The Chilterns lies only a few miles to the north west of London and yet it is a beautiful, unspoilt corner of England. The gently rolling hills are swathed in woodland and chalk downland and in quiet valleys attractive villages with their traditional brick and flint cottages nestle around medieval churches.

In 1965 800 square kilometres, stretching from the River Thames near Reading in the south to Hitchin in the north, were designated as the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in recognition that the landscape is amongst the finest in the country. The most dramatic feature of the area is the chalk escarpment, a ridge running south west to north east, which rises up steeply from the Vale of Aylesbury and slopes gently south east towards London. The hills dotted along the ridge, like Coombe Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon to the north, provide dramatic viewpoints along the escarpment and out over the flatter land to the west.

For more information on the Chilterns, promoted walks and downloadable walk leaflets visit Chilterns Area of Outstanding Beauty website.  Author Claire Forrest Chilterns Conservation Board.  Information provided by the  Walkingworld website.