Chiltern Way

Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Luton, Oxfordshire

Created by the Chiltern Society as its Millennium Project. The Chiltern Way is a 177 mile perambulation of the National Landscape highlighting the best features of this historic landscape: pretty old villages, downland with extensive views, and the characteristic Chiltern patchwork of woods and fields.

The Way passes through some of the most attractive parts of the Chilterns, including the Bovingdon Plateau, the Chess valley, the Misbourne valley, Penn Country, the Hambleden valley, Stonor Park, Ewelme, Swyncombe Down, Bledlow Ridge, Hampden Country, Bulbourne valley and Dunstable Down.

With the publication of a new Guide in 2023, the northern and southern extensions have been incorporated into the core Chiltern Way, taking the route into new areas. There are further extensions and options: the Berkshire Loop is an extension south of the Thames and there is a 43 mile circuit of the North Chilterns.

Although officially starting at Hemel Hempstead Station, the walk can be started at many other places on the route. The Way also has links with other routes including Chiltern Heritage Trail, Ridgeway National Trail, Icknield Way Path, Oxfordshire, Swan's and South Bucks Ways and Grand Union Canal, Lea Valley and Chess Valley Walks.

The Chiltern Society host a comprehensive website part of which describes the main route and the variations and extensions.

In addition to this main route we describe the Berkshire Loop, North Chiltern Trail, Northern Link and Southern Link as related/variant paths.

(May 2026)

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Details:

Path Type:	Paths Marked on OS mapping
Waymark:	Name in green on white discs
Attributes:	Challenging Downland/Wolds Forest/Woodland River
Start and Finish:	TL043060 - Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
User Group:	Chiltern Society Chiltern Society
Web Sites:	Chiltern Society - Chiltern Way Pete's Walks Blog - Chiltern Way [blog] Pete's Walks Blog - Chiltern Way (2) [blog] Chiltern Way - Tim Bertuchi A walker's journal - The Chiltern Way [blog] Rights of way improvement plan 2020 to 2030 (Buckinghamshire Council)

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Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook	The Chiltern Way, including the Berkshire Loop  (Chiltern Society  - 2023 )
Guidebook	50 hill walks in the Chilterns  (Sigma Press  - 1998 )
Guidebook	50 great walks in the Chilterns  (Chiltern Society  - 2015 )
Guidebook	Walking in the Chilterns : 35 walks in the Chiltern hills : an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty  (Cicerone Press  - 2018 )

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