Beaconsfield Circular walk

Gentle hills, Chalfont St Giles, and Jordans, a hamlet with Quaker links

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Wed, 13-Apr-22 Wednesday Walk Beaconsfield Circular Walk - Seer Green, a Quaker Village, Burial Ground and Meeting House, Chalfonts St Peter & St Giles, Milton's Cottage, then back through woodland to Beaconsfield 11 mostly cloudy with occasional sun
Sat, 18-Dec-21 Saturday Walk Beaconsfield to Amersham - Seer Green, Jordans Village, a Quaker Burial Ground and Meeting House, Chalfonts St Peter and St Giles, then on to Amersham 8 cool
Wed, 15-Jul-20 Wednesday Walk Beaconsfield Circular - Gently rolling wooded hills, a Quaker hamlet and Milton's Cottage 3 overcast dull slightly humid day
Wed, 01-Jan-20 New Year's Day Walk North - Beaconsfield to Amersham 14 grey
Sat, 16-Nov-19 Saturday Walk - Beaconsfield Circular 3 Mainly overcast with some sunny spells
Wed, 29-May-19 Wednesday walk Beaconsfield Circular - Gentle hills, Milton's cottage and a Quaker hamlet 13 warm and dry in the morning wet all afternoon
Sun, 24-Feb-19 Sunday Walk Beautiful Bucks around Beaconsfield 9 warm
Tue, 26-Dec-17 Boxing Day walk - Beaconsfield circular 3 cold and sunny
Sun, 19-Mar-17 Sunday walk: Chilterns with history
Sun, 03-Apr-16 Sunday Walk 1 – Gently rolling Buckinghamshire hills 11 fine and sunny to start but clouding over later
Sat, 07-Mar-15 Beaconsfield Circular 17
Mon, 25-Aug-14 Beaconsfield Circular
Thu, 26-Dec-13 Beaconsfield Circular
Sat, 13-Apr-13 Beaconsfield Circular 14
Wed, 20-Mar-13 Beaconsfield Circular
Sat, 28-Apr-12 Beaconsfield Circular
Sun, 25-Mar-12 a Beaconsfield to Chorleywood, via Chiltern Open Air Museum
Sat, 05-Mar-11 Beaconsfield Circular
Sun, 08-Aug-10 Beaconsfield Circular
Sat, 03-Apr-10 Beaconsfield Circular
Sun, 09-Aug-09 Beaconsfield Circular
Sat, 07-Mar-09 Beaconsfield Circular
Sun, 16-Nov-08 Beaconsfield Circular
Sat, 14-Jun-08 Beaconsfield Circular
Fri, 28-Dec-07 Beaconsfield Circular
Sat, 21-Jul-07 Beaconsfield Circular
Sat, 10-Mar-07 Beaconsfield Circular
Sun, 04-Feb-07 Beaconsfield Circular
Book 1 Walk 10 - Beaconsfield Circular Walk - anti-clockwise

Length: 19 km (11.9 miles)
Toughness: 4 out of 10 No steep hills
London Marylebone: 10-13 hrs Chilterns service to Aylesbury
Arrive Beaconsfield: 10-39 hrs
Return
15-57, 16-06, 16-28, 17-04, 17-13, 17-36, 17-54, 17-59, 18-29 and 18-45 hrs and so on
The walk directions are written both clockwise and anti-clockwise, and as Wednesday walkers have yet to try this walk "backwards", let's give this way a go today - for a change - I think you will enjoy it.
Leaving the town we walk through the town centre and up to a main road which we cross to walk over the local golf course. Down now to Seer Green and we continue up to the Quaker village of Jordans. On then through a Quaker Burial Ground and a Friends Meeting House, then up a road and through woodland to the village of Chalfont St Peter. We next follow the route of the River Misbourne (usually dried up) along a number of field edges all the way to the village of Chalfont St Giles, where we stop for lunch. Merlins Cave is one of the options available to us.
After lunch we walk up the main road, passing Milton's Cottage on the way. We head for Hodgemoor Woods to continue through a number of woods all the way back to Beaconsfield. For tea options at walk-end please refer to the Walk Directions.
T=1.10
Walk Directions are here: L=1.10


  • 14-Apr-22

    11 at the station, on a day mostly cloudy with occasional sun Fairly dry underfoot.Skylarks singing over the golf course.

    At Jordans, the quaker area seems sorrier than I remember, the Mayflower barn having been sold, hived off, and tarted up. Only one person spotted the large flightless bird as we approached Chalfont St Giles. Readers, that person was me! An emu, I think. Sadly I was so stultified by the endless succession of fields we had just crossed that I couldn't be bothered to take a closer look.

    In C St G, most opted for the churchyard. Merlins Cave is operating reduced hours and closed Wednesday lunchtime. I found the others in the Feathers. Hardly time for a quick half and we were off.

    And so on to the biggest challenge of the day - Hodgemoor Woods. "Take care when following the directions" it said. (A bit worrying, considering I had lost track of them even before entry). Gulp scary! The others were ahead and I heard that, after some controversy over routes, they split into two factions. I had given up on the directions and was following the green line on my phone, I went a little off-piste but accidentally found a short cut that enabled me to saunter up casually behind the others.

    Eventually, and not before time, we reached the outskirts of Beaconsfield. During this perilous traverse of suburbia, we passed a film crew. What were they filming? Readers, get this...they were filming Midsomer Murders. They didn't look like they needed any extras so we continued our trek to the station just in time to miss the 16:04 The others probably caught it.

Beaconsfield to Amersham

A mix and match walk - starting with reverse of afternoon leg of Book 1, Walk 10 - Beaconsfield Circular
then switching to SWC 36 from Chalfont St Giles to Amersham
Length: 16.4 km (10.2 miles) Most of the walk is before lunch
Toughness: 5 out of 10 (a bit more when afternoon leg is muddy)
London Marylebone: 09-42 hrs Chilterns service to Oxford
Arrive Beaconsfield : 10-08 hrs
Return

Either
Amersham to Marylebone: Chilterns service at 08 and 38 mins past the hour

Or
LT Metropolitan Line to Baker Street - usually 2 an hour
Rail ticket Holders of Freedom passes and all zone travel cards - probably a single from the end of your pass or travel card to Beaconsfield. The return from Amersham should be covered by you pass/card. Otherwise, it's separate singles.


We tried out this hybrid, mix-and-match walk on New Year's Day 2020, and apart from a disastrous lunch stop, the actual walk worked quite well for a winter's outing with a difference. This way round, on the Beaconsfield Circular, we should avoid the worst of the muddy bits, and enjoy a route alongside a golf course and up through a Quaker Village then a Quaker meeting house and burial ground, before walking along field edges next to where the River Misbourne used to flow, from Chalfont St Peter to Chalfont St Giles. We stop in the latter village for lunch. Merlins Cave, which let me down in 2020, was absolutely fine when I called in just before Lockdown One, and ditto earlier this year, and it's worth a try as the pub-restaurant is large, and quite comfy inside.
After lunch, it is uphill along a quiet road then up through a farm and over what can be muddy fields before we drop down to the town of Old Amersham. It is a twenty minute walk - again uphill - from the Old Town to the New Town where we find Amersham Railway Station for our journey home. Tea stops are as noted in the Directions.
T=1.10
Walk Directions are here for the afternoon leg, and here for the morning leg L=1.10

  • 17-Dec-21

    What time are people meeting for this walk, & are people meeting at Beaconsfield railway station. Sue please reply to sueantell@btinternet.com

  • 18-Dec-21

    Sue, the posted train should arrive at Beaconsfield at 10-08 hrs - so that is the expected time of meet-up, at the railway station. Although I usually / always turn up for my posted walks, this time I regret I will be absent, due to a minor injury I picked up on last last Wednesday's walk. The directions should be easy to follow - I have written the "backwards" route for you to follow to Chalfont St Doodah - thereafter, after your lunch stop, you pick up the directions for the Amersham Circular walk. Enjoy ! I'm disappointed not to be with you on what I consider to be a very nice "hybrid" walk.

  • 19-Dec-21

    7 people got off the train in Beaconsfield, and were met by 1 other walker so 8 . 7 did the ant-clockwise route to Chalfont St Giles, whilst the 1 walker did the clockwise version, and met us in C St G. 4 ate their packed lunches in the porch of the Parish Church of Chalfont St Giles.

    3 of us then pushed on to Amersham, but the others remained in Chalfont for lunch in the Deli, and then presumably a drink in one of the pubs (if anyone would like to add information on what they did in Chalfont, please do so.

    Plenty of winter scenery and there was much tarmac walking which was good as we avoided mud until towards the end of the walk in Amersham when we did pass through muddy fields. Tea and delicious cakes were had by 3 of us in the Seasons Café Deli and then onwards to Amersham Station.

    A nice walk (or half of two separate walks combined) in great company and the weather was cool and cloudy.


To quote Don Everly at the Everly Brothers reunion concert, the Royal Albert Hall, 23 September 1983 (some of us can remember it):

"It's Good to be Back !"


Book 1, Walk 10 - Beaconsfield Circular

Length: 19 km (11.9 miles)
Toughness: 4 out of 10

Meeting point: Outside Beaconsfield Railway Station, north exit, at 11-10 am

If not driving but travelling by train from London Marylebone ;

Marylebone: 10-43 hrs. Banbury service
Arrives Beaconsfield: 11-10 hrs

Return trains: 16-28, 16-38, 17-02, 17-31, 17-38, 17-59, 18-29, 18-45 etc


Depending on our numbers as we assemble into pods of 6 at the start of today's walk, to assist with social distancing I suggest alternate pods set out to do this walk in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions, so please bring both sets of directions with you.

Most of you will be familiar with this walk when undertaken clockwise - I added the backwards directions for the pure hell of it last winter. Whilst muddy in winter the route today should be firm underfoot in woodland and open sectors. For a full description of the delights and sights on this walk please refer to the written directions.

Lunch today can be taken in the village of Chalfont St Giles, at mid-point in the walk, where pubs and eateries might be open and serving food. The regular watering hole for this walk is Merlins Cave, which can be either good or awful. Last New Year's Day the pub badly let me down (and our New Year's Day walkers) which I have not forgiven them for, although on my two previous visits that winter when I was writing up the backwards notes the pub could not have been better, with food, drink and hospitality. If "Pod Captain's" wish to book ahead the pub's number is 01494-875101. Close to the pub is a very good Deli for those wishing to purchase picnic provisions.

Back in Beaconsfield having - I hope - enjoyed a good afternoon's walk - the recommended tea stop is the cosy La Cape, by the bridge over the railway.
Enjoy - and again, welcome back !
T=1.10
Walk Directions are here: L=1.10




  • Anonymous
    05-Jul-20

    https://www.merlins-cave.com/

  • 06-Jul-20

    Before attending today's walk please read the restart rules. If you are not prepared to share contact information with others in your pod of six, then I regret you will not be permitted to participate in what is a SWC walk. You can walk alone, if you wish, socially distant from SWC walkers, but better still, stay at home.

  • 16-Jul-20

    A case of quality not quantity today. Separating into pods of six was not difficult, given we mustered only 3 for the re-start of SWC mid-week walks. I was expecting 18 plus. Either our regulars were girding their loins in preparation for the Brecon trip, or - and more likely - our Wednesday Renegades were at it again. Request on behalf of all SWC walk posters - the Renegades desist and return to the SWC fold.

    Travelling today was safe and a doddle. Two of us opted to use public transport, some ninety minutes after the end of morning rush hour. We were probably the only fare paying passengers on an otherwise near empty train. Hopefully, even our sanctimonious Anonymous poster would not have been too ashamed at our modest support of Chiltern trains loss making service.

    Back to the walk. Having joined walker No 3 who had driven to Beaconsfield and parked near the railway station, we set off in the clockwise (main) direction, on an overcast dull slightly humid day , which improved a little cum the afternoon. Rain threatened on a few occasions - it might have cleared the muggy air - but it remained dry for the duration of our walk - so no complaints. One of us adopted a more leisurely pace than the remaining two, who were far from fast - we met up at Merlins Cave, where we all enjoyed a pint, and one had a light lunch. The pub managed Covid space distancing very well: there were a good number of diners, all safely distanced apart, and enjoying what looked like excellent meals - good to see this pub's return to form.

    The afternoon leg today was uneventful and enjoyable, for the two of us who set off before our relaxed pace walker. I hope he likewise enjoyed his afternoon.

    Arriving back in Beaconsfield just after the Cape had closed, we opted not to seek an alternative tea stop but to call it a day and return home - me on the train (again, near empty), my companion by car.

    It was good to be back - just a bit of a shame our regulars gave us a wide berth.

  • Anonymous
    17-Jul-20

    I blame the parents.

  • 19-Jul-20

    Just to reassure you Marcus i was on holiday in Swanage and Sandbanks so unable to attend this walk. Will look forward to seeing you in the Balcombe walk next week. Marion

Morning: Reverse of afternoon leg of Book 1, Walk 10 - Beaconsfield Circular
Afternoon: Afternoon leg of SWC 36 - Amersham Circular via Chalfont St Giles

Length: 16 km (10 miles)
Toughness: 4 out of 10

London Marylebone: 09-43 hrs Stratford upon Avon service
Arrive Beaconsfield: 10-12 hrs

Return

Amersham to Marylebone: 09 and 29 past the hour
Amersham to Baker Street: LT underground service - usually 2 or 3 an hour

Rail ticket

Amersham is in LT travel zone 9. Using your travel card buy an off-peak single to Beaconsfield from the edge of your card's zone, then use your travel card for your return journey.

Leave additional time this morning if travelling by u'ground to Marylebone: there can be 15 minute gaps between trains on New Year's Day.


This New Year's Day, as a change from Henley and Cookham, I thought we would give this hybrid walk a go for our NYD Walk North or West.

Leaving Beaconsfield railway station we walk through the town and out onto its golf course, which we traverse before heading for Seer Green and then Jordans villages. We will stop somewhere in the morning to toast in the New Year with some bubbly, as is traditional on these walks. I will bring the basic supplies: perhaps one of the gents could bring along a back-up bottle and some plastic champagne flutes, with the ladies providing some nibbles to enjoy with the shampoo. After this interlude we walk through a Quaker burial ground then walk up a road before we head through woods to the outskirts of the village of Chalfont St Peter. From there we walk along field edges to follow the route of the dried up River Misbourne all the way to Chalfont St Giles - where lunch awaits us at the Merlins Cave. We are expected at 1 pm.

After lunch we switch walks - from reversing Book 1, Walk 10 - Beaconsfield Circular, to SWC 36 - Amersham Circular, which we follow from Chalfont St Doo-dah to Amersham. The route takes us uphill, over some large fields, passing through Hill Farm on the way. In the setting sun we should then descend to Old Amersham, then uphill again on a woodland path to the new town and its railway station for your journey home. Tea can be taken in the old town - Seasons Cafe Deli being popular with SWC walkers, or in the new town at the Beech House bar-restaurant, located some 150 metres up Hill Avenue, the road opposite the railway station.
T=1.10
You will need two sets of Directions. The Beaconsfield Circular Directions are here L=1.10
Using the + - toggle you may close the Main Directions (clockwise) and the Chiltern Open Air Museum option and just print off the Anti- Clockwise Directions which we will be following in the morning.
The Amersham Circular Walk Directions are here






  • Gabriella Palmano
    16-Dec-19

    I shall be bringing sausages, and if I’m feeling generous maybe some chilli chicken wings too. If anyone coming is vegan or vegetarian please let me know and I’ll gladly take along something meat free fir you to munch on.

    Gabriella

  • Anonymous
    29-Dec-19

    Hello. Is the travel card referred to an all-zone card which you buy on the day, or some special OAP card? Not walked in area before. Merci bien.

  • 29-Dec-19

    If you do not possess a travelcard one option for you is to buy a LT all-zone travelcard on the day, plus a single from the edge of the card's zone to Beaconsfield.

    Not an OAP pass !

  • Anonymous
    30-Dec-19

    You can use an Oyster card for both legs of this walk.

  • Anonymous
    30-Dec-19

    Marcus is correct. Beaconsfield isn't within the London Travelcard Zone so you'll also need a single from edge of the travelcard zone to Beaconsfield.

  • 31-Dec-19

    If you are planning to buy a ticket at the ticket office at Marylebone Station I'd advise that you allow plenty of time as the queue can be fairly long and slow moving at times, particularly if you get stuck behind a load of visitors heading to Bicester Shopping Village.

  • 31-Dec-19

    Marcus - I'll bring along a back-up bottle, and a pack of 8 flutes. Bill S

  • 31-Dec-19

    To buy online for collection, get a ticket from West Ruislip which is the zone 6 boundary station

  • Anonymous
    31-Dec-19

    Does our train have to stop at West R, though, which it doesn't?

  • 31-Dec-19

    It does not, no. This rule applies on the rest of the network when using split tickets, but not when buying tickets from London Travelcard boundaries, or equivalent stations.

  • 31-Dec-19

    Thanks Bill, that will be much appreciated.

    Thank you also Gabriella should you bring along some bangers - your sausages went down very well on last year's New Year Day walk when we stopped en route to Cookham - quite delicious, I recall.

  • Anonymous
    31-Dec-19

    Thank you Pete and Walker for card information.

  • 01-Jan-20

    14 on this walk: 11 at the start, two who caught us up, and one who materialised at lunch. One, or possibly more, left us at lunch and walked back to Beaconsfield, where one had parked a car. The weather was grey . Some would like me to add “and mild”, but actually it was pretty chilly in the early morning and I had several layers on all day.

    We stopped for our New Year drinks on the green at Seer Green, where we commandeered the seesaw in the playground to use as a table, an action which earned a fierce glowering rebuke from a kiddie who passed with his father. After the champers, three went on the swings, watched by other parents. The front page of next week’s Seer Green Mercury will doubtless bear the headline “DRUNKEN RAMBLERS IN PLAYGROUND RAMPAGE”

    Thanks to all those who brought food and drink: two bottles of fizz, one of rose and elderflower cordial, a whole box of sausages, “salmon in blankets”, a delicious Hungarian fried cheesy thing, cheese squares, crisps. Really next year we could probably turn this into a picnic lunch.

    In the Quaker burial ground at Jordans there were two snowdrops. Reaching Merlin’s Cave in Chalfont St Giles we admired the architecture and were cheered by the relative lack of diners (well, I was), which seemed to promise quick service. But sadly the place seemed to be suffering from Day after the Night Before-itis. It took a while to get the one waiter to take our order, and the two staff in the kitchen took an hour and a quarter to produce most of the food. Quite a few ordered soup and were told this had to come at the same time as the main meal because that made things easier for the kitchen etc etc, except two of us pleaded and got ours quickly. The other soups then came ahead of the main meals anyway, and when the main meals came the waiter did not know what they were. “Isn’t that the Thai curry?” “I don’t know: it is my first day here.” It would be nice to report that the food was worth the wait, but generally it was not - the soup excepted, apparently.

    We did manage to leave lunch by 3pm, however, and we then walked over the hills across a series of large, but not massively muddy, arable fields (following the route of the proposed HS2 tunnel almost exactly) to get to Old Amersham by dusk. Sadly no tea was to be had here, and New Amersham by the station did not exactly look like party town either. So we went straight to the station, where a fast Marylebone train was pulling into the platform. Two of us had a late tea (including a rather frozen vegan cheesecake) at Patisserie Valerie on Marylebone station (which might do more business if it turned the heating on).

DAC
DAC
CW1 Walk #7 - Garston to St Albans CW1 Walk #10 - Beaconsfield Circular
Length: 19km (11.9 miles).
Toughness 4/10.

Catch the 09:43 train from London Marylebone, arrives Beaconsfield 10:12.

Return: xx:03 xx:36

Note: Proposed Garston to St Albans walk postponed due to RMT industrial action. T=1.10
  • 16-Nov-19

    Just 3 on this walk. We carelessly lost touch with one of our number just before lunch when he (or we) explored an alternative route, though I met him again briefly as we were both leaving Chalfont St Giles after lunch (his taken in the White Horse and mine in the Deli, supplemented by olive focaccia from a bread stall in the small market on the village green). By that time I had parted company with the other member of our group, I having decided at the outset to walk home from Chalfont St Giles to Chorleywood whilst she was planning to continue on to Seer Green and catch the train back to Marylebone from there.

    A fair bit of squelchy mud underfoot, but nothing too onerous. Some decent colour, though a fair few trees had shed there leaves, covering the woodland floor with a fine carpet of gold. Mainly overcast with some sunny spells after lunch.

Book 1 Walk 10 - Beaconsfield Circular

Length: 19 km (11.9 miles) Shortcuts available en route
Toughness: 4 out of 10

London Marylebone: 10-13 hrs Aylesbury service
Arrive Beaconsfield: 10-40 hrs

Return: 15-59, 16-06, 16-28, 16-36, 17-04, 17-10, 17-31, 17-38, 17-59,
18-29, 18-45, 18-58 hrs and so on.


It is some time since this very pleasant walk had a mid-week outing, so let's give it a spin today. The walk might be long(ish) in length but the going is not too demanding and it is easy to maintain a pace of 3 mph without over exerting oneself.
The terrain is varied with woods and open fields and some gentle inclines to keep you awake without subjecting you to the more challenging hills in the northern part of the Chilterns.
Approaching lunchtime you come to the western outskirts of the village of Chalfont St Giles (I must desist from calling it Chalfont St Doodah). Heading downhill towards the village you come to Miltons cottage on your right-hand side. It is well worth a brief visit. Further along you come to your suggested lunch pub, the much improved Merlins Cave. There are other eating establishments and a good deli for picnic provisions in the village - please refer to the Directions.
After lunch you follow the dried-up River Misbourne in a southerly direction over farmland and grassy fields for more than a mile before your way swings west, to soon re-enter woods. You then have a bit of road walking before you arrive at the Friends Meeting House (worth a visit) with its burial ground, which you walk through. Continuing up the road, gently uphill you pass the Mayflower Barn on your right-hand side You then come to the village of Jordans, which has a village store for refreshments. You can end your walk nearby by heading for Seer Green & Jordans railway station. Otherwise, your route takes you over a golf course before you return to the eastern environs of Beaconsfield, Tea options are noted in the Directions.
Today's walk is a clockwise walk. Mid-week walkers who enjoy playing with hand-held gizmos might like to take on today's challenge - following the route in an anti-clockwise direction. I've done this once - it's quite tricky, but enjoyable !
T=1.10
Walk Directions are here L=1.10

  • 30-May-19

    Two came by car, most of us were on the scheduled train, and one joined us at the lunch pub - in total we numbered a baker's dozen 13 .

    As for the weather, it was warm and dry in the morning wet all afternoon . The countryside was green and lush, the route was mud-free, and we observed some wonderful displays of buttercups and oxeye daisies in the meadows after lunch. Lambing also starts later in the south Chilterns - and we encountered some youngsters in the afternoon, always a nice sight. Lunch at Merlins Cave was very good. Five of us dined and everyone else joined us at a large table for drinks. During our enjoyable lunch break the weather had turned, from a gentle drizzle as we approached Chalfont, to light but steady rain, which necessitated the donning of waterproofs for the afternoon leg of our walk. One in our group bade farewell to us as he headed for Chorleywood, leaving the rest of us to negotiate the main walk. No-one complained at the wet weather as we were all aware we needed rain in southern England - and much more than we encountered during our walk. The rain freshened the air and we all enjoyed our walk over meadows and through more woods and finally over a golf course as we approached Beaconsfield. We found a tea shop in the town still open (just - most tea shops bizarrely close at tea time !) and although the staff were none too pleased to accommodate eight damp walkers, they warmed to us as we partook of their excellent cakes, tea and coffee. Methinks our total spend made it worthwhile their staying open for us. The railway station was a few minutes walk away and we had a short wait of fifteen minutes before our train arrived to whisk us back to London. During the journey we enjoyed some good robust banter on Brexit and the Tory candidates for the PM's job, slagging off most of the rum bunch - all good stuff ! - and a good way to end a most enjoyable day's walking in excellent SWC company.

Stargazer
Book 1 Walk 10: Beaconsfield Circular T=1.10

Distance: 11.9 Miles or 19.0 km for those more metrically minded
Difficulty: 4 out of 10
Train: Take the 9:43 AM Stratford-upon-Avon train from London Marylebone, arriving at Beaconsfield at 10:12. Return trains are at 03; 36 and 45 past the hour. Buy a day return to Beaconsfield.
This Book 1 Bucks classic has not been posted for a spell; so thought that it would make a nice Sunday saunter. In addition to the gentle rolling hills of Bucks, the route takes in some interesting bits of history associated with the Quakers and Pennsylvania….You can find more information about the walk and the instructions here.
There are several options for lunch in the village of Chalfont St. Giles with Merlin’s Cave being the recommended venue. There seems to be a few places speckled around Beaconsfield Station for post walk bevvies with Jungs (about 100 meters past the railway bridge) being most promising for tea and the Revolution (passed en route on arrival back into Beaconsfield) for stronger stuff.
Enjoy the walk!
  • Anonymous
    23-Feb-19

    Worried about getting lost if I'm alone. Is anyone doing this walk?

  • Anonymous
    23-Feb-19

    Hoping to!

  • 25-Feb-19

    8 off the train plus 1 latecomer who walked anticlockwise hoping to meet up so 9 altogether.

    Yet another perfect day for walking. warm –and-sunny throughout. For those who like some shade there were long stretches in the morning through woodland where the only people out and about were those on horseback. Otherwise it was just the odd woodpecker that disturbed the tranquillity. At Chalfont St Giles we all picnicked in the sunshine on benches in the green before moving to the chairs outside Merlin’s Cave for some stronger stuff.

    Five minutes into the afternoon walk we met the lone latecomer who failed to persuade us to return to the pub with him. The highlight of the afternoon was the garden of the Friends Meeting House which was particularly peaceful because the house is closed until March. The low point was navigating a diversion on the other side of Beaconsfield golf course where they seem to be building a new road. The shortcutter who took the train from Seer Green may be happy to read this. Once back in Beaconsfield we bumped into the indefatigable latecomer who this time persuaded two to join him in the Revolution pub. Two others preferred Costa coffee and three caught the 17.03 train. You missed a good walk and a lovely day, Stargazer!

DAC
CW1 Walk 10 Beaconsfield circular
Length: 19 km (11.9 miles).
Toughness: 4/10

Catch the 9:45 from London Marylebone arrives Beaconsfield 10:07. Return trains: xx:09 xx:39 until 20:09, 21:09.

Advisable to bring along provisions on the day as a pub lunch can't be guaranteed.


Chiltern Railways Boxing Day service.

T=1.10
  • Anonymous
    25-Dec-17

    I plan to go.

  • Anonymous
    25-Dec-17

    Will be on this walk.

  • Anonymous
    25-Dec-17

    Merry Christmas guys,

    I shall be attending this walk and hope to see some of you at Marylebone. Weather

    cold but dry.

    Monica

  • David
    26-Dec-17

    Just 3 walkers turned up on this cold and sunny day, though we came across an independent walker coincidentally doing the same walk. The fact that a walk can be done at all on Boxing Day, when much of the network is shut down, is thanks to the large number of Asian shoppers who flock to Bicester Village at this time of year, prompting Chiltern Railways to run a half-hourly service throughout the day. The 9.45 train was packed on the way out. The Beaconsfield Circular is a pleasant walk through woodland and fields. My app measured the walk at about 12 miles, taking into account the 750-metre shortcut bypassing the Grade 1 listed Jordans Quaker Centre. This meant that we had to keep on the move, with sunset just before 4 p.m. Parts of the walk were quite muddy. The whole trip, including sandwiches in Chalfont St Giles and a warming hot drink afterwards in Costa coffee was about 5 hours 10 minutes. The route was fairly easy to follow, though GPS came in useful, particularly through woodland. The 3.39 train back to London was early enough to beat many of the shoppers.

Chris L
Chris L
Book 1 Walk 10, Beaconsfield Circular T=1.10
Length: 19.5km (12.1 miles) Toughness: 4/10

10:13 Aylesbury train from Marylebone arriving at Beaconsfield at 10:41.

Return trains are at xx:03, xx:36, and xx:42 (journey time 28 – 33 minutes).

Rolling wooded hills in Buckinghamshire are the main characteristic of this classic Chilterns walk that also encompasses two historical features – the cottage of the poet John Milton, and the hamlet of Jordans with its important Quaker links.

The walk can be shortened by 3.6km by diverting to Seer Green & Jordans station (return trains at xx:06) after passing through Jordans.
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The recommended lunch stop is Merlin’s Cave in Chalfont St Giles (01494 875101). Other options are described in the walk notes.

You will need to take the current edition of TOCW Book 1 or download the Walk Directions.
Book 1 Walk 10 – Beaconsfield Circular
Length: 19.5 km (12.1 miles). Toughness: 4/10

10:15 Bicester North train from Marylebone, arriving Beaconsfield at 10:42.

There are three return trains per hour, at slightly irregular times: typically 03, 36 & 42 minutes past.

It seems odd that this Book 1 walk hasn't had a Sunday posting for over five years, since it benefits from a decent Sunday train service and a very short journey. It's in a landscape of gently rolling Buckinghamshire hills on the southern fringes of the Chilterns, with several interesting features en route: Milton's Cottage, the Quaker Meeting House at Jordans, etc.

There are mixed reports on the walk's Feedback page about the lunch pubs in Chalfont St Giles, but the original suggestion (Merlin's Cave) has been refurbished as a Charles Wells pub and looks well worth a try; you should get there around 12.45pm. A nearby alternative requiring a short detour up Silver Hill is the Fox & Hounds, or you could stop earlier at a pub mentioned en passant in para 27, the White Hart. You might be able to get tea halfway through the afternoon at Jordans, while Jungs gets a favourable mention at the end of the walk, a short distance up the main road past Beaconsfield station.

You'll need to bring Book 1 or print the directions from the TOCW1 Walk 10 page. T=1.10
  • 29-Mar-16

    I have not walked on a Sunday before and am wondering if these walked are well attended. I am interested in joining but would not like to do it on my own. Any comments will be gratefully received.

  • 29-Mar-16

    5-15 walkers is a typical average, but it does vary. Saturday walks tend to get higher attendance than Sunday ones, south of the Thames ones more than north of the Thames, and weather makes a difference (particularly on Sunday, a little less so on Saturday which is our "traditional" walking day). But it absolutely varies. Some walks get 30, some get 2 or 1 or even 0 (very rare, but possible). Sometimes the weather is awful and you get a big group.

    You can see some recent numbers on how many attended each walk here

    http://www.walkingclub.org.uk/swc/recent_walks.shtml

    You have to click on each walk to get the walk post and then scroll down to see the comment, which will usually have a walk report including how many attended. If there is no report, then probably no one turned up.

  • 04-Apr-16

    11 on the walk with the weather fine and sunny to start but clouding over later . Its been years since I last did this walk and although pleasant enough I could not quite work out why it was scheduled as the 10th walk in the original TO timetable as it is far too early for the abundant bluebells in the woods where the trails are inevitably muddy in early March. I much preferred the walk when we hit more open countryside.

    The good news is that the Merlins Cave pub has been completely refurbished and modernised and is now an excellent lunch spot with an attractive outside seating area. Our resident "Sunday roasts" inspector (D Colver esq) gave it a very good rating with one point deducted for the lack of crispness to the roast potatoes. The young and enthusiastic staff served all meals promptly. The excellent village deli is also still open but now has competition from a large "Costas" which has taken over a nearby pub and frankly looks a bit out of place on the corner of the attractive village green.

    The group kept together the whole day and 4 of us had refreshments at a Costas near the station -their regular tea is not bad but the Earl Grey disappointed!

    Finally well done to whoever drew the gpx route for this complex walk. There were a couple of places in the woods where trails veered this way and that and it differed slightly from the instructions but not seriously so.