Pete's Walks - Four Hills Walk, again (page 1 of 3)
If you are considering walking this route yourself, please see my disclaimer. You may also like to see these notes about the maps and GPX files.
I did this 13 mile circular walk on Monday, 26th October, 2009. It was a repeat of the 'Four Hills Walk' that I did in early July, the four hills being Coombe Hill, Beacon Hill, Pulpit Hill and Whiteleaf Hill. I varied the route slightly by taking a longer but less steep route down from Pulpit Hill, and have shown that as an alternative on the map.
I started walking about 9.15am from the car park at Coombe Hill. It was a bright sunny day, though there were some grey clouds about, and would remain the same throughout the walk. The grey clouds only served to set off the beautiful autumn colours of the trees, and the countryside just looked gorgeous. From the car park I took the very steep path down the western flank of Coombe Hill and crossed fields to Ellesborough, then headed up Beacon Hill.
View north over the Vale of Aylesbury, from the start of the very steep path down the west flank of Coombe Hill
Beacon Hill, from the path between Coombe Hill and Ellesborough
Ellesborough church
Looking back to Ellesborough
Coombe Hill, from Beacon Hill
Looking north from Beacon Hill
Another view north over the Vale of Aylesbury, from a path on the western flank of Beacon Hill
Ellesborough Warren and the Vale of Aylesbury, from the western side of Beacon Hill
From Beacon Hill I followed footpaths to join the Ridgeway Path near Chequers Knap, a small hillock commanding great views over the Vale of Aylesbury. I then followed a bridleway up the eastern side of Pulpit Hill, turning right on to a path that took me to the Iron Age Hill Fort at its top.
Path through a small wood between Beacon Hill and Chequers Knap
Chequers Knap is the small knoll behind the green tree - it is a short distance from the PM's country retreat at Chequers
Looking towards Aylesbury from Chequers Knap
Looking back to Beacon Hill from Chequers Knap
The bridleway up Pulpit Hill
Path approaching the Iron Age Hill Fort on Pulpit Hill