Pete's Walks - Aylesbury Ring
Post-walk comments
The Aylesbury ring was much better than I’d imagined it would be. I suspected most of it would be very flat, as it was mainly in the Vale of Aylesbury, and that there wouldn’t be too much variety. I thought it would be similar to the North Bucks Way which was the least enjoyable walk I’ve done so far (although it really wasn’t too bad – I wouldn’t want to put anybody off doing it). In fact the Aylesbury Ring shared the route of the North Bucks Way for a few miles. But those sections near the start of the North Bucks Way were quite pleasant – I actually looked forward to walking the section from Eythrope to Waddesdon again, and it was every bit as enjoyable as I had remembered. Although there wasn’t as much variety on the Aylesbury Ring as on other walks I’ve done (hardly any woodland, for instance, and no sections along rivers apart from a few yards of the river Thame), it wasn’t anywhere near as flat and monotonous as I’d feared.
The section from Wendover along the foot of the Chilterns was very pleasant, with contrasting views of the steep hills on one side and the Vale of Aylesbury on the other. Little Kimble church was a real highlight for any one interested in history. The section from Eythrope to Waddesdon made Day 2 very enjoyable, especially with the splendid views over the lower ground to the north and south. Similarly, the highlight of Day 3 were the views from the hilltop near Weedon, especially looking back south over the Vale of Aylesbury to the Chilterns. Day 4 was a very long day, and if I did the walk again I’d try harder to make the days a bit more even in length. The section along the Wendover Arm of the Grand Union Canal was surprisingly pleasant – I don’t normally enjoy canal towpaths too much.
So overall, I enjoyed walking the Aylesbury Ring much more than I’d expected to. Some sections were flat and a bit monotonous (one flat sheep pasture is much like another!), but there were definitely some sections that I’d happily walk again.
Mediaeval floor tiles in Little Kimble church (Day 1)