After a lull, I was able to push into the fourth octant of the circumcardinal walk. The exhilarating climb out of the valley from Hemel Hempstead saw the kph slump below the hoped-for, but then there was a good succession of field-and-forest walking to Sarratt. The drop and climb in and out of the Chess valley (note — the north side of the valley is by far the steeper) completed, the walk from Chenies to Chalfont St Giles via the tip of Chorleywood (that’s the edge thereof, no aspersion on the ambience intended) was more of what had gone before. The Shire Ditch south of Chorleywood (pictured) was a good starter for the final push over Newland Park to Chalfont St Giles.
The Chiltern Hills are quintessentially “good walking”, and when I was passing through, I encountered four instances of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme: two sextets of enthusiastic girls, a group of four surly lads, and two leaders.
Lwalks.London 