Chilterns Cycleway
The Chilterns, Buckinghamshire.
If you've got a week or so to spare, this 170-mile signposted loop takes in the best of the Chilterns – quiet villages, tree-lined backroads, market towns and numerous welcoming pubs. The route follows roads, but only the townier sections experience much in the way of traffic, and you can start and finish pretty much anywhere: gateway towns include Henley-on-Thames, Wallingford, Princes Risborough, Wendover, Tring, Amersham, Harpenden and Berkhamsted. The route is also divided into 23 sections ranging from 4 to 14 miles – each easily doable in a day – plus a handful of weekend-break-friendly two-day itineraries. One of the prettiest stretches is the 7.5 mile section from Parmoor to Henley-on-Thames, taking in the Chilterns Valley Winery and the picture-postcard Hambledon Valley. You can buy a guidebook for the whole route, or download day or weekend route maps from the Chilterns AONB website. Image courtesy of Pollards Hill Cyclists.
