranquil Radnage Valley near High Wycombe. It contains some rare and precious chalk grassland.

In summer the grassland is full of common and spotted orchids, bird's foot trefoil, kidney vetch, Devil's-bit scabious and later on Chiltern gentians. rare butterflies can be found including the Adonis Blue, Chalkhill Blue and Small Blue.

 The wild flowers are really looking their finest in the meadows.

The mature beech woodland has some important ground flora including wild garlic, primroses, birds nest orchid and wood anemone.

The picture to the left shows Allium ursinum – known as ramsons, buckrams, wild garlic, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, or bear's garlic – is a wild relative of chives. It could easily be mistaken for 'Lily of the Valley' actually.


As we get nearer to our starting destination  the footpath takes us through the churchyard of St Marys Radnage. Built by the Knights Templar in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century, it has been prayed in for over a thousand years and has an atmosphere that reflects this. The church tower is original and about 10 feet square and of a style which has elements of the late Norman and early English periods.

 I really liked the seemingly long forgotten graves , overgrown and unvisited. The sunlight through the tress shining on them gave them a prominence that didn't go unnoticed.

Back at our starting point we are conveniently close to 'The Boot' Public House .It is one of those ponsey 'Gastronome' pubs that charge ridiculous prices for food that gets served on a house brick or roof slate.The beer isn't cheap either but needs must when the devil drives and any port in a storm .

I had a pint of ' Marlow Rebellion Brewery' 'Legend' (4.2%) .A fruity Pale Ale with complex fruity notes of apricot, citrus and spice.

As we sat enjoying our well earned liquid refreshment in the pub garden, our old friends the 'Red Kites' sat in the trees looking down on us.