Marlow - High Rews - Moor Wood - Mundaydean Bottom

02 Jan 05

• Total distance : 6 or 7 miles (of which about 35% is on metalled road. There are lots of opportunities to vary the distance from 3 miles upwards.
• Start point : Anywhere in Marlow. There's usually space in Berwick Road, which is where I started. SU 847871
• Weather : 20% cloud cover, with a cold wind. Temperature at start +8C
• Muddiness rating (=dry, *****=awful) * overall but there's a 200 meter stretch at the northern end of Mundaydean lane which is pretty grotty.
• People passed : One man, who bizarrely asked me if I had a dog. I didn't. Neither did he. One couple on mountain bikes. Minimal traffic.
• Camera: Olympus C5060 digital compact. Images taken before deletions = 62

The north western edge of the Chilterns is typically an abrupt, steep slope but the easterly side, especially towards the south - near us - exhibits a gentler and often more intricate nature. A characteristic feature of this land is a series of meandering dry valleys, often wooded with beech. Best known are those at Hambleden and Stonor, but others are much closer to home. One of the best emerges at Marlow, yet I'm sure 90% of the town's inhabitants have never been along it.

The entrance is along Berwick Road, off Dean Road, and barely 500m from the top of the High Street. Don't worry, you won't end up in Berwick. Although a straightfoward wander along this road - which becomes Mundaydean Lane after half a mile or so - is easy, dry and rewarding, on this occasion I followed a footpath along the edge of fields to High Rews Farm. The absence of any crop reveals the tracks and furrows left by the farmer. By April they'll have vanished under a cloak of barley or wheat.

The track deteriorates, but without getting too difficult. High Rews similarly drops down a class to Highruse, where I met a firm road surface again. There's a road down to Widmere Farm, where a chapel is shown on the OS map, but I couldn't see anything. Instead I took the path down the steep slope to Shillingridge Wood and from there to Bluey's Farm. I don't know who Bluey was but he picked a nice spot for a farm.. It's now been developed into a group of executive homes. Naturally we can all be confident the developer fully briefed the prospective buyers about the Institution for Young Offenders in the woods near their homes.

Bluey's Farm seems a natural point to turn for home, but keep heading north because you're in for a treat. The next mile or so contains one of the prettiest Chiltern valleys around. Few people know this little corner of Bucks, apart from perhaps the glider pilots who are towed overhead from Booker aerodrome (although can you look down from a glider?). The only flaw in this otherwise idyllic little cwm is on the bare eastern side of the valley where there's evidence of the disdain some users of the countryside show for it. Shooters evidently feel entitled to litter the ground with dozens of non-degradable plastic-and-brass cartridge cases. It's a country pursuit so it must be OK.

The area immediately north of here is called Strawberry Grove, but it's unlikely any fruit grow there now apart from the tiny wild ones which ripen in June. The path back to the start is easy to follow, heading through a curious and picturesque little area where it's bordered by coppiced hazels. At Bluey's Farm I retraced my steps, but when the path emerged from the woods at the north end of Mundaydean Lane I simply followed the lane back to Marlow.

A cracking walk with lots of potential for photography - and all about ten minutes from Maidenhead. Just don't tell the natives about it.

Click here for map > MundaydeanMap

Choose another walk > TheWalks

-- RodBird - 08 Jan 2005