26th May Circular walk from Oaklands via Harmer Green, Digswell, Burnham Green and Datchworth Green
lanes
Penn
8th August Circular walk from Penn via Wycombe Heights, Forty Green, Twichels Wood & Common Wood
Greys Green
6th May We've parked in front of the village hall at Greys Green and, as we leave the car park, we're clocked by a villager from inside...clearly there's going to be an event today. We make a hasty escape before anyone can catch up with us. Tucked away on the high ground above Henley, this sleepy corner of The Chilterns is largely undisturbed by the 21st Century. Today's walk is mostly a 'walk in the woods' and the first of the year in which Nature has shaken off the last of winter's tentacles. The over-whelming colour is green..bright, luminous, 'hurt-your-eyes' green. Suddenly the beech trees are fully decked and the morning sun dials up the colours to full volume. That said, the northerly wind is intent on reminding us not to get too carried away.
Cowleaze
20th October The early mist is still clinging to the fields in the still morning air as we leave the car park at Cowleaze Wood. This is an early start...and would have been earlier had we got going when we intended. Nevertheless there is something strangely satisfying about being out before the rest of the world...we're getting a head start on everyone else today. This is a beautiful, mid-Autumn walk. The woods are suffused by the full range of autumn colours...russet reds, honeycomb yellows and lime greens.
Codicote
13th October We're out early enough to catch the last of the sunrise over Codicote and the early morning light against the gathering gloom in the west makes for some special colours. This is a flat walk, not climbs, no views but some great skies and, this morning, a rainbow. I don't think our pictures do it justice but we enjoyed watching the weather slowly creep our way. We've walked as far as Crouch Green before the rain finally arrives.
Checkendon
7th October A really enjoyable stroll on a glorious Autumnal afternoon. We picked this walk to explore the woods around Checkendon and, given that we'd started to notice the change of the seasons over the last few weeks, we had hoped for some rich browns, yellows and oranges. As it happens, the leaves are still holding on and deep inside the woods the predominant colour is still green.
Woburn Sands
29th September Looking back, it was almost exactly 13 months ago that we were here last and, although not so warm, it's just as sunny. The paths across the Estate are busy...we're not the only ones enjoying the autumn sun. As we cross Berryend Plantation we meet an early morning photographer on his way home. Enormous camera lens slung from his hip, he was out at 5am this morning, hoping for wildlife pictures in the early mist. He has left disappointed this morning but I suspect his standards are higher than ours!
King’s Walden
15th September According to Lemony Snicket “Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.” Whether you believe such tosh or not, we're in Great Offley by 7-15am, mostly because we have a busy weekend and this is the only time for a walk. This will be the last of our walks in this part of Hertfordshire for the moment.
Kimpton
8th September A week later and we're back to Whitwell, parking in almost the same spot. The locals will be getting suspicious. Grabbing our stuff, we're off before anyone can challenge us. Compared to last week the weather is grey and overcast...and to tell the truth it sets the tone for our walk. There's nothing to dislike about this walk but we're learning that this part of Hertfordshire is just not very exciting...no good views or quaint villages, just countryside. That in itself is no bad thing but it doesn't make for much to write home about. This time we walk south from the village and follow tracks and paths as far as Ayot St Laurence.
Whitwell
1st September We've a series of walks in Hertfordshire planned for the next few weeks. It may only be the first day of meteorologic autumn but already you can feel the turning of the seasons . There's a thin mist in the Mimram Valley and the milky light evokes memories of walks last year...we spend a few minutes wishing we'd started out earlier...the dawn would have been great to see.
Where Angells Tread! 