Long walk August 7th led by Chris Mansfield
Ten walkers met at the Hampden Arms on a mostly cloudy but dry day – perfect walking weather. We set off at 9.30 to walk to Little Hampden via Hampden church then on downhill followed by a steep uphill to reach Cobbler Hill farm where we stopped for a coffee break. Then it was on again, downhill to reach and cross a road then uphill towards Hotley Bottom before turning off to the right across fields and then into peppercorn wood. We left the wood to cross a field to reach another road at Honor End farm then more fields and woodland to reach the road at Hampden Common where we turned right to follow the road back to the Hampden Arms arriving at 12.50pm. A table had been reserved for us and we all enjoyed a drink, lunch and a chat before setting off home. A lovely walk and very varied, the fields rich with waving corn, lots of wild flowers and wonderful views.
Strollers August 12th led by Susan Atkinson
Cancelled due to extremely hot weather
Medium walk August 16th led by David Brown
Great Hampden Circular Walk
Our party of 11 walkers set off on a lovely sunny day at 9.30 am from The Hampden Arms in Great Hampden. Initially we walked through the fields to St Mary Magdalene church and viewed the graves of the aristocratic Hampden family and the Ercolini family (Ercol furniture founders). Also close by was the impressive 17 C Hampden House, ancestral home of the Hampdens and more recently the film location for House of Horror movies. From here we walked north, along the bridle path to reach the ancient Grim’s Ditch, before taking a woodland route to Solinger Farm.
At Solinger we followed a less-walked path, on a Kingsfield Woods ride, to Green Hailey and then, after a short road walk, entered Hillock Wood. Here entered the bridle path towards Parslow’s Hillock, stopping enroute for a mid-morning coffee break.
Suitably refreshed, we continued onto the Pink and Lily pub where we walked past Hillock cottages, the former homes of the last Chiltern bodgers, who worked in the local woods turning chair legs, until the 1950s. We continued our walk down towards Lily Bottom Lane, where we joined another bridle path leading to Redland End. Here we again joined Grim’s Ditch and eventually turned through Barne’s Grove woods before entering the open land of field beans surrounding Park Farm. By now, we were ready for liquid refreshments and lunch, as we traced our steps back past Hampden House, to reach the Hampden Arms at 12.50 pm.