To Hellfire and back - Wandering west of Wycombe
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4 people waitlisted
Join us for this springtime 9.5mile walk on the outskirts of High Wycombe, with it's mixture of woodland and common land, manor houses and monuments.
We will start in the small village of West Wycombe at the imposing Dashwood Mausoleum, an 18th century monument containing the ashes of the Dashwood family (and weirdly, a friend's heart, until an Australian stole it!). There are far reaching views looking over West Wycombe Park and it's landscaped gardens first curated by Sir Francis Dashwood, now looked after by the National Trust.
We will pass the Hellfire Caves, a quarter of a mile of underground chambers (including a banqueting hall) - another venture by Sir Francis Dashwood to show off what he could do with his money, with the chalk removed from the hillside used to create the main road into High Wycombe. The caves are open until 5.30pm so you may wish to visit after the walk (booking online in advance is recommended - £8.50 for adults, £7 with National Trust membership).
We leave High Wycombe and walk through woodland towards the charming village of Bradenham, with a cricket pitch on the village green. We will then start the uphill route to reach the beech trees (and one oak tree) of Naphill Common.
After a while we will reach Hughenden Manor, another National Trust property, famous for being the country house of former PM Benjamin Disraeli. We'll aim to have lunch on the lawn in front of the house itself, with the opportunity for coffees at the cafe (queues depending).
Afterwards we will go through Hughenden Park and a short stiff climb to the monument to Disraeli overlooking the park. We then make our way through Downley and find the route back to the start at West Wycombe where we can pick a pub to finish with a nice cold drink.
Don't waste that space!
Spring walks get busy so please only book if you know you can make it. If your plans change please free up the space for someone else.
Is it dog friendly?
Dogs are welcome on the walk, but please abide by the Countryside Code (https://tinyurl.com/rlqvp3h). Please also remember not everyone loves dogs as much as you do so please be mindful of other members.
New Members
Please feel free to join this as your first OutdoorLads event. If you have any questions then feel free to message me, or go to the "My First Event" section under "About Us".
Image / photo credits: All images taken by the event leader with permission for ODL use.
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What to bring
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in spring
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
Suggestion to bring a packed lunch and plenty of water with you. There is a cafe at Hughenden where our lunch stop is although this might be busy with National Trust visitors.