Watlington Hill and Park Corner

A 14.5 mile walk today, through the Oxfordshire section of the Chilterns (I may have strayed briefly over the county boundary into Bucks, I’m not sure - but then not knowing which county I’m in is nothing, my friends often wonder what planet I’m on!).

I started at Watlington Hill and followed the road to Christmas Common (almost as delightful a place as the name suggests!). I then went south, down an ancient track and then through College Wood to Pishill. From there a path through fields and then steeply uphill through a wood (where I saw three Fallow Deer) brought me to Maidensgrove. I continued on southwards, heading downhill through trees into the Warburg Nature Reserve (I passed a small meadow full of primroses), where I turned right and followed a bridleway westwards for a few miles to Park Corner.

I continued west for maybe another mile, following part of the Chiltern Way, then followed field paths north and west to meet the Ridgeway near Ewelme Park. I followed the Ridgeway north a short distance, then left it and followed a nice path along the top of the escarpment, overlooking Swyncombe and the Oxfordshire Plain beyond. I heard and then saw a Raven here - I’d heard one in this area about a year ago. I descended through a wood and then across parkland to the 11th century Swyncombe church. Here I joined the Ridgeway again briefly, before turning left and following a path for about a mile over Swyncombe Down.

I descended the steep end of Swyncombe Down, passing several yew trees, and at the bottom turned right on a chalky track. After about a mile, the Ridgeway joined the track from my right, and I continued on the route of this National Trail for just over another mile until it reahed a road just south of Watlington. Here I went right for a short distance, then took a path on the left that took me on a very long but gradual ascent back up Watlington Hill (lots more yew trees here too).

Lots of Red Kites today, and at least one Buzzard. A Jay and a Green Woodpecker too, as well as the Raven I mentioned (only the third I’ve seen in the Chilterns, and my best view of one there). Plenty of wildflowers - many more bluebells than my last walk six days ago, but they are still well short of their best. Lots of Lesser Celandine and Violets, and I saw Wood Anemones again in three or four places (including Watlington Hill).