Coombe Hill Woodland Walk
This gentle circular walk passes mostly through sheltered woodland, from the mysterious coppiced beech of Low Scrubs to the towering beech standards of Linton’s Wood. The final section of the walk takes you up Coombe Hill, with far-reaching views over the Chilterns from its summit.
Total steps: 6
Total steps: 6
Start point
Entrance to Coombe Hill car park, grid ref: SP851062
Step 1
Enter the Low Scrubs woodland on the signed path at the right-hand side of the car park entrance. Continue ahead on the winding path, following the orange marker signs. About 150m from the car park turn right along a crossing sunken path, now leaving the orange marker signs. Continue gently downhill for another 300m, passing an open bracken area on your right. Turn next left and walk uphill on footpath past a wooden marker post; there are occasional yellow arrow markers on some trees. You will come to a wooden fence ahead.
Step 2
Turn right on the path with the fence to your left. After 150m continue ahead when a track joins from your right. You now leave Low Scrubs and enter High Scrubs. Continue in the same direction until you reach the village of Dunsmore. You will come to a road crossing with the Church of the Resurrection diagonally left ahead.
Step 3
Turn right on the road in the direction signed to Kimble and Princes Risborough, passing the pond on your left. Follow the lane downhill to a junction with a no-through road on your left that leads to Dunsmore Old Farm. Cross the road here and join a footpath by a sign that heads diagonally left uphill through Fugsdon Wood. Follow occasional yellow markers on trees. The path levels out and bends right. Now continue in broadly the same direction on the flat, ignoring any crossing paths. The woodland you first pass through is mostly mixed, dense and young but eventually you enter an area with the towering beech trees at Linton’s Wood. You next come to a T-junction of paths.
Step 4
Turn right along the Ridgeway. After about 400m bend left next to a concrete drive (Lodge Hill Game Farm) to meet a road. Cross the road and head back into woodland on an unmarked footpath only about 10m uphill from the drive. The path takes you into Lodge Hill, passing some coppiced beech trees, then bends right uphill. Towards the top and the edge of the woodland bear left to re-join the Ridgeway. Go through a metal kissing gate to enter Coombe Hill.
Step 5
Turn left downhill on the Ridgeway, which soon bends right and starts heading gently uphill, with woodland to your right and the open, steep slopes of Coombe Hill to your left. Back and to your left you will soon be able to see Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country retreat. There are several benches along this section from which you can enjoy wide views of the Oxford Plain and the Chiltern Escarpment. Eventually you come to the Boer War Memorial at the top of Coombe Hill.
Step 6
From the memorial, turn right along the distinctive gravel track, with excellent views to the left over Aylesbury Vale and Wendover. Head for 250m beyond the memorial until the track turns sharply right. Follow this path, keeping the fence to your left. At the end of the path, go through a gate leading onto a lane. Turn left to return to the car park where you started.
End point
Entrance to Coombe Hill car park, grid ref: SP851062
Trail map
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