The Seven Shires Way - Stage 13

Aston Hill to Henley-on-Thames, Friday 6 December 2013

So here we are in Oxford waiting for the 280 bus to Thame. Actually this will be the last time we start from Oxford for a long time. Weather mild and pleasant for December.

Arrived in Thame at 10:30 and the first job was to visit the pie shop. N had been planning on eating his steak pie for weeks. Two paces down the road and one mouthful and “No it’s chicken and leek!” Never mind it was warming. Caught the 40 bus from Thame going to High Wycombe and eventually we arrived at the top of Aston Hill on the A40 and so we started walking at 11:15. 

Our shadows on the sarsen stone

Bit cooler on top of the Chilterns and before we had gone very far we stopped for a picture of a large sarsen stone in the verge our guide book speculated that this was once an ancient boundary marker.

Last view of the M40

Further on we crossed the M40 for the eighth and last time on the Seven Shires Way; just where the M40 cuts up through the Chilterns. We were happy to say farewell. It will be good to get away from the constant drone of the M40. As mentioned on several occasions we have been amused by how protestors complain about what HS2 might do to the countryside while sitting in villages blighted 24/7 by the motorway.

We pressed on, down through the delightful beech woods of the Wormsley Estate, to follow a typical Chiltern dry-valley bottom. Most of the leaves had been blown from the trees. Lots of evidence of pheasant rearing, grain scattered on the path, water and feeding points.” What’s this - a cricket ground?” In part of Wormsley Park is a cricket ground, a remote but beautiful setting. Past sheep and then a steep but short climb up to the village (hamlet) of Northend stopping on the way up to look at the aerobatics of a light aircraft above (Pitts Special?)

Looking north from near Northend

Our progress had been followed ever since the Wormsley Estate by six circling Red Kites. Were they waiting for us the falter and fall? After all they serve the function of vultures!

Chiltern valley view

We now decided to take a slight detour from the recommended route, which we had done before on the Oxfordshire Way and followed the lane towards Turville Heath and then dropping down the valley side to wards Turville Park Farm stopping for our St Nikolas Day packed lunch on the way.

Helicopter - POSH toy

While eating we watched a helicopter buzzing along at low level. Conversation turned to discussing John Mortimer (this is Paradise Postponed country after all and then P gave us a reading from a book relating the experiences of a couple who had walked the Thames Path. Amusing in parts.

From Turville Park Farm we experienced a rare event - the path actually followed the country boundary between Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire – rather than criss-crossing it and nearly following it.

Stonor Deer

Down to the village of Stonor, past the entrance to Stonor Park and its herds of deer and looked at where we had crossed this route in October 2010 while on the Shakespeare Way, between Watlington to Hambledon.

A steep climb from the village (probably the steepest gradient so far encountered) and came out above Almshill Wood. (This was another deviation from Elaine Steane’s route. We had climbed through Stonor Park and Kildridge Wood and Southend three years ago.) Re-joined the recommended route at Coxlease Farm, where a team of workers from somewhere in eastern Europe (from their language) where busy putting the final touches to some renovations to the farmhouse. In time for Christmas? An impressive view from this “grand design”, we doubt Kevin McCloud would have been impressed with the very smelly cattle house next door.

Fantastic views to the south from this ridge walk as we continued south. T claimed the distant hills on the horizon where the Hampshire Hills near Basingstoke (jury is out on that one).

The path gently descended and we joined the road to Middle Assendon. What next? It was 15:30 and the Rainbow Inn was shut despite N peering in through the windows and trying the door. We had agreed earlier that we were not going to follow the path into Henley. We had done this route from Middle Assendon through Henley park an at least two occasions while following the Oxfordshire Way.  So off-route and head up the hill to Bix and catch a bus into Henley. Stopped for a breather in some woods for some malt whisky courtesy of P. These were juniper trees –perhaps the sloe gin would have been more appropriate – next time. Gently ascended to Bix to  the accompaniment of distant gun fire from a pheasant shoot.

The 139 bus came just before the light went and we made it nearly into Henley. The Christmas market meant that the bus stopped short so there was a bit more walking into town and then a circuit of the town looking for a pub. On the recommendation of a taxi office (N stopped and asked) we plumped for the Anchor Pub. Fairly cosy a bit dark (seemed to be heavy on seasonal candles) – rated by us as a 5.

There are various options to return from Henley, buses or train. We opted for the train and journeyed back via Twyford to our respective stops in Reading, Didcot and Oxford. T & P had differing versions of the timetable and N couldn’t navigate his smart phone to the FGW site and then P had to return to the pub to collect his glasses! Anyhow we made the train and home. 

In summary: The POSH walk – Pheasants, cricket Oval, Shooting and Helicopter (or Henley if you like). Distant walked was a bit debatable, it was 9.6 miles to Bix but by the time we had walked around Henley we made it 11.1 miles. True not all of it was on the Seven Shires Way but here we are in Henley – halfway.  A delightful walk across the  Chilterns, goodbye to Buckinghamshire and hello to Berkshire.

The Seven Shires Way – Stage 12

Thame to Aston Hill, Friday 15 November 2013

Back to Thame on the 280 bus from Oxford.  Weather was mild and pleasant for November.  Arrived in Thame at 10:30 and the first job was to find a bakers selling authentic pies/pasties as N hadn’t had breakfast. That completed we headed east through Thame on the Towersey Road to the village of that name. T warned the chaps that we were back in ancestor country. His great great grandmother (mother’s father’s father’s mother) had kept a pub on the Towersey road (long gone).  Oh and before we forget – a correction to the last post  - The Seven Shires Way - Stage 11 – P had seen the country boundary at Ickford Bridge even if T & N hadn’t.

Chiltern Hills

Quite a bit of road walking on this walk. We made good time and enjoyed a discussion lead by P about high fidelity, amplifiers and speakers.  Right through Towersey and on towards Henton. 

Crossed the line of the railway (now a cycle/footpath trail) that used to run from Thame to Princes Risborough  Sorry chaps more family connections – T’s dad had worked at Thame Station in the early 1950s when there was an operational line from Oxford to Risborough via Thame (long gone).

Barn near Henton - ready for conversion?

 

On towards Henton with fine views of the Chiltern Hills.  “Have we been to Henton before?” No but it seemed familiar. Perhaps because it looked like so many other villages we have walked through. Modern infill housing, converted  farm buildings, no shop, no post office and a posh pub. Very quiet with just a few white vans, and delivery vehicles trying to deliver goods to houses with nobody in them.

Over the B4009 and straight on towards Hempton Wainhill over the Icknield Line (Princes Risborough to Chinnor, Grid Ref: SP 76740147. Recently featured in Modern Railways as Chiltern Railways had tested a train on this track in October 2013. This is now a heritage line but was originally the line that went down to Watlington (we went past the site of Watlington Station over five years ago on the Oxfordshire Way). 

Icknield Line

One plan back in the days of Victorian railway expansion in the 1860s was to run a railway line from Cholsey through Wallingford, Watlington and Chinnor to Risborough.  To connect the Great Western Railway to what is now the Chiltern Line. Each end was built but not enough capital was raised to complete the intended route between Wallingford and Watlington.

Hempton Wainhill - can you see it?

Up the hill into hamlet of Hempton Wainhill (ancestor alert : T’s Great Granmother (mother’s father’s mother was born here.)

A steep climb up a sunken trackway though beech woods onto the top of Chinnor Hill and a welcome bench in the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) nature reserve, Grid Ref: SP 76790071. Time for lunch and a welcome rest to enjoy the sunshine and the fantastic view from the Berkshire Downs in the south to the countryside beyond  Aylesbury in the north-east.

Panorama from Chinnor Hill

There were some Dexter cattle in the nature reserve, part of the scheme to graze the land with traditional animals, particularly nice as there were small and docile. Factoid: Dexter cattle are the smallest of the European cattle breeds, being about half the size of a traditional Hereford and about one third the size of a Friesian milking cow.

Beech woods

After lunch we carried on through the beech woods – lost the path but eventually ended up in the car park and followed a lane to the road between Chinnor and Bledlow Ridge.

Near Venus Wood - 100 miles

It was so great to be back in the Chilterns. The leaves were changing colour and there was that autumnal smell of wet leaves. 

We decided to take the recommended short cuts so as to reach the bus stop in good time.  We cut down past Sunley Wood and up past Venus Wood and onto Sprig’s Alley. Somewhere around here we completed 100 miles since Moreton-in-the-Marsh.

Through the woods

Carried on through the woods and picked up the county boundary between Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire and eventually to the A40 at the top of Aston Hill to wait for the bus back to Thame.

Found a sheltered spot to sit and finish off the sandwiches and passed round the hip flask and had a nip of Sloe Gin (vintage 2010). 

Out to the main road, Grid Ref: SU 74599706, to wait for the 16:03

Communications Tower - Aston Hill

bus “should be time to have a drink in Thame”. Well the bus didn’t turn up. A kindly soul stopped and said that there had been an accident in Stokenchurch which was holding up the traffic. Eventually the bus came (45 minutes late) and nearly didn’t stop – good job we had the high visibility vest and torch. By the time we got back to Thame we were too tired to stop so took the next bus back to Oxford.  P&T carried onto the railway station and N jumped off in The High. “Good walk, see you next month chaps.”

 

In summary: The ABCD walk – Ancestors, Beech woods, Chilterns and Dexters. A pleasant walk of great contrasts – from the clay land of the Vale of Aylesbury to the chalk and leaf mould of the Chilterns, perhaps uneventful but nevertheless still enjoyable, 10.3 miles.