Christmas Common,  710936, 9 ½ miles, Explorer 171, (Christmas Common, Ridgeway, Swyncombe, Cookley Green, Russell’s Water, Pishill, Hollandridge Lane, Christmas Common)

Walk south out of car park to pickup footpath  - this runs between car park wooded area and open fields.

Follow the path south westwards, this leads to the Nettlebed / Watlington road (B480),  ignone fork at edge of field and the later footpath to the right and the track between two fields. On arriving at the road turn right and at 150yds turn left onto the Ridgeway / Swan Way. (There a Permissive Path on the left in the which parallels the Ridgeway).

At the crossroads (about 400yds ) go straight ahead on Ridgeway ( signed ‘Lys Farm House’). Ignore footpath for Britwell Salome and continue ahead crossing  the Britwell road onwards along the Ridgeway. At next junction turn left and stay left through North Farm farmyard. Go forward keeping open field on your right. Follow Ridgeway signs (an acorn) up through Dean Wood / Westerend Shaw ignoring footpath on right. On exiting wood go straight ahead down hill keeping hedgerow on your left.

Go up through kissing gate and  straight across the road towards Swyncombe church , immediately before the church yard turn left towards Swyncombe House. Where the palling fence turns sharply left, turn left into field. Keep the palling fenced enclosure in the field to your left and aim for the gate ahead of you leading into Church Wood. In the wood take the left fork, ignore all tracks and continue ahead, ignore style to road, fork right at bridleway, exit wood onto Swyncombe / Coolkley Green road. Turn right.

At the Green go straight ahead across the green to the bus shelter on the far side of the B480. At the bus shelter turn left and follow road edge of this second green to ‘Cookley House’ - turn left to follow signposted bridleway. Ignore footpath to left continue ahead to fork in bridleway, turn left and climb steeply to road in Russell’s Water. Turn left and follow road to village pond , on far side of pond turn right - ignore fork to left - follow track through small wood. At the edge of the wood continue ahead to farm. Go through farmyard and between barns (arrow on oak tree where path narrows).

Ignore crossing footpath, At junction with second  footpath turn left to pass in front of entrance to Old Vicarage House. Follow road down the hill passed Pishill church to main road - turn right and after 50 m in front of Pishill Farm House turn left. Continue ahead through gate and through valley, on entering the wood keep right to climb hill, at wood edge join footpath going right, at  track turn left. (Alternatively: at  Pishill Farm House turn left and after 20 m turn right over stile (PS6). This will lead to the above mentioned track where you should turn left). Continue along this track ignoring all other tracks and paths until you reach the Christmas Common / Northend road go forward on this road to meet Cookley Green / Stokenchurch road. At fork turn left towards Watlington - the car park is 400yds on left.

If you encounter any problems with this walk please contact Richard or Nick.