Wendover Circular [Complete Guide + Map]

The Wendover Circular is a 27 km hike through the beautiful Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, combining rolling hills, ancient woodlands, picturesque villages and fascinating local history. Starting in the historic market town of Wendover, this scenic route takes you through the charming villages and across some of the Chilterns’ most beautiful countryside. With 27 km to cover and a few hills to tackle along the way, this intermediate hike is a fantastic way to explore the Chilterns and enjoy a proper countryside escape from London. And the best part? It’s all accessible by train, so no car needed!

Logistics for Wendover Circular Walk

Distance: 17.4 miles (28km)
Ascent: 1509 ft (460 m)
Highest Point: 149 ft (240 m)
Walking Estimate: 7hrs 15 min
Difficulty: Intermediate

How to get there:

Train from Marylebone Station to Wendover
The journey takes 50 minutes

For the return:

Train from Wendover to Marylebone Station
This is a circular walk so you can book a day return ticket

What to Pack

Essentials: Plenty of water, energy-rich snacks, a packed lunch and a comfortable daypack. At 27 km, this is a long and physically demanding hike, so make sure you carry enough food and water to keep your energy levels up throughout the day. Facilities are limited along much of the route.
Footwear: Sturdy walking shoes or hiking boots with good grip are strongly recommended. The route includes woodland trails, uneven terrain and potentially muddy paths, particularly after heavy rainfall.
Clothing: Wear comfortable, breathable layers suitable for a long day outdoors. Bring a waterproof jacket, as the weather can change quickly, and consider packing an extra layer for exposed sections of the Chiltern Hills.
Weather & Daylight: Allow plenty of time to complete this strenuous walk, especially during the shorter autumn and winter days. In summer, bring sunscreen, sunglasses and a sun hat, as some sections offer limited shade.

Additional Information

Toilets are available at Wendover Station
There are no public toilets on this walk
There are guest toilets at the villages’ pubs along the route
This is a dog-friendly walk provided your dog is fit enough to handle the 27 km distance and the hilly terrain

Map of the Wendover Circular Walk

Want to do this walk? Simply download the the GPS map for free by clicking on the button below. Learn out to upload the map onto your navigation app by following my step by step guide here.

Wendover Circular Map Download

Highlights of the Wendover walk

Chilterns Hills
Wendover village
Ellesborough village
Hampden House
Great Missenden village

Wendover Circular walk

Start of walk

The Chilterns are a chalk escarpment of 660 square miles (1709km²) stretching from Oxfordshire to Buckinghamshire. The tallest point is Handling Hill (267m). The Chilterns are designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The walk in the Chilterns Hills starts in the market town of Wendover, 35 miles (56km) from London, accessible by train from Marylebone Station (approximately a 45-minute journey).

Ellesborough village

We get straight onto the scenic hills and under the rain that day. We encounter horses and ponies as we walk across the fields towards Ellesborough. We then stop at St Peter & St Paul Church nested at the top of a hill in Ellesborough village.

St Peter & St Paul Church, Elleborough — St Peter and St Paul Church, Ellesborough

Woods and cornfields

After we leave the Church, we then come back down to the fields and walk alongside Whorley Wood and Maple Wood. We enter Chirley Wood and follow the trail to Little Hampden, then we walk across cornfields until we reach Great Hampden.

Hampden

We walk past the Hampden House. This country house was named after the Hampden family who continuously lived on the property until 1938. King Edward III and the Black Prince are said to have stayed at the house. Nowadays, the house is a wedding venue.

Great Missenden

We continue our walk towards Great Missenden and meet some sheep on our way. The affluent village is well known to have been the house of the late Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. He lived there from 1954 until he passed away in 1990.

Back to Wendover

We then start to walk back to Wendover. We pass through Hampdenleaf Wood and the village of Dunsmore before reaching our final destination. Exhausted from this long and challenging walk, we jump on a train back to London.