Unfortunately, the Gate Pub is fully booked until 17:00 on Sat, so it will be either picnic or the Polecat Inn 45mins later in the walk.

3 on this enjoyable walk cloudy and dry . We stayed together, exploring an alternative route to the pub, which turned out to be doing a wedding in the afternoon, so no lunch time food. We stopped for a drink and ate our sandwiches outside. Obviously some mud, but mostly short stretches. Tea, cake and wine in Matildas whilst waiting for the train home at 1602.

It looks like there is a rail replacement service from Grt Missenden at xx.15 and xx.45 to Amersham. Then transfer to Metropolitan Line to Baker Street/Kings Cross/Aldgate. Anyone else noticed?

Including late arrivals who joined us at the lunch pub, we mustered 22 today, an excellent mid-week turnout for this lovely walk in the Chilterns. The weather started overcast with some sunny spells breezy and very mild , with the forecasted rain arriving bang on time at 16-15 hrs. Following the recent rainy days I was expecting today's walk to be our first muddy walk of the season, but conditions under foot were mostly good with little mud all day.

We enjoyed the morning leg through classic, gentle Chilterns countryside, offering some lovely views. But the leaf colour for the time of year was disappointing: some colour underfoot, but not much on the trees: not sure why.

Nine of us dined at the Gate Inn at Bryants Bottom and we were not disappointed with our lunches; nice food, arriving promptly and served with a smile. Good beer, too ! Two of our sandwichers joined us for a drink in the pub, whilst the other picnickers didn't hang around but set off on the afternoon leg of the walk, not to be seen again by the rest of us. Home for "an early bath", perhaps. The lunchers left the pub in relays, and I was a back marker with one other. We made it to Great Missenden just as the rain began to fall: perfect timing !

Some had tea in Great Miss, others headed home on early trains. I was one of three on the 16-31hrs.

A grand day out.

Re leaf colour: cold nights (or in this case, lack of them) is a key factor, in my opinion.

See

https://nature-and-weather.walkingclub.org.uk/p/october-introduction-to-leaf-fall.html

At Marcus's request, an expanded version of the above comment, which I sent to him privately:

Yes, autumn colour has gone backwards. The reason is simple. A very mild second half to October, in particular with very mild nights. My rule (which works fairly well) is that for autumn colour you have to look for cold nights (down to five or six degrees) and then count ten days after that. We had excellent conditions early in October. After a hot dry summer (which led to sugar build-up in the leaves), we then had some cold nights, and the result was super colour, with lots of anthocyanins (the chemical that produces the redder tints), and some really spectacular colours as a result. But the cold nights did not continue, and those leaves that had turned fell off, and the rest are then green, awaiting the next nudge.

The key thing here is that autumn goes in phases. All along from August to November there is the “slow shed”, which is a few leaves falling off the trees, sometimes falling green. But then you get some cold nights, and that sets more tinting off. But often only some. So yellow flecks on a tree, or patches of tint. Those leaves fall and the rest are green - until the next phase of leaf turning.

Of course eventually - typically in the second or third week of November - seasonality wins out, and all the remaining leaves turn. But if it remains very mild, you can just have a prolonged slow shed. In 2005, I think it was, 30% of leaves were green at the start of December.

Incidentally, there is also an inside/outside effect. The first cold snaps turn the leaves on the exposed outer faces of the trees - individual trees in a a hedgerow, exposed faces of woods. Only in the last phase of leaf fall does it get down to path level - ie the inner leaves in the wood, which are more sheltered from the cold in the earlier phase. So to get the best Chiltern beechwood effect - and timing this is VERY VERY difficult - you need to catch it at this path level phase. Then you walk through the wood and all is golden. But this is only towards the very end of leaf fall.

Ah, the wiles of weather forecasters! Bright and clear dawned the day, with low sunshine fretting the clear blue sky. 23 walkers (“nearly a record for the midweek walks” according to our walk poster) flung off their duvets and eagerly set off for their Chilterns treat.

Alas, when 22 of us (one caught up with us at lunch) alighted at Princes Risborough, the sun had been replaced by grey cloud. By lunchtime it was joined by intermittent rain. So, disappointingly grey and damp .

Nothing daunted (I was a bit daunted, actually) we set off into the beech woods. Certainly not yet at their autumn best, but showing respectable amounts of colour. The same might be said about the mud: some, but more to come.

The walk poster had booked four for lunch at the Gate. We added a reservation for six more and walker number 23 turned up later and ate also. As it turned out, we were the only clientele. Booking first got the four a nice table by the fire, but the six got to order first. The pub is under new management and the food offering seems to be good. I decided on the “light” option of a veggie pasta, having had a hearty breakfast, and was served a portion big enough to feed a village (though they forgot the side salad…)

Refugee sandwichistas came in to have drinks as we ate, alerting us to the rain outside. This nagged on through the afternoon, but in compensation the leaf colours were best on this stretch. I also got to try out my new waterproof jacket.

Arriving in Great Missenden, nine went to the cafe on the corner (not the thingumy museum one, but a normal one) and one to the George, where he drank a pint alone. Most got the 16.21 train, but three of us (two in the cafe and the pub drinker) got the fairly busy 17.26. And so back to the comforting chaos of the big city. .

13 today. A cloudy dry slightly chilly day. Not all that muddy. We too had a patch of sun at lunchtime. The group split into 5,6 and two 1's. Guess who was at the back. The woods were a sight, largely still green but some yellow creeping in. Despite fears to the contrary, there was ample outside seating at the Gate and some stopped off there for lunch or whatever. That’s where I caught up. A quick pint and I left them there to press on ahead – a rare giddy feeling for me.

There was a little bit of drama soon after. A group of cows were blocking the gate into the field up the hill. I had to squeeze through them. They were OK about it, mooed a bit but that’s all. One had a cough. I might have gone up that hill a bit quicker than normal, though.

I was expecting the others to catch me up but never saw them again. I did wonder if the cows ate them. Or perhaps, sensibly, they took a detour.

I got the 15.59 back.

Ian, you were "bolder" than the rest of us when it came to the herd of cows immediately after the lunch pub, blocking the way ahead. Seeing that some young calves were with their mums, the rest of us thought it best to play safe and return to the pub and go back up the path we came down on, to then take the pleasant, woodland high path, to rejoin the main directions just before the property called Hughenden Chase. Fortunately no accidents or harm done today - but it could have been different.

After your scare you made excellent progress on the afternoon leg of the walk, as I was on the train an hour later than you with four others who had stopped for tea in Great Miss. Presumably most of the others were on the 16-29.

The Gate pub looked after us very well at lunchtime, it being just about warm enough for some of our diners to sit at outdoor tables. The food was good and sustained us for the rest of the walk.

An enjoyable day out - and good to report the Chiltern's autumn leaf colour is coming on nicely.

15 on a dry sunny day. Another 2 were spotted walking independently. There was a little mud (well, there would be, wouldn't there) but mostly it was OK with only the occasional mini-quagmire to contend with. A colourful walk, despite a lot of leaves having fallen. Still as pretty as ever. The Gate was fine. Those that ate there seemed to be mainly having pheasant. We could see some on the slope opposite, calling for their friends.

Great Missenden seems to have undergone a renaissance. There are now 3 pubs and 4 teashops on the way to the station. The pubs are the Cross Keys ,The George and what appears to be a new one, the White Lion opposite. In the interests of research, I tried the George. It specialises in real ales and ciders, has a friendly atmosphere, and has been given an olde worlde make over. After sampling the Hobgoblin and Titanic Porter (just halves you understand), that pub has my vote. I didn’t need to try the others. The George also has an 8.4% cider that I foreswore.

As for tearooms, various members of the group were seen sprawled out in Costas and the Stamp (the other two being Matilda’s and the museum café).

Banana brain here managed to take the train on the neighbouring platform, which departed within three minutes of the appointed time. Slight surprise that there seemed to be no other walkers was replaced by greater surprise when Gerrards Cross was announced as the terminus. I therefore followed the walk from Gerrards Cross to Cookham, offering gratitude all the way to be associated with a club that has coverage of the south east large enough to provide instantaneous fall-back options for members as brainless as me.

The Jolly Woodman pub gave a warm welcome and prompt good value food. It deserves more support than it was enjoying.

Whether you think that I should be counted as a sixteenth walker to Great Missenden depends on whether you reckon the tally should recognise those who intended to come and make the effort to get there, or just those who actually showed up.

I don't know. Pillock. Maybe we should give you the benefit of the doubt. Just this once. Don't let it happen again. 16

7 an enjoyable day out, with a post lunch birthday drink in the polecat.

hi guys anyone attending this walk? Hope to see some of you at MYB or PRR station otherwis eits solo for me. Chiltern trains more reliable for me. Weather only very light rain till late morning then dry.

Monica

2 walkers on this walk in initially rainy and windy then bright and dry weather. At the cosy lunch pub "The Gate" one enjoyed a wonderful pheasant dish while the other moved on with her sandwiches. Lots of kites dancing in the air, or they where just looking for food.

Note that there is a reduced train service after 1802 this Saturday.

What are the chances of the trains running on time in morning & evening?

Anyone definitely going?

6 Enjoyable walk through the snow covered countryside. A log fire & friendly welcome at The Gate, but slow service given that it wasn't very busy. Tea at Matildas with the cake rated as excellent and again a friendly welcome, and only 4 minutes from the station. They are also licensed, but we all had tea.

Love the art work!

Sounds good.

Sunday weather forecast is much better than Saturday, this walk will be a big hit as it also offers autumn color but hopefully in sunshine instead

Weather definitely better Sunday.Shall be attending. See you at Marylebone. Monica.

14 on this excellent walk with the weather bright and breezy . Conditions underfoot good but with one or two muddy patches.

A fine walk with some excellent views but not much autumn colour; most of the trees just looking a bit "singed". The Gate is a lovely, cosy pub but here the group split up with the sandwich eaters departing before the "sunday roasters" had been served.

There's quite a tricky bit through Peterley Wood where the drifts of autumn leaves makes the route hard to find. We reached Great Missenden around 3.15 where all except me went to catch a 15. 29 mins train but I went for a drink in the excellent Cross Keys and met up with the others for the 13.59. (the two trains an hour don't start on Sundays until after 4pm! A classic autumn Sunday Chilterns outing.

Pedantic point: this 9.8m walk is rated 5/10 but I found it much tougher than the 13.4m Penshurst circular rated the same and which I did last Sunday. I think our toughness ratings has gone a little awry since the Book 1 days or is this a sign of increasing age! Interesting to hear from anyone who also did both walks.

I agree with Pete B that the Great Miss walk is tougher: three or so demanding hills make for a lively workout. Those who dined in the characterful Gate had a long wait, but the fine quality of the food made up for that. One sub-group had tea/coffee and café in Café Twit. Distinctive and tasty cakes, though the plastic cutlery and recyclable (?) plates suggest a staff canteen adjusting as it undergoes a deep clean. One lady walking with her friend at the rear, had trouble with her back, and I hope she rallied. Great walk in fine company: thanks to the author and editors.

...and cake in Café Twit...

Noting the comments below on the walk's toughness rating, I book checked the walk's directions again yesterday, on a lovely sunny day, with leaf colour in Monkton Wood coming on nicely, and I agree the current rating is a little shy. It should be between 6 and 7, so in all probability I will show it as a 6 in the update on the website.

15 on this walk, including one on an earlier train who we met up with at lunch. It proved to be an inspired pick by our walk poster because the colours in the Chilterns beechwoods were simply stunning - a riot of yellow and gold (see the SWC Facebook page): I have never seen them so good. For the connoisseur there were also golden larches and bright yellow field maple, and quite a lot of golden oaks. Definitely autumn's last gasp I would say.

The weather was quite sunny in the morning but grey later . Nine of us had a cosy lunch by the fire in The Gate. For tea most sailed past the Cafe Twit (where three of us were the only customers) and went to the pub. Quite a few of us were on the 4.59 train.

I've used a different route from Spleen to the pub and from the pub afterwards to continue the walk, reasonably obvious from the map as I think the pub is where the telephone symbol is.

18 on this, plus another 6 walking independently. dry chilly some sun The dreaded m-word was in evidence during today. The monosyllabic slippy m-word, that is. Particularly in the early fields. And touches of ice too. But nothing we couldn’t cope with. Hurricane Barney had seen off most of the the autumn colour. The occasional russet sprig here some gold leaves there and that was it. There were enthusiastic mumblings about the quality of the holly berries but I didn’t notice. The Gate seemed fine. Some sat inside with the roaring fire, I sat outside with the hardnuts. I can’t comment on the food but the beer was OK. After a switchback of an afternoon, we were back in Great Missenden for 3.30. Cafe Twit for most, Cross Keys for me.

A good day and, I think it’s safe to say, an enjoyable one.

Wed 20 May 2015 - Bk1/45 Princes Risborough to Great Missenden. 6 walkers (2 others, walking separately, started at the same time and soon outpaced the 6). Delightful walk on a very pleasant day. Before lunch we went somewhat astray in Monkton Wood, failing to stay close enough to the righthand edge of the wood. A light lunch at The Gate for 4 of us. Tea and excellent cakes at Café Twit. Nature/Agricultural note: many Red Kites, a few Buzzards, plenty of bird song, and a field full of unusual-looking sheep.

6