Pete's Walks - Coombe Hill and the Hampdens (part 1)
I did this walk on Wednesday 18th March 2009. It's a walk in one of my favourite areas of the Chiltern Hills, and in fact it is a slight extension of Walk 12 of my Chiltern Chain Walk (the extension being a long steady descent of Bacombe Hill towards Wendover and then a re-ascent over the same hill on an almost parallel path to Coombe Hill). With or without the extension, this makes for an excellent walk, one of my very favourite walks in the Chilterns.
The walk starts at the car park for Coombe Hill, and initially follows the Ridgeway national trail for a few miles, heading southwest past Chequers towards Whiteleaf Hill.
Path through woods near Coombe Hill
Lesser Celandine - the wildflowers are gradually emerging at last!
Chequers (the Prime Minister's country residence) with Coombe Hill beyond
Coltsfoot - another early Spring flower
Path near Chequers
A hazy view over the Vale of Aylesbury
Heading towards Cadsdean and Whiteleaf Hill
Path up Whiteleaf Hill
Path near the top of Whiteleaf Hill
Neolithic burial mound, on top of Whiteleaf Hill
Another hazy view, from Whiteleaf Hill looking over Princes Risborough
From Whiteleaf Hill I followed paths to Parslow's Hillock, and continued on to Hampden Common.
Looking back along the path to Parslow's Hillock
Path through Monkton Wood, heading towards Hampden Common
From Hampden Common I continued to Great Hampden, passing the church and Hampden House, and then walked through Lady Hampden's Wood down into the large valley of Hampden Bottom.
Approaching the church at Great Hampden
The valley of Hampden Bottom