TRAIL GUIDE 1A

*LEG/SECTION A

START: COOMBE HILL BRIDLEWAY, AT CROSSING BETWEEN WENDOVER GOLF COURSE. NR BUTLERS CROSS TRAVELLING TOWARDS WENDOVER. WENDOVER ROAD

FINISH OF LEG/SECTION A: MISSENDEN ROAD. NR CHEQUERS.

Starting at the bridleway opposite the Wendover golf club, you are confronted by two bridleways. The gateway marks the start of this ride. After a very quick climb the trail curves round to the right, following the perimeter of the golf course (Coombe Hill side). The trail stays fairly flat with just the odd small climb or descent. This should get you warmed up! After following the bridleway around the golf course you reach a series of gateways and a crossroads; to your right is an awfully steep uphill climb to Coombe Hill, on your left a short trail leads you to a driveway and on to the road running to Chequers (B …). This crossroads marks the end of golf course (Coombe Hill side) SEE LEG/SECTION 1B

*LEG SECTION B

START: ROADSIDE AT END OF SECTION 1A, NR CHEQUERS, MISSENDEN ROAD

FINISH OF LEG/SECTION B: BRIDLEWAY CROSSROADS, SOUTH BUCKS WAY

*CONTINUING FROM LEG/SECTION 1A

Dead ahead is the trail you want. This trail includes slightly more uphill. Following this trail will take you further towards Chequers, and you end up on the edge of the road (B….). look directly to your left and you will see a dusty root covered pathway leading you round towards the road marked ‘Dunsmore 1½ miles’. Follow this road for about 15yards and you will see what looks like a lay-by. You should be able to see three green bridleway/footpath signs pointing in towards this ‘lay-by’ type area which is located just behind an old house. Once you reach and enter this area you will see a track running to your left taking you into a field past a small agricultural building – ignore this. To the right of this is a footpath (avoid) and on the rightest most point is a much wider looking bridleway – take this. This trail stays flat for ages and gradually climbs until you reach a crossroads consisting of bridleways. SEE LEG/SECTION 1C

LEG/SECTION 1C

Dead ahead you can see a long climb, don’t take this (see trail 2A for other route), to your left a downhill run takes you back down to the Missenden Road (from Butler’s Cross, nearly at Chequers) On your right hand side you will see another uphill route, take it. A fairly short climb takes you to the end of the footpath from your start point at leg/section 1B (lay-by area, behind house). At the end of this climb you reach the end of the footpath which is land marked not only by the sign but by a huge hole and pile of concrete on the right hand side of the trail that your on. Carry on straight ahead and the trail swerves to the right and then left, and you then enter a great gradual downhill section and then are faced by a great slalom section (ignore all other trails – keep going dead on) that runs until you see a modern flint and brick wall – ride past this down a lane and you are spat back into civilisation at a large horse riding complex and on to a single car-width tarmac road. Taking this road to your left for a couple of miles will send you to Coombe Hill car park. You now have many choices:

LEG/SECTION 1D/2

1. You can go into the car park (on right) and follow the car park and carry on down the very wide ‘spare car park area’ until you reach a t-junction of bridleways. The left hand bridleway descends back to your original start point (golf course – leg/section 1A)
2. Right will take you down the mountain bike/horse Ridgeway trail to Wendover (just before Cricket Club/railway station & bridge over bypass)
3. You can enter Coombe Hill and admire the views and visit monument! You then have other choices – lift bikes over kissing gate on far right of hill (when standing at monument looking towards Aylesbury), or enter the Coombe Hill main gate (at park, dead ahead when travelling back from horse riding depot) and travel straight until the reach the very steep descent that leads you back to leg/section 1B – gates – at golf course)

OS MAP EXPLORER 181

WENDOVER RIDGEWAY TO HALTON AND BEYOND – SEE TRAIL GUIDES 2A ONWARDS.

LEG/SECTION 2A ONWARDS: SEE WENDOVER WOODS SECTION

Coombe hill car park. Over bridge through Wendover to tourist info. Go right see large shop – immediately right narrow road up. Travel past Winterton House OAP home. Carry on get to t-junction. Left up long straight rippled road. Reach houses. Left into ‘horse box’ car park @ Wendover woods trails. Exit way came in. 

START: COOMBE HILL CAR PARK (1) or WENDOVER TOURIST INROMATION OFFICE (2)

1. To start from Coombe Hill car park (or continuing from Trail 1A). You can go into the car park turn right if carrying on from route 1 or if parking at car park start facing toward Wendover. Follow the car park and carry on down the very wide ‘spare car park area’ until you reach a t-junction of bridleways. The right-hand side bridleway is the Ridgeway (A good selection of jumps is situated about half way down). Follow this and you will end up on the Ellesborough Road running into Wendover. A row of terraced houses is dead ahead and you end up a few hundred yards (dead ahead) from the bridge into Wendover (over bypass) the train station and Wendover Cricket Club. Follow the High Street until you reach the Tourist Info office (small clock tower).
2. Now your at the Tourist Info office, pick up any leaflets you may want etc (if its open), and then prepare for a half an hour max ride to Wendover Woods. From the Tourist Info office travel up the Tring Road towards RAF Halton for a couple of yards – you will see the massive clothes store (odd place for it), opposite this store is a narrow road (Hale Road). On the way you pass houses and Winterton House (Nursing Home for Elderly) carry on until you until you pass a row of houses and end up at a t-junction. On your left is a very long straight road (Hale Lane) disappearing up the hill into the vegetation. Follow this road until you pass a couple of houses and end up looking dead ahead at a bar style gate which is an entrance (WWE1) to a special ‘horse box’ car park. Enter hear and several trails a wait.

Specially marked horse and cycle trails (use both) are marked. Behind you and in front are two wide trials – both lead off to many exciting trails. Although Wendover Woods is aimed at Family riders, there is still plenty to still enthral the more experience rider. Amidst the woods are jumps, drops, roll-offs, berms, great downhill ‘race ways’ (be careful not to crash into ramblers, heaven forbid) and challenging climbs. You just have to find them!

"Wendover Woods combined with Aston Hill make for a great all day ride"