THE ROYAL OAK, MARLOW
COMMON AND HOMEFIELD WOOD
Challenging Terrain
The Royal Oak is an award-winning
dining pub with an organic interior that
oozes bonhomie, it feels like someone’s
home and it might as well be yours for
the time you’re there. With red kites
soaring overhead, glass in hand and a
menu to savour it’s a world away from
the hustle and bustle of Marlow's
riverside.
A 4 mile fairly strenuous circular pub walk from The Royal
Oak in Bovingdon Green near Marlow in
Buckinghamshire. The walking route explores the
surrounding Chiltern landscape taking in peaceful
sections of woodland, farmland and a long stretch of the
Chiltern Way with plenty of wildlife and historical interest
along the way.
4 miles
Circular
2 hours
Getting there
The Royal Oak is in Bovingdon Green, a small hamlet
located just to the west of Marlow in Buckinghamshire.
From Marlow town centre, take the A4155 towards
Henley. After 300 yards take the right-hand turn (Oxford
Road) signposted to Bovingdon Green, next to the
garage. Go three quarters of a mile and you will find The
Royal Oak on the left-hand side as you come out of the
woods. The car park fills up quickly at peak times. To
make life easier for the pub, please try to arrive in the
morning to complete the walk while the pub is closed,
finishing just in time for a well-earned lunch as the pub
opens.
260415
Approximate post code SL7 2JF.
Walk Sections
Go
Access Notes
1. The route includes several climbs and descents throughout.
2. The paths are unmade and cross farmland and woodland
and so can get very muddy after rain and in the winter
months.
3. You will need to negotiate some kissing gates, V-shaped
squeeze gaps and 5 stiles (all of which have gaps in the
fence surrounds that should be suitable for medium-large
dogs to hop through).
4. You will be sharing a few of the fields with horses and one
of the fields may be holding cattle so take care with dogs.
5. Some of the paths are quite narrow and can get overgrown
in the summer months so shorts are not recommended
(unless you’re immune to nettles and brambles!).
© Copyright iFootpath part of OneToRemember LLP
1
Start to Marlow Common
Leave the pub car park via the vehicle entrance and turn
left along the front of the pub. As you reach the duck
pond ahead, cross over the road with care to join the
narrow path running along the road’s right-hand grass
verge. You are now following part of the Chiltern Way
long distance path, but more about that later...
Follow the road as it swings right and then turn left into
the side road signed to Bovingdon Green. Follow this
narrow lane lined with wooden posts which leads you
through the heart of the village. At the T-junction with
You’ll find this and many more walks at iFootpath.com. All
iFootpath walks are available to download on the iFootpath App,
allowing you to follow your real-time progress on the live satellite
map as you are walking (no more getting lost!). You can also add
your own comments, ratings and photos to each walk. If you
notice any changes required to this walk please contact us at
[email protected]
T H E R O YA L O A K , M A R L O W C O M M O N A N D H O M E F I E L D W O O D
1
Simply keep ahead on the main path which swings left to reach
a crossroads. Keep ahead and then keep ahead again at the
next junction. The path crosses a small glade with a house
visible to the left and, a few paces later, you will reach a fork.
Take the left-hand branch, heading towards an old lamppost
and white gate.
Turn left immediately before the gate to join the tarmac track
with houses on the right, which soon becomes a stone track
through the woodland edge. Continue just until you reach a tall
fingerpost and information board on the left. Turn right here to
leave the common through a wooden gate, signed as a public
footpath. The path leads you downhill between fences, through
the narrow belt of Lord’s Wood, to reach a stile.
houses ahead, turn right and follow this lane which swings left
to become a stone track passing Cherry Tree Barn on the right.
The path passes Cherry Tree Farm, swings right and then
narrows to become a fenced path with horse paddocks each
side.
2
3 Lord's Wood Stile to Arbon
Just a little way along, look for a metal kissing gate on the right,
marking a junction of paths. Fork right through the kissing gate
into the horse paddock and cross the corner of the field to reach
another metal kissing gate. Go through this and cross the
second horse paddock in the same direction to reach the far
right-hand corner. Pass through the v-shaped squeeze gap and
keep ahead on the path through the belt of woodland (which is
awash with bluebells in the spring).
As you emerge from the trees, simply keep ahead along the
narrow fenced footpath and this will lead you to a stone vehicle
track. Keep ahead along this and you will come to a junction
with the road, with the wooden kissing gate at the edge of
Marlow Common directly opposite.
1
Common to Lord's Wood
2 Marlow
Stile
Cross the stile to enter the hillside horse paddock. Walk
diagonally right, heading for the barns visible in the valley
bottom. You will find a stile in the bottom boundary, just to the
left of the barns. Cross this stile and the next one directly ahead
to enter a hillside pasture (which may be holding cattle). Walk
directly ahead, heading uphill along the right-hand boundary of
this large hillside field.
A stile at the top of the field leads you onto a path enclosed
between garden fences, which in turn leads you out to a Tjunction with a quiet lane in Lower Woodend. Turn right along
the road taking care of any occasional traffic. When you come
to a small stone lay-by on the left, turn left through the gap in
the hedge (signed as a public footpath) to enter a large crop
field, with a pond on your right.
Cross this field at about 2 o’clock heading for the clump of trees
which conceal a red brick house, visible just beyond the far
hedge line. As you reach this hedge line, a stile leads you out to
the tarmac access lane for the red brick property, Arbon, just to
your right.
Cross the road and go through the gate to enter the common.
You will see an information board on the left giving you more
details about the site. Marlow Common is one of the many
ancient commons in the Chilterns and, as recently as the 1800s,
was grazing land. At that time it would have been an open area
of grass, heather and scattered shrub with only a few trees.
Since grazing ceased the woodland has developed.
Keep straight ahead on the path leading into the woodland and
at the first crossroads turn right. The path leads you past a
small glade and bench on the left and just a few yards later you
will come to an information board on the right. This sits directly
in front of some of the old clay pits that operated on the
common in the 1820s. The pits and kilns were used to produce
bricks, tiles and quality terracotta ware.
© Copyright iFootpath part of OneToRemember LLP
3
4
Arbon to Chiltern Way
Cross the road and walk straight ahead through the hedge gap
to reach the corner of a crop field. Walk ahead, following the line
of the hedge on the right. After just 50 yards, fork right onto the
signed footpath which leads you between hedges and then
continue ahead along the left-hand edge of this next crop field.
Stay on the field edge path as it swings right and then left and
leads you down to reach a corner of woodland. Fork left here to
join the footpath into Homefield Wood.
Follow the signed public footpath which leads you first steeply
downhill and then steeply back uphill. The path now levels off
and leads you to a crossroads with a grass track. Go straight
T H E R O YA L O A K , M A R L O W C O M M O N A N D H O M E F I E L D W O O D
2
towns.
Follow this pretty fenced path through the valley dip and then
swinging right (past a disused stile) to become a long, straight,
level path running with the valley bottom to the right. Eventually
the path leads you through a gateway to enter Pullingshill
Wood, a section of woodland managed by The Woodland Trust.
Pullingshill Wood has many claims to fame. It is renowned for
the rare First World War practice trenches which were built by
various regiments stationed nearby at Bovingdon Green during
the early years of the war. More recently, it featured in the 1996
film 101 Dalmatians. Although the woods put in a sterling
performance, the weather did not, and snow machines had to
be brought in to give the wintry weather the script called for!
ahead, continuing on the narrow public footpath. Some distance
further you will come to a crossroads with a second grass track,
again keep straight ahead on the narrow winding footpath. The
path leads you past a fenced section of woodland on the left,
which is a nature reserve managed by Berks, Bucks and Oxon
Wildlife Trust.
5
6 Pullingshill Wood to End
Woodland and grassland have existed on this warm slope for at
least 200 years, though forestry work has created many
changes. Today Homefield Wood hosts a pine plantation as well
as mixed broadleaf woodland including some older specimens
of coppiced trees. The diversity of habitat supports a healthy
wildlife population and as a result the area is often thronging
with birdsong. The fenced reserve is made up of beech, ash,
sycamore and whitebeam with glades and open grassland. Wild
orchids flourish in both the woodland and the grassland and
tawny owls can often by heard calling during the day. Fallow,
muntjac and roe deer are also regular visitors to the reserve.
You will come to a T-junction with a stone track, bear left
continuing downhill. At the bottom of the slope you will come to
a T-junction with another stone vehicle track. Turn left along this
and you are once again following the Chiltern Way longdistance path. In fact, this long distance path will be your route
all the way back to The Royal Oak.
4
Way to Pullingshill
5 Chiltern
Wood
Walk directly ahead on the path which leads you fairly steeply
uphill. Once over the brow of the hill, keep left at the fork and
pass between laid tree trunks to reach a crossroads with a quiet
tarmac lane. (NOTE: Just before this lane you will see a
waymarker post. If you wish to visit the World War I trenches
turn right along the path, with the road to the left, and you will
come to the trenches on the right.)
Cross the road and go straight ahead into the next section of
woodland, still following the Chiltern Way. Just a short distance
into the woodland you will come to a waymarker post, turn
RIGHT here. Follow the path winding along with a raised bank
supporting a line of beech trees running on the left. You will
emerge alongside a gap within this bank. Turn left through the
gap and then keep ahead on the woodland path marked with
white arrows on the tree trunks. Further along you will come to
another waymarker post for the Chiltern Way, turn LEFT here
and then at the next junction of paths keep straight ahead.
Further along the path continues with a fence on the left and
then becomes a fenced path between horse paddocks.
Continue ahead passing through one kissing gate and two
squeeze gaps. You may now recognise this stretch of path from
your outward leg. From this point you will be retracing your
steps back to the pub.
The stone track leads past a vehicle barrier and out to a Tjunction with the road. Turn right along the road (taking care of
traffic) and, where the road bends right, turn left to join the
footpath (signed as the Chiltern Way).
The Chiltern Way is a 172 mile circular footpath which was
created by the Chiltern Society as a millennium project. The
meandering route takes in the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty (AONB) and many of the local villages and
© Copyright iFootpath part of OneToRemember LLP
To do this, keep ahead on the path which becomes a track and
leads you back into the centre of Bovingdon Green. At the grass
island, turn left along the lane through the centre of the green.
As you approach the junction with the main road, pass to the
right of the coronation bench, cross over the main road and turn
right along the grass verge path. After just a short distance you
will come to the Royal Oak on the right for some well earned
hospitality.
T H E R O YA L O A K , M A R L O W C O M M O N A N D H O M E F I E L D W O O D
3
Disclaimer
This walking route was walked and checked at the time of writing. We have taken care to make sure all our walks are safe for walkers of a
reasonable level of experience and fitness. However, like all outdoor activities, walking carries a degree of risk and we accept no responsibility for
any loss or damage to personal effects, personal accident, injury or public liability whilst following this walk. We cannot be held responsible for any
inaccuracies that result from changes to the routes that occur over time. Please let us know of any changes to the routes so that we can correct the
information.
Walking Safety
For your safety and comfort we recommend that you take the following with you on your walk: bottled water, snacks, a waterproof jacket,
waterproof/sturdy boots, a woolly hat and fleece (in winter and cold weather), a fully-charged mobile phone, a whistle, a compass and an Ordnance
Survey map of the area. Check the weather forecast before you leave, carry appropriate clothing and do not set out in fog or mist as these
conditions can seriously affect your ability to navigate the route. Take particular care on cliff/mountain paths where steep drops can present a
particular hazard. Some routes include sections along roads – take care to avoid any traffic at these points. Around farmland take care with children
© Copyright iFootpath part of OneToRemember LLP
T H E R O YA L O A K , M A R L O W C O M M O N A N D H O M E F I E L D W O O D
4