This route follows sections of the Ridgeway, thought to be Britain’s oldest road and offers panoramic views of the Chiltern Hills from Whiteleaf Hill and Coombe Hill.
Start and End Location: National Trust Coombe Hill Car Park
Start Postcode: HP17 0UR, approx. From Missenden Road, turn onto Lodge Hill and continue following the road to reach the car park.
Distance: 12.5 km
Time: 3.5 hours
Facilities: None
GPX Download: Link below map
Grade: Medium Country Walk
Facing the road, go through the right hand wooden gate at the entrance of the car park, next to the public footpath signpost.
Bear left, following the direction of the signpost. Keep left to go through a gap in the trees and follow the fence line path.
Turn left to go through a metal kissing gate.
The path continues through the woods, marked with wooden posts, and leads directly to the road.
Cross the road and turn right. After a few metres, turn left, following the signpost for the Ridgeway Footpath.
Continue through the woods, following the signs for the Ridgeway at each junction.
The path eventually bears right downhill and reaches a road. Go straight ahead, taking the narrow footpath just to the right of the Buckmoorend Farm Shop sign.
The footpath runs to the left of the hedge and bears left at the end of the field.
Continue alongside the road. At the footpath signpost, turn right to cross the road.
After a few metres, bear right to leave the main track and take the narrow footpath which runs between the fences. Follow the well-defined path through the woods.
At the junction, go straight ahead, following the direction of the Rider’s Route.
The path passes through a narrow gap in a wooden fence to reach the road.
Turn right and follow the road for a few hundred metres. At the footpath signpost, turn left and follow the Icknield Way Rider’s Route.
Continue straight ahead, ignoring any paths merging from the side.
At the T-junction, turn right, following the direction of the public bridleway sign.
After a few metres, the path reaches another T-junction. Turn left to climb up through the woods.
At the top of the hill, turn right and follow the Rider’s Route through the woods.
The path eventually narrows and runs between wooden posts. Bear slightly right to reach a wider track.
Turn right and follow the track. Go through the wooden gate ahead and bear left for a great view across the Chilterns.
Turn sharp right and follow the direction of the Ridgeway signpost to a metal gate. Go through the gate and bear left to follow the well-defined track through the woods.
At the fork, turn right, following the Ridgeway Footpath.
Go through the metal kissing gate and turn right, following the track past The Plough pub. Cross the road and after a few metres, take the narrow right-hand footpath.
Continue through the woods to a wooden kissing gate. Go through the gate into Rifle Butts Nature Reserve and bear left to meet the wider track.
Follow the track to reach a wooden farming gate, with a smaller gate to the left. Go through the gate and then through the second gate directly ahead.
The well-defined path runs alongside the trees.
Go through the wooden gate, up the steps and turn right at the junction.
Turn left almost immediately through a metal kissing gate.
Continue straight ahead, crossing the wider track and following the faint path downhill.
At the T-junction, turn right. The path, marked with a Ridgeway signpost, runs alongside the fence.
Turn left through the wooden kissing gate and follow the path as it bears right to climb the hill. When the path begins to level out, turn sharp right and follow the faint footpath downhill to reach a gate at the corner of the field.
Go through the gate and follow the narrow fence line path, which bears left into the woods.
Go through the gate ahead and then straight ahead at the junction. Continue through the wooden kissing gate and bear slightly left to cross the field to reach a small wooden gate between the trees.
Follow the narrow path through the woodland.
Go through the gate and bear right around the edge of Beacon Hill.
Continue through the wooden kissing gate, through the trees and bear slightly right to follow the grassy path towards the church.
Carefully cross the road and take the narrow path into the church grounds.
Turn left at the fork and follow the fence line path through the graveyard.
At the bottom of the steps, go through the gate and continue straight ahead to the metal farming gate.
Turn sharp right and go through the kissing gate. Follow the road past the cottages.
When the road bears right, continue straight ahead on the footpath.
The path narrows and continues through a series of gates to reach the road. Carefully cross the road and turn left.
Take the first right-hand turn and go through the metal gate. Continue straight ahead on the farm track and through the gates.
Cross the stile and turn sharp right.
Continue across the next stile and into the golf course. The footpath runs to the right of the wooden hut and ends just to the right of the main golf club building.
Cross the road and take the left-hand fork. The narrow, sunken footpath climbs through the woods.
Ignore any paths merging from the side and continue to the four-way junction. Turn right, following the Ridgeway footpath sign. Continue on the well-defined track to the Boer War Monument, with great views across the hills.
From the monument, turn sharp left and follow the wide track.
Bear left through the trees and continue straight ahead to return to the entrance of the car park.
