An attractive, mainly level walk which takes you along paths and quiet lanes through fields and woods: Hockeridge Wood and Pancake Wood have been planted with a wide variety of ornamental and forest trees including traditional native species such as beech, oak, and cherry. Information plates at the base of some of the trees tell you more about them.

Distance: 4 miles (allow 2 ½ hours)

Start: Parking in the village. Golden Eagle pub car park (with landlord’s permission).

Access Information: Fairly level walk.

Refreshments: Golden Eagle pub.

Route:

From the far end of the car park at the Golden Eagle pub, go through a metal kissing gate and cross a field with a hedge on your right to meet another gate and a path which turns right alongside a hedge and gently downhill to a gate at the entrance to Hockeridge Wood.

Go through this gate and follow the broad path up through the wood, ignoring any side paths, and going straight over a forestry track at right angles to it, until you reach John’s Lane. Turn right, ignoring the other road joining it from your left, and just before the underpass turn left along a bridleway.

Follow the bridleway along a concrete track parallel to the A41, which then swings left towards Marlin Chapel Farm. After passing to the right of the farm, follow the bridleway round as it curves to the left, until you come to the end of a lane next to a house.

Turn left along the lane until it meets up with the lane at Clumber Cottage.

Turn left and follow this quiet lane for about three quarters of a mile, ignoring two footpaths on your right, until you reach the junction with John’s Lane near the underpass. Turn right into John’s Lane and then go through the gate on your left to take the path back through Hockeridge Wood that you used earlier. Go through the wood ignoring side paths and over a broad cross path.

Continue to follow the path ahead of you until you reach a gate on the edge of the wood; go through this and continue uphill along the hedgerow and then turn left through a gate, crossing the next field to reach the car park of the Golden Eagle pub.

This walk is one of a series produced by the Chilterns Conservation Board. You can download the route in more detail from www.chilternsaonb.org.