Stoke Row circular

I had planned to go for a walk on the North Downs today from Leith Hill, but my forgetfulness yesterday meant that I forgot to pick up my dry cleaning. Opening hours on a Sunday meant I’d have to go walking closer to home, to give me a chance of picking up my trousers!

So I opted for this self made walk, i.e. look at the map and pick a circular route that will get you done in time for a tasty pub lunch!

The pub in question was The Cherry Tree Inn in Stoke Row, Oxfordshire, more about which later. First the walk. The handy thing about a walk that finish at a pub is you can make full use of its car park without feeling guilty or annoying the owners. So my route started down Northwood Lane. Not far down here there was a footpath that really passed through somebody's back garden but eventually passed into some fields. Up ahead was what looked like a lych gate of a church, but with no church in sight. Passing through this is was then a short walk up to some farm buildings and then a pleasant walk on a old green lane, in the dappled sunlight forcing its way through the trees. The odd house was visible including the rather grand Oakingham House, but it was less ornate surroundings that we found at the next property.

All along the lane down to to road ahead was piles of old skips, with assorted junk ranging from children's toys to builder's rubble and everything in between including the kitchen sink! Well three kitchen sinks in fact.

No sooner has we passed this by than the best part of the walk began. Through a small plot of beautiful woodland and then onto to English Farm. In the setting of the rolling Oxfordshire countryside was yet another grand house, with a collection of classic Dutch barns. One of which was housing Cobalt Blacksmiths, given away by a oversize wrought iron spider making its decent down the side of the barn.

Beyond English Farm we crossed a large field, the scenery around these parts reminding me of the opening scenes of Enduring Love (minus the red hot air balloon). We were then on another green lane, which continued to offer up some great vistas. I only wish I'd had my camera with me. Writing this now from memory, I recall so much that would have been worth snapping a picture of. Instead, I've made do with a screen dump from Google Earth.

At Howberrywood, after making friends with the owner's dogs, we headed through the woods to Highmoor Cross (yet more grand homes) and then via roads and trackways back to Stoke Row and lunch.

There seems to be loads of good pubs in South Oxfordshire and this is one of them. The food was excellent, and the courgette frites side order, whilst not doubt not very good for you, are well worth a try.

Coombe Hill and Chequers

I should have written this walk up weeks ago and never got round it it. But this was a great walk, so it was worth the wait!

This walk began at the car park for Coombe Hill, but unlike most people who probably just wander round the corner to the viewpoint, we went the long way round. The first part of the walk was a stroll through some reasonable dense woodland eventually leading to a track that took us down into the village of Dunsmore.

From Dunsmore the route goes into farmland, and a fantastic hidden valley view. The path drops down into the bottom of this valley where there are a collection of farm buildings. Ominously a sign here advises you not to loiter in this area, particularly by sitting on the low walls. But the temptation escapes me and I follow the track up the gentle slope, initially into a very dark tunnel of tree, but then along a open woodland track.

Just after the crest of the slope, we meet a couple of male walkers standing by the side of the track, trying to balance a camera on their rucksack. They spot us and I get ask if I can take photo of them with the trees in the background. I do and then continue on, down to slope to a narrow country lane.

Now this could be any ordinary country lane, bar on thing poking its head above the hedgerow across the road. On a huge black pole is a large CCTV camera, with night vision capabilities. This is the first sign that we have arrived in the grounds of

Chequers, the country home of the Prime Minister. The footpath cross a wheat field with fences both sides. All along the fence are small signs warning, in no uncertain terms, that you should not cross the fence. If I were to do so I'd be in breach of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. Needless to say I don't, but curiously there is no barrier when the public footpath cross the driveway to Chequers.

The path now heads gently uphill to a stand of woodland, then the path skirts along the edge of the wood providing a great view of the house itself. In Tony Blair's day, he may well have been here relaxing with Cherie. But I doubt Gordon is here. Upon taking up the premiership he said he wasn't planning to use Chequers as a weekend retreat, just as a venue for summits and brainstorming!

Up until this point we'd been following a walk in Country Walking magazine, but we're starting to feel peckish and deviate from the printed route to head down into Great Kimble for lunch at the Bernard Arms. Many a foreign leader has supped a pint in this pub and we spot photos of Boris Yeltsin and John Howard by the door. Lunch was a little unmemorable, and I tend to agree with this review in The Daily Telegraph from 2004.

So now we follow the main road down the hill and then turn right along Ellesborough Road. After passing a few houses there is a path that heads off between the gardens then out into the fields behind them. Up ahead the church in Ellesborough stands proud above the trees. There are signs on many of the gates a stiles advertising cream teas and views from the top of the church tower. But we're expecting a better view soon, from the top of Coombe Hill, so we don't investigate further. However if you want to know what the view is like, here it is.

From Ellesborough its a short walk to Butlers Cross and then a walk across Ellesborough Golf Course. Once past the club house its a dart across the road and the start of the climb up the hill to the Coombe Hill monument. The route start within some trees, but quickly emerges to an open path, but this a a seriously steep lungbusting slope. However, the view from the top is stunning and is arguably the best view I've seen in this part of the country. Through my binoculars I can just make about Didcot Power Station. Crowning the top of the hill is the monument to those men from Buckinghamshire killed during the second Boer War. There's loads of people here, but I doubt many (if any) of them have approached it from the same direction as we have. I suspect most have just parked where we parked and wandered the short distance to the monument. Once we've fully appreciated the view, it's time for us to head back as well. A great walk.