Piddington circular, a lovely walk in the heart of the Chiltern Hills

Last updated on 4 Jul 2022 by Thierry

After checking the weather for the weekend we decided to take our little one for her first day out in Buckinghamshire for a walk in the Chiltern Hills. As we didn’t want to drive too long we chose Piddington, just 2km west of the famous historic village of West Wycombe for a pushchair trial. We have explored the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for the past years and were amazed by the footpaths and tracks through fields and ancient woodlands. As the bluebells season just started we also wanted to get a glimpse of them.

Description of the walk

From meadows to woodlands…

This is a gentle walk through the rural beauty of Chiltern Hills. You will walk close to grazing lands with sheep, cows, horses, llamas, meadows and woodland where you will also be able to see some red kites and pheasants. A great day out for kids and adults. From the end of April till the middle of May blue carpets of bluebells can be spotted in the Bottom Wood nature reserve.

To begin your walk you will have to cross the quite busy A40 Wycombe Road, and pass the little Ham Farm where you could do your first kid-oriented stop with cows and sheep. Especially now, the middle of April is a good time as the cute little lambs born not long ago are carefully doing their first steps, sleeping or just looking for a feed. Following the path, you will see a lot of them on the surrounding hills until you get into Bottom Wood. These ancient 35 acres of woodland date back to before the 1600s. The wood provides a habitat for some 700 species of trees and animals and if you are lucky like us you will meet a few pheasants, partridges or squirrels.

When you leave the woodland continuing straight forward, you will be walking at the bottom of a small valley with the beginning of a hamlet at the very end, Beacon’s Bottom. Some llamas might greet you in the last pasture on your left just before reaching the first buildings. Follow the Water End Road to cross the village and pass through a wooden gate on your left, next to a footpath sign. The gate opens into a copse, with a nice hill on the left perfect for a break.

… And from woodlands to meadows!

The footpath then leads you back to the A40, where the first of the two difficulties of the day will stand in front of you. There are 2 kissing gates to pass, one on each side of the road, too small for pushchairs. You will have either to lift the pushchair above the gates or fold it to pass through.

After the second kissing gate, the path enters East Wood. Continue straight up to a junction with multiple paths. Take the direction on your left going slightly backwards, and you will emerge through a gate into a grassland. Another possibility for a break on a sunny day. At the end of the field, enter the hamlet of Horsleys Green by passing a stile and walking between some houses. Bear right when reaching Bigmore Lane and then left at the nearby fork, and left again at the next street.

The drive crosses a footpath that you need to follow, taking right just after a Royal Mail mailbox. The second and last difficulty of the day lays ahead, steep descent through the wood to a valley bottom. Turn left at the junction of paths. You are now entering Dell’s Wood, another ancient woodland sporting traces of earthworks of a now long-gone 11th-century medieval hamlet. This great wood is another place to see carpets of bluebells if you are walking there at the good time of the year.

Note: if you are doing this walk in summer, from the end of June, you will find some wild raspberries along the path! Bon appétit!

Pass the gate at the end of Dells’ Wood and follow the track ahead. You will pass Fillingdon Farm on your left, home to Art of Africa before joining Chipps Hill. On your left will appear the backyard of the Dashwood Arms, meaning the end of the walk is just a few steps away.

Do you enjoy this walk in the Chiltern Hills?

What do you think about walking around Piddington?
Do you have a similar local walk you would recommend?

Please let us know in the comments so that we can add them on our to do list!