We would meet up with the others, later in the day however the weather was too
good to sit around, so making use of our NT cards again we headed off to
Hughenden Manor, just a few miles away north of High Wycombe.
The website showed a longer walk around the near estate boundary, so after
negotiating the inspection hut (welcome kiosk) on the way up to the carpark
above the house, we were in the right place to start the walk.
The walk actually started at the kiosk, but only climbed to the car park first,
before dropping down into Woodcock wood - the first of many beech woods on this
trip.
After leaving the wood the route cut across farmland with views down to
Hughenden village, and beyond.
Then back into the beech woods - this time Flagmore wood. dropping back down
again - highlighting the undulating nature of his walk.
Climbing back up to the village of Downley coming out of the woods through a
twitten onto a road, crossing and continuing through the village to reach
another twitten and back into woods - Little tinker's wood
The track gently rose through the woods before coming out at the Disraeli
monument, with views across to the main house on the other side of the valley
The vista from the monument
From the monument, we descended down through the woods, to reach a path through pasture fields, and across the road again, before climbing up the lodge track
dropping down the open grass land to the chalk stream in the valley below the main house. This had been dammed to make some larger bodies of water.
The final lap back up to the house past the parish church.
After exploring the formal gardens we returned up the path to the car park and lunch in the van.
