Monks Risborough – Great Missenden Walk

Winter snow, had silently fallen early on Sunday morning, not what I had planned for my first walk of the year. As I started out the skies were bright and clear, and the snow was easy to walk through. I just hoped I was prepared enough for the cold temperatures that I was encountering. I made my way through the small village of Monks Risborough, and onwards passing by a small pub or at least it was once…. “The White Cross”. A short walk had taken me on to Askett village, which was full of old English charm. Thatched roofed cottages laden with snow and just for a fleeting moment it felt like I had walked into a Victorian Christmas card scene. As I turned the corner, I spotted an “operational” pub, “The Three Crowns”. It looked extremely inviting but not good enough to temp me in as it was still quite early.

From 2016 – 17.01.2016 – Monks Risborough – Great Missenden walk

Across the way from the tavern was another beautiful thatched cottage, so I crossed over to really savour the sight when I spotted street name “Letterbox Lane”. However, I could not see a letter box or even a post office, just a strange set of fences set up behind the sign. This was the “Askett Pound”, which had fallen out of use, and not been used since at least the 1920’s. The pound was originally set up by the local manor as a service to the workers so they could reclaim there lost livestock, it seems the change in area use means that the pound is just a local oddity!

From 2016 – 17.01.2016 – Monks Risborough – Great Missenden walk

Just passed the village, I passed by “Whiteleaf Golf Club”, “White” was definitely the correct word for the club today as it was covered in snow. I was now walking up “LongDown Hill”. It seemed a bit opposite a name to me I was walking Up the hill, so perhaps “LongUp” hill would have been better LOL. As I walked on, I soon across “The Ridgeway” walk, although it would have liked to take the route, I was unprepared for cross country walking! Something worth attempting at another time! Just further down, I found yet another pub, “The Plough”. It seemed an odd place for it to be particularly as there was no particular village life surrounding it. The pub dates back to C16th when it was an Coaching Inn, on the London run and it is noted to be one of the oldest pubs in the Chilterns. As the road continued uphill, the tree branches hang thickly above road, snow often tumbled down and directly falling on to me!

From 2016 – 17.01.2016 – Monks Risborough – Great Missenden walk

I passed by “Pulpit Wood”, I am still unsure the wood derives it name. Although I can almost imagine that these woods were used for creating wooden church pulpits – who knows? Past the woods, was the “Icknield Way” riders route and sure enough, I spotted a beautiful horse trying to find some green grass amongst all the snow! It was here that I started the descent of “Longdown hill”, where its name was much more appropriate! Once I had reached the bottom of the hill the area became more open. I came across the most interesting name “Cobbershill” – something I am sure I will discover another time, but it was opposite here I saw the “Little Hampden Forge”. This small smithy is one of the oldest working forge in the country, the cottage dates back to the C17th and was another staging post on the “London Run”. Today it houses some beautiful ironwork, but sadly it was not open to look at.

From 2016 – 17.01.2016 – Monks Risborough – Great Missenden walk

Unfortunately as I trekked onwards I had grown much colder, probably due to the snow that had fallen on me. I found that I walked the next section extremely quickly to keep warm! I even found it too difficult to taken any more photos. I finally reached Great Missenden, where I decided to abandon the rest of the walk as it was too cold for me to continue, certainly teach me to buy some adequate walking gear! All the photos from my walk are accessible from the photo below –

2016 – 17.01.2016 – Monks Risborough – Great Missenden walk

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