I]Z[daadl^c\cdiZhYZhXg^WZi]ZgdjiZ[gdbdcZ At the point where the track splits take a footpath to the towards the mausoleum. Go through the churchyard eaVXZidVcdi]Zghdi]VindjXVca^c`i]ZhZid\Zi]Zg right which heads uphill into the woods. Follow this path turning right at the church out on to the car park. Head idbV`ZndjgdlcX^gXjaVglVa`h!YZeZcY^c\dc]dl past several timber marker posts to the top of the hill towards some low wooden posts, just beyond which is a [VgndjlVciid\ddgi]ZeaVXZhndjlVciidhZZ# ignoring all side paths. Continue along the track until a track. Follow this past a house on the right into woodland. waymarked fork is reached. At this point head downhill on • Follow the track through the woodland ignoring all side paths a narrow path on the right and continue along this and when the track splits take the right hand fork. Continue Saunderton to Bradenham 3 ignoring all other paths, crossing over the rail line(take for ⁄4 mile along the track through the wood passing through 1 Distance: 1 ⁄2 miles, allow 30 – 50 minutes care!) and then the field to the main road. a gate and eventually reaching a tarmac road at Nobles Farm. Difficulty: No stiles or narrow gates. Gentle slopes. • Cross the road (take care) and follow the footpath across the • (To take the short route to Bradenham take the footpath Access: Suitable for pushchairs field and up the hill, turning left at the top to reach a kissing on the right alongside the wooden fence close to the farm gate onto Church Lane. At the road turn left to go to West entrance, dropping downhill through woodland and fields, • From Saunderton station walk left down to the road and Wycombe village or turn right to walk towards Saunderton. then turn right and then left under the railway and take then turn left under the bridge and walk up to the main care crossing the A4010 to the Red Lion pub) road (there are bus stops here and the Golden Cross pub). Bradenham to Downley Common • To continue to Saunderton carry on along the tarmac lane, • Take care crossing the road and walk up Smalldean Lane. At eventually downhill crossing a stile to reach the road. Turn the entrance to Janssen-Cilag go up the grass verge on the Distance: 2 miles, allow 50 – 70 mins right and walk along the road (take care) into Saunderton. left and pass through gateposts and then follow a broad grass Difficulty: No stiles or gates. Paths muddy in winter. 1 path running parallel to Smalldean Lane on the left for about Gently uphill for ⁄2 mile. Downley Common to Hughenden Manor 250m. Turn right and follow another broad grass path across • From the church follow the wall past Bradenham Manor the field, past a wood on your left to a gap in the hedge. Turn until you reach the track and turn left uphill (still alongside Distance: 1mile, allow 20-30 minutes left uphill on the field edge grass path for about 20m and the wall) until the track splits. Take the right hand track Difficulty: 2 kissing gates. Mainly downhill but 2 short climbs. then right following a left hand hedge. Eventually a crossing 1 uphill for ⁄4 mile. When it bends sharply to the right take hedge is reached at which point turn left uphill for 20m and the path straight on into the woods. • At the cricket pitch follow the road to the left and then then turn right downhill. Cross over the farm track and go 1 right at the T junction. (The Le De Spencers Arms Pub is to • CCoontinuntinuee ahstreaiagdht fo ahr justead ountilver /th2 mile peath followin soon bgec theomes bridl ae bwaroya d straight on, through two gates to the road in Bradenham 1 the left). Follow the track past the houses and around the untilbridle awa mainy. Fo cllroowssing this briford le⁄2waymile is i grneachorinegd .all C rthosse numthis ontoerou sthe village (the Youth Hostel is on the left). Turn right to take the fosideot panathd cimmerossindgiatel pathsy o puntilposit evee anntualld followy a junction this path is t oreachedwards bend. Past the house on the right take the footpath on the route back to Saunderton or to the Red Lion pub or cross the thwithe e dbothge of a th creossing common bridleway. Do NO Tand lea vea footpaththe wood that and join the right downhill into woods. At the gate turn left for 10m road to the church if going to West Wycombe or Downley. rcontinuesoad in fro ntst rofaight the ahead.houses Cbutross follow the bridleway the footpath and as follow it bears then take the right hand path which eventually joins ritheght footpath and hugs as the it bendsedge o fright the wandood continues sometimes ahead just insi thdroughe and another path. Turn left, then after 100m, when the path Bradenham to Saunderton 1 1 bends to the left, go straight on over the chalk ditch. sometimlight woodlandes just outsid for aboute. Aft e⁄2r mile/3 mil untile with it thjoinse path a bridleway back in th bye 1 • At the bottom of the hill go straight on over the track, Distance: 1 ⁄2 miles, allow 30-50 minutes woa dewod it pond. joins aTurn brid leftlewa ontoy by athe po nbridlewayd. Turn left and on followthe bridlewa it y 1 1 uphill. Then turn right following the path above the field Access: Easy Access route. Or 2 stiles, 3 kissing gates, steep anthrdough follo wmo itr the woodlandrough the wforoo d⁄2 fmileor / 2until mile . youEventually reach leave eventually into woods and to a broad track. Turn left uphill uphill slope, then downhill. thDownleye woods cricket at Downl pitchey cricketand common. pitch. • (To go to West Wycombe follow the road to the right, to Hughenden Manor. • Easy Access route – at the Red Lion pub turn right and walk around the bend and then take the bridleway on the right, back along the main road to Saunderton station. next to the flint house. - Then see Downley to West Hughenden Manor to Downley • Or cross the main road to the right of the pub, go through the Wycombe walk notes). Distance: 1 mile, allow 20-30 minutes gate and take the footpath under the railway. Then cross a stile 1 Difficulty: No stiles or gates. Uphill for ⁄2 mile. to the right and follow a left hand hedge through into thin West Wycombe to Saunderton (& Bradenham) Access: Suitable for pushchairs woodland, uphill across a field and into woods, eventually 1 1 joining a tarmac lane at the top at Nobles Farm. Turn right here. Distance: 2 ⁄2 miles, allow 1- 1 ⁄2 hours • From the National Trust car park at Hughenden Manor, (Then see West Wycombe to Saunderton walk notes) Difficulty: Steeply uphill to the church then flat or downhill. 1 Kissing gate and 1 stile (additional stile on short-cut). Paths follow the ‘entrance’ signs to House & Gardens. At the entrance gate turn right along the estate road. Bradenham to West Wycombe can be muddy after wet weather. • When a wood is reached follow a bridleway downhill Distance: 2 miles, allow 40-60 minutes • From West Wycombe take the lane uphill toward through the woods and then gently uphill between fields Difficulty: No stiles or narrow gates. Flight of steps. 2 uphill sections. St Lawrence’s church. and into another wood. • From the church follow the wall around Bradenham Manor • Continue along the bridleway into the wood and after • Take the first opening in the left hand hedge up the steps 1 and turn left uphill (still alongside the wall) on a good track. to open grassland. Then take the footpath on the left uphill about a ⁄4 mile a junction with 5 paths is reached. Ignore these paths and continue on up the bridleway before emerging from the woods at the top where the bridleway joins a tarmac road. • Turn left at the road and almost immediately turn left onto a path uphill across the common to join another road in Downley village. At the road turn right past the pub, shop and post office. Saunderton Downley to West Wycombe

1 Distance: 1 ⁄4 miles, allow 25 –35 minutes Difficulty: No stiles or gates. Downhill. Access: Suitable for pushchairs

• At the T junction near the Post Office cross the main road and follow a footpath over 2 stiles and along a school boundary fence to the school entrance gates. Turn right just past here and follow the path until you reach tall beech trees. Turn right downhill through the trees, following the path downhill to the left. When the path joins the bridleway carry on downhill to Cookshall Lane. Then follow the lane to the left under the railway and down to the main road. 4 Cross the road taking care and at the roundabout follow the road to the right into West Wycombe. Bradenham Naphill • (To make a circular route back to Hughenden, at the bridleway turn right uphill and follow this to Downley cricket pitch, turning left at the road).

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2. Hell-Fire Caves About the walk The caves consist of a mile of underground passages with various figures depicting the life and times of the members These walks take you through the countryside estates of West of the Hellfire Club who met there. The infamous tales of Wycombe, Bradenham and Hughenden where there are their orgies and pagan ceremonies may have originated from fantastic views, magnificent beech woods and carpets of political rivals as a smear campaign. The caves were created in bluebells and wild flowers. You can see places of great the 1750s to provide work for unemployed farm workers and architecture and historic interest and wildlife such as red kites are now a visitor attraction. www.hellfirecaves.co.uk and muntjac deer. 2. West Wycombe Village and Hill The walks have markers to help Much of this attractive Chilterns village is owned by the show you the way where the National Trust. Most of the buildings are 16th - 18th century route is not obvious. (more information is available from a village leaflet in the Cricket game at Bradenham (waymarker shown to the left) Post Office). Wycombe is famous for its furniture Most of the woodland above Bradenham is beech, originally You can break your walk with a making industry. At the planted during the 1800s for the local furniture industry. The tasty meal or refreshing drink. bottom of Church Lane a woods are carpeted by bluebells in early May. surviving workshop still makes furniture using local 5. Downley Common Walking gets you fit and beech wood. The church on The common originally provided grazing land for the villagers the hill was rebuilt by of West Wycombe. The ponds in the woods are probably over keeps you healthy Dashwood in the 1760s at 300 years old, they were created to provide water for cattle. the same time as the More information on the history of the Common is available mausoleum was built and is in a leaflet available from Downley Post Office. Features of interest still used for family burials. The golden ball on the Red Kites (see numbers on map) church is made of copper These distinctive birds of prey were reintroduced to the area and has small seats inside from Spain in 1989-1994 after human persecution drove 1. West Wycombe Park Picnic on West Wycombe Hill with fantastic views. them to extinction in England by the end of the 19th century. Like many holidaymakers Sir Francis Dashwood (1708-81) was One of the reasons for their success is that they scavenge on inspired by his travels to transform his estate with styles and 3. Hughenden Manor birds and animals killed by vehicles and game birds art-objects from Italy and the Mediterranean – only on a Hughenden Manor was the home of Victorian Prime Minister shot during the hunting season but not retrieved grand scale. The mix of classical, gothic and English features Benjamin Disraeli from 1848 - 1881. Disraeli and his wife by dogs. They also feed on insects, earthworms has been described as a paradise. He even dammed the River Mary Anne planted dark evergreen tress in the woods near and small mammals. Wye to create a lake in the shape of a swan. The House and the Manor. When Dizzy, as Mary Anne called him, returned grounds, now owned by The National Trust, are still the from Westminster after weeks of running the country, “he residence of the Dashwood family and are open to the public spent the first week back examining his trees, and the second (01494 513569) www.nationaltrust.org.uk week examining his books”. Disraeli’s grave is next to the church. The House and grounds are open to the public and Landscape Character owned by The National Trust (01494 755573) Much of the countryside on this walk is owned or managed www.nationaltrust.org.uk by the West Wycombe Estate and the National Trust. As well as making a living from agriculture and forestry they are also 4. Bradenham managing the land to conserve the traditional character and The Manor House was the birthplace of Benjamin Disraeli and wildlife of the Chilterns. You will notice the woodland on top the village and estate is owned by the National Trust. A scene of the hills, grasses on the upper slopes and arable fields in

in the film “Dirty Dozen” was filmed near the village green. the valley bottoms.

West Wycombe Park Chilterns AONB West Wycombe Walk 5/30/06 12:10 PM Page 2 Page PM 12:10 5/30/06 Walk Wycombe West AONB Chilterns