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The The ection. dir clockwise e described for walking in a a in walking for described e ar outes r cular cir These e waymarked as follows: as waymarked e ar which of most way . It mainly follows rights of of rights follows mainly It . Beauty al Natur Outstanding of Chilterns Country Chilterns o get to the start the to get o t How ea ea Ar Chilterns the ough thr walks of series a of one is This Visitor information Points of interest H Maidensgrove Common This large grassy common is popular with kite flyers and picnickers. It was ploughed during the Second World War for C Watlington Chalk Pits Take a break with a picnic on the commons and/or arable crops and is now managed for hay. refreshments at a pub along the route. In Ewelme, there is Now a common and Local Nature Reserve, this area was once a chalk quarry used by the local community. Chalk was an a village shop with a tea room (01491 834467) and The I Cookley Green important natural resource and was used in many ways. It was Shepherd's Hut pub (01491 836636). Historically, village mixed with clay when making bricks, it was burned and greens and commons converted into lime which was used in mortar, cement, for En route you will pass or walk close to were both 'waste of whitewash and household cleaning. Lime was also spread on The Fox and Hounds, Christmas Common (01491 612599) the manor'. clay fields, like the flat fields in the Vale. Spreading lime changes Fox Country Inn, Ibstone (0845 643 9933) Following the 1965 the pH of the soil increasing productivity and crop yields. The Crown Inn, Pishill (01491 638364) Commons The Five Horseshoes, Maidensgrove (01491 641282) Registration Act, D Watlington Hill some village greens The Brett family, previously of Watlington Park, made a were registered as For details of places to stay, visitor attractions and other succession of gifts to the National Trust during the 20th century, commons (including walks, contact the Visitor Information Centre in the Town including Watlington Hill. The Hill is a mosaic of chalk grassland Cookley Green), and Hall in Henley-on-Thames (01491 578034) or visit habitat, scrub and woodland which supports a diversity of plants, Cookley Green some commons were www.visitchilterns.co.uk insects and animals. It is a good place to see red kites and registered as village greens. Traditionally, village greens were butterflies, with a large population of silver-spotted skipper used for sport and exercise, such as archery practice and ball flying here from late July to early September. It's also a super games. The resources local people depended upon came from spot for picnics! Points of interest the commons. E Christmas Common The following points of interest can be found on the walks. J Swyncombe There is no longer any common land in Christmas Common. The See map for locations. Swyncombe is the hamlet around the 11th century chapel of name Christmas Common is thought to have come about St Botolph's and a manor house that has been occupied A because of the abundance of holly trees in the area. Today, Ewelme continuously since the 13th century. Every February the Christmas trees are grown commercially here maintaining the The almhouses in Ewelme were built by the Duke and Duchess churchyard is full of snowdrops and the church holds connection. of Suffolk in 1455, originally for 13 poor men from across the fundraising snowdrop teas. Cookley Green was where the Duke's four estates. They still provide homes for elderly people farm workers and servants at Swyncombe lived. today. The watercress beds in the village provided income for F Ibstone Common villagers during the 20th century. No longer in commercial High in the Chilterns, a millennium standing stone demonstrates K Cow Common production, today the site is a Local Nature Reserve owned and that this common is still at the heart of its community. In Unusually for the Chilterns, cows still graze on Cow Common managed by the Chiltern Society. Guided walks are offered on summer, the common is carpeted with wildflowers and delicate in Ewelme. The common occupies a shallow valley south-east the first Sunday of every month. grasses. Pause and listen to the grasshoppers and skylarks, and of the village Ewelme and the chalk stream rises here in wet watch the aerial aerobatics of red kites. winters. There are great views of Swyncombe Downs from B The Ridgeway here. Thought to be Britain's oldest road, this National Trail follows G Turville Heath Ewelme - Cow Common the Icknield Way, an ancient chalk ridge route which has been One of the more remote commons in the Chilterns, Turville Heath used for over 5,000 years by traders, is 2km to the west of Turville village. The for droving livestock and by invaders. common is bisected by an impressive lime Starting in Avebury, the path travels avenue, first planted in 1740 as a landscape on the high ground to Ivinghoe feature to impress visitors to Turville Park. The Beacon. In the Dark Ages, it was a avenue was planted with small-leafed lime main route for the Saxons and Vikings (Tilia c ordat a), believed to originate from native who fought many battles along it. In stock from the Wye Valley. Some of these trees medieval times it was used by drovers still remain and are now fine veterans. Over bringing livestock from Wales and the the years, gaps were filled when trees were lost, West Country to Hertfordshire and most notably after a great gale in the 1880s. surrounding areas. Turville Heath Description of route: 7 At the second road, turn right leaving the Ridgeway, walk To continue to Cookley Green and Ewelme, go straight across The route follows paths 10m up the road and take the footpath on the left through a the track and continue on the footpath which becomes and bridleways through kissing gate. Follow the footpath on the right to the top of the narrow. Turn left at the end, turn right onto the road for commons and woods and hill, go through a kissing gate and turn right joining the approx 50m and turn left onto the footpath signposted across fields.