Henley to Rotherfield Greys 14 the Philanthropist Paul Getty Fell in Love Along Lanes Once Ruled by Highwaymen with This Corner of Buckinghamshire

Home , Maidensgrove, Nettlebed, Rotherfield Greys, Rotherfield Peppard, Stonor Park

The South 1 Mapledurham 8 7 Maidensgrove to College Wood 20 With an Elizabethan manor, an ancient This bracing yomp leads across a vast church and a working watermill, this is grazing common, through undulating the quintessentially English village woodland and along county borders

2 Goring and Hartslock Reserve 10 8 Stonor Park 22 Fine views from the hilltop on the Don’t let the gruelling climb at the Chilterns’ southwestern edge and a start put you off this glorious ramble gentle return along the Thames through a working deer park

3 Rotherfield Peppard 12 9 Swyncombe and Ewelme Park 24 A relaxing stroll through countryside Peace and seclusion are your companions and a village with a history stretching through the rolling Oxfordshire hills back to Norman times 10 Christmas Common and Wormsley 26 4 Henley to Rotherfield Greys 14 The philanthropist Paul Getty fell in love Along lanes once ruled by Highwaymen with this corner of Buckinghamshire. It’s there is little to delay you apart from not hard to see what enthralled him the peace and quiet 11 Watlington to Lewknor 28 5 Hambleden Lock from Henley 16 It’s all on the flat for this delightful Take the towpath along the famous stroll from England’s smallest market regatta route on the River Thames to a town along the Oxfordshire plains picturesque lock and mill

6 Nettlebed and the Berrick Trench 18 A woodland walk to a quiet nature reserve and a trench that is really a hill

7 4 THE SOUTH

Henley to Rotherfield Greys Distance 6.2km Time 2 hours days when highway robbery was a Terrain footpaths and some public roads constant threat to travellers. It was Map OS Explorer 171 Access the Henley- around here that the London to Oxford on-Thames circular bus route stops at coach would stop to ‘pack and prime’ Deanfield Road, 300m from the start their guns in case of trouble. Cross the lane to walk up the valley Rotherfield means ‘cattle lands’ in Old towards Lower Hernes, passing through a English and, in 1086, the Domesday Book copse of horse chestnut trees below the recorded the owner as a Norman knight house. Go straight ahead up a farm track called De Greye. There are still some (or the path beside it). Cross a track and cattle in the fields here, along with many walk on up the valley until you reach the magnificent horse chestnut trees – not end of an avenue of chestnut trees to your forgetting a direct link back to the days of left. Look for a stile in the fence ahead of the highwayman. you and walk along the left side of the Park at the roadside in Tilebarn Close field to a farm gate and a stile, crossing (RG9 1US) or Deanfield Road. The path this into the next field. Soon after, climb begins to the right of the field gate just the stile on your left and walk up the side before the Henley College car park in of the valley with a fence at your left Tilebarn Close. After 400m, by woodland hand. At the top, aim for the church to planted to support a Sue Ryder hospice, reach a road. you will cross a footpath called Pack and Turn right if you are in need of some Prime Lane. The name harks back to the refreshment – the Maltsters Arms is just 14 HENLEY TO ROTHERFIELD GREYS

A field near Rotherfield Greys along the road – or go left to continue the Highlands Lane. Cross the road onto the walk. You will pass Pear Tree Cottages on private drive to Hernes Estate, where a your right. Two restorations have made it footpath heads diagonally across a field hard to believe this row of houses has towards the right-hand end of the row of been here for more than 500 years. houses. A path between gardens brings The next stretch involves walking along you into a housing estate. the roadside for about 300m. Follow it Cross the road ahead of you and go past the entrance to the Woodland Burial right to follow Nicholas Road down to a Ground until it bends to the left. The T-junction. Turn left to pass the entrance footpath continues straight ahead, across to Chiltern Close, and then walk up Two a field towards Cowfields Farm. Go past Tree Hill on the right-hand pavement. the gates and down a track with Where the road bends left, go straight woodland on your right. With a left and ahead onto a footpath which leads you right turn, the track will take you back to downhill into Tilebarn Lane. Go left to the road. pick up the path again. It leads behind Turn right along a wide verge to houses back to Tilebarn Close.