Commons Country Walk 7 Print.Cdr

the hill. the woodland to its original state. original its to woodland

the footpath junction. Follow the white arrows on the trees up up trees the on arrows white the Follow junction. footpath the with conifers, but they have recently been removed to return the the return to removed been recently have they but conifers, with following the W19 white arrows. arrows. white W19 the following

At a gate in the woods, cross a track and bear left (W15) at at (W15) left bear and track a cross woods, the in gate a At the 1600s. During the 20th century this woodland was planted planted was woodland this century 20th the During 1600s. the 5 just visible on your left. At the bottom of the slope, turn left left turn slope, the of bottom the At left. your on visible just

It is ancient woodland, meaning it has been wooded since at least least at since wooded been has it meaning woodland, ancient is It 7 Continue into the woodland, walking downhill with the field field the with downhill walking woodland, the into Continue

mentioned in 12th century documents. documents. century 12th in mentioned

woodland on each side is managed by the Forestry Commission. Commission. Forestry the by managed is side each on woodland

Farm on the right. This hamlet has ancient roots – it was was it – roots ancient has hamlet This right. the on Farm

must have been wider in the past. As the path levels out, the the out, levels path the As past. the in wider been have must Greenfield Farm Greenfield

At the woodland edge near a stile, look out for a view of Howe Howe of view a for out look stile, a near edge woodland the At

this route. Some banks are further from the present track which which track present the from further are banks Some route. this

on each side. The depth of this holloway shows the antiquity of of antiquity the shows holloway this of depth The side. each on towards woodland. towards

As you walk uphill along Hollandridge Lane you may notice banks banks notice may you Lane Hollandridge along uphill walk you As stile. Turn right and follow the track parallel to the hedge hedge the to parallel track the follow and right Turn stile.

Dumble Dore on the right, take the footpath on your left, over a a over left, your on footpath the take right, the on Dore Dumble

National Trust car park. car Trust National the verge if possible. Opposite a house and black barn called called barn black and house a Opposite possible. if verge the

left to Watlington. From here, follow the road back to the the to back road the follow here, From Watlington. to left When you reach the road, turn left and walk with care, along along care, with walk and left turn road, the reach you When 4

with care and follow the road straight on to the junction signed signed junction the to on straight road the follow and care with

You will see it again as you walk up the track to the woods (pt. ) ) (pt. woods the to track the up walk you as again it see will You 4 until you reach the road on the edge of Christmas Common. Walk Walk Common. Christmas of edge the on road the reach you until

stretched down to the Ridgeway and up to the hamlet of Howe. Howe. of hamlet the to up and Ridgeway the to down stretched

From the gateway, turn left to walk along Hollandridge Lane Lane Hollandridge along walk to left turn gateway, the From 10

around 1800. It was a large open field called Howe Field which which Field Howe called field open large a was It 1800. around

The area past Lower Dean is shown on a pre-inclosure map dated dated map pre-inclosure a on shown is Dean Lower past area The the buildings.) the

map of 1725. The ancient oak tree nearby is probably older than than older probably is nearby tree oak ancient The 1725. of map

(NOTE the track in front of you is not a public path.) public a not is you of front in track the (NOTE

back to the early 18th century and are shown on a Stonor Estate Estate Stonor a on shown are and century 18th early the to back

gate. Follow the route description in Walk 2 from to to from 2 Walk in description route the Follow gate.

7 5

still remains for the house and the lane. The farm buildings date date buildings farm The lane. the and house the for remains still

For a shorter walk of 2½ miles, 2½ of walk shorter a For turn left to walk up to the metal metal the to up walk to left turn

when it was owned by Emma Herlinggerrugge. The family name name family The Herlinggerrugge. Emma by owned was it when

right here to continue to Greenfield. Greenfield. to continue to here right Hollandridge Farm. The farm here dates back to at least 1282 1282 least at to back dates here farm The Farm. Hollandridge

Continue along the track until you reach a junction. Turn Turn junction. a reach you until track the along Continue metres you can see see can you metres

Hollandridge Lane Hollandridge

the track for a few few a for track the

which means valley, so very apt for this area! this for apt very so valley, means which

(If you turn right on on right turn you (If

word Anglo-Saxon the from comes Dean name The houses. denu

Farm is now famous for its Christmas trees. Christmas its for famous now is Farm

Dean. In 1883 a well was recorded here but there were no no were there but here recorded was well a 1883 In Dean.

Hollandridge Lane. Lane. Hollandridge common pasture here, which was enclosed in 1815. Greenfield Greenfield 1815. in enclosed was which here, pasture common

After you leave the woodland, you will reach the hamlet of Lower Lower of hamlet the reach will you woodland, the leave you After

another ancient track, track, ancient another the Swing Riots in protest against rural poverty and the loss of of loss the and poverty rural against protest in Riots Swing the

to the gateway to reach reach to gateway the to Greenfield was the site of rioting and burning during the time of of time the during burning and rioting of site the was Greenfield park was created. was park

field. Walk straight on on straight Walk field. “white mark” in the shape of an obelisk on Watlington Hill. In 1830, 1830, In Hill. Watlington on obelisk an of shape the in mark” “white so it is possible that this woodland was in existence when the the when existence in was woodland this that possible is it so

woodland into a grassy grassy a into woodland Middle Ages. In 1764 Edward Horne, who lived here, created the the created here, lived who Horne, Edward 1764 In Ages. Middle as plants such as dog's mercury which indicate ancient woodland, woodland, ancient indicate which mercury dog's as such plants as

stile crossing from the the from crossing stile People have been living in the hamlet of Greenfield since the early early the since Greenfield of hamlet the in living been have People and for hunting by freemen. There are old yew trees here, as well well as here, trees yew old are There freemen. by hunting for and

eventually reaches a a reaches eventually

formation of the park, the land was used for common grazing grazing common for used was land the park, the of formation

cottages and a large garden. Continue between hedges downhill. downhill. hedges between Continue garden. large a and cottages

path climbs uphill and and uphill climbs path

created by Richard, Earl of Cornwall in 1276. Prior to the the to Prior 1276. in Cornwall of Earl Richard, by created

tree. Walk to the left of the large barns and along a track passing passing track a along and barns large the of left the to Walk tree.

for it!) The narrow narrow The it!) for

probably also marks the edge of Watlington Park which was was which Park Watlington of edge the marks also probably

to the farm. Look for the bridleway sign on a post under the big big the under post a on sign bridleway the for Look farm. the to

you may have to look look to have may you

obvious bank on the left which marks the old woodland edge. It It edge. woodland old the marks which left the on bank obvious

To continue the longer walk, cross the road from the wooden gate gate wooden the from road the cross walk, longer the continue To

is slightly hidden so so hidden slightly is

This wood is Lower Dean Wood and here the path has a large large a has path the here and Wood Dean Lower is wood This

turn left here along the road to return to Christmas Common. Christmas to return to road the along here left turn

Cross to the path (PS8 CW) almost opposite. (NOTE this path path this (NOTE opposite. almost CW) (PS8 path the to Cross

For a shorter walk of 4 miles, 4 of walk shorter a For you can can you Greenfield. opposite road, a hedge on the right; it gradually levels out. levels gradually it right; the on hedge a

6 The path leads to a solid wooden gate which opens onto the the onto opens which gate wooden solid a to leads path The The path continues along the edge of mature woodland, with with woodland, mature of edge the along continues path The 2 Offa's Dyke fame). fame). Dyke Offa's

744 it was mentioned in a boundary charter for King Offa (of (of Offa King for charter boundary a in mentioned was it 744

silvery remains of the flower stalks. flower the of remains silvery parish made in 1800 shows this area was divided into seven fields. seven into divided was area this shows 1800 in made parish

ancient parish boundary between Watlington and Pyrton. In AD AD In Pyrton. and Watlington between boundary parish ancient

bluebells flowering in the spring; later in the year you will see the the see will you year the in later spring; the in flowering bluebells large grassy field stretching down the valley; a map of Watlington Watlington of map a valley; the down stretching field grassy large

The wide track along the valley bottom follows the line of the the of line the follows bottom valley the along track wide The

At the top of the hill where the path is level, you are likely to see see to likely are you level, is path the where hill the of top the At as grazing has ceased. Further along on the right you will see a a see will you right the on along Further ceased. has grazing as

trees. This area was originally grassland and the trees have grown grown have trees the and grassland originally was area This trees.

finally leading down to a wide open area of tracks. tracks. of area open wide a to down leading finally you walk. you

The path leads downhill through old scrub with many hawthorn hawthorn many with scrub old through downhill leads path The

with white arrows. Follow the path uphill through woodland, woodland, through uphill path the Follow arrows. white with this cut), saleable oak and young hazel. Look out for these trees as as trees these for out Look hazel. young and oak saleable cut), this

opposite the field, take a narrow flinty path on the right, marked marked right, the on path flinty narrow a take field, the opposite cut above the height of grazing animals and allowed to grow from from grow to allowed and animals grazing of height the above cut Follow the path downhill between hedges and a wire fence. fence. wire a and hedges between downhill path the Follow

At the next junction turn left, then almost immediately just just immediately almost then left, turn junction next the At 1616 the woodland here was surveyed. It had pollarded beech (ie (ie beech pollarded had It surveyed. was here woodland the 1616 8 right to the arrow and go through a small wooden gate. gate. wooden small a through go and arrow the to right

different uses over the centuries but has never been cleared. In In cleared. been never has but centuries the over uses different to a large metal gate on the right. Go through the gate, bear bear gate, the through Go right. the on gate metal large a to

and later, in the 19th century, wood for chair making too. making chair for wood century, 19th the in later, and has been continuously wooded since 1600. It has been managed for for managed been has It 1600. since wooded continuously been has From the car park, turn right along the road until you come come you until road the along right turn park, car the From 1

centuries producing firewood, materials for building and farming farming and building for materials firewood, producing centuries by the National Trust. It is ancient woodland which means that it it that means which woodland ancient is It Trust. National the by

Watlington Park and Greenfield, and Park Watlington 3 Walk a 6 mile circular walk walk circular mile 6 a These woods (like many others in this area) were managed for for managed were area) this in others many (like woods These This is Greenfield Copse, a typical Chiltern beech wood now owned owned now wood beech Chiltern typical a Copse, Greenfield is This

This is one of a series of walks through the Chilterns Area Visitor information of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It mainly follows rights of way most of which are waymarked as follows: Chilterns Country Take a picnic to eat on Watlington Hill and enjoy the views. You will pass, or be close to, the Fox and Hounds pub in Christmas Common (01491 612599). There are also pubs, 'yellow arrow' Footpaths (walkers only) shops and a café in Watlington. 'blue arrow' Bridleways (horseriders, cyclists and walkers) Circular walks near For details of places to stay, visitor attractions and other walks, contact the Visitor Information Centre in the Town ‘red arrow' Byways (open to all traffic) Christmas Common Hall in Henley-on-Thames (tel 01491 578034) or see Discover local history while enjoying www.visitchilterns.co.uk ‘purple arrow’ Restricted Byway (horseriders, cyclists, extensive and varied views. walkers and non-mechanically propelled vehicles).

Please be considerate in the countryside How to get to the start • Keep to public rights of way, Three circular walks from All three circular walks and leave farm gates as you Christmas Common find them start and finish at the 2½ miles, 3 miles or 6 miles National Trust car park at the top of Watlington Hill, • Keep dogs on leads near a short distance from the livestock crossroads at Christmas

Common. Coppiced oak

To plan a journey by There are many other wonderful walks in the Chilterns: public transport from • Visit www.chilternsaonb.org or call 01844 355500 for other anywhere in the country Chilterns Country walks. to the starting point, call • Visit www.chilternsociety.org.uk or call 01494 771250 for 0871 200 2233 or visit information on the Chiltern Society's walk programme, to www.traveline.info obtain Chiltern Society footpath maps or to join the Society.

Watlington Hill is 1½ Learn more about Chilterns commons at miles from the centre of www.chilternsaonb.org/commons Watlington via Hill Road. If you are walking, take This leaflet has been produced by the Chilterns the footpath on the right Watlington Hill Conservation Board as part of the Chilterns just after The Ridgeway Commons Project. The Project benefits from path crosses Hill Road. Follow the path up the hill by the funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund and help 'white mark' to the car park. from volunteers.

By bus: The T1 service by Thames Travel runs from Oxford to Watlington and places in between. The 124 service by Arriva runs from Thame to Watlington and places in between. Check with Traveline.

Text by Dr Mary Webb. Photos kindly provided by © Clive Ormonde an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty