Train out, walk back: The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway
Start: Princes Risborough Station, Station Approach, Princes Risborough, HP27 9DN
Finish: Chinnor Railway Station, Station Road, Chinnor, OX38 4ER
Distance: 6.3 km (3.9 miles)
Elevation change: +73m / -46m. Net = +27m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Risborough Blue Route, The Chiltern Way, Midshires Way, The Ridgeway, Wildlife Walk
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 57
Pubs / Cafes on route: Lions of Bledlow (3.4 km in)
Map: Chiltern Hills North Map | Aylesbury, Berkhamsted & Chesham | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 181
Links: Chinnor and Princes Risborough Historic Railway, Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway, Chinnor, Princes Risborough, Bledlow
The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Historic Railway runs on a section of the old Princes Risborough to Watlington line. I’ve passed by it many times on walks and cycle rides in the area but never taken a trip on the restored section. We decided to take a ride on it to celebrate our friend gaining her British Citizenship as a part of an English-themed summer day out. The guidance below will help you navigate but don’t use it as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide. Always take a map and/or a GPX route and prepare well for the weather and terrain.
The historic railway visitor centre at Chinnor station is the best place to start. The station is lovingly preserved and staffed by volunteers who obviously love what they do. There’s a choice of a steam or diesel powered trip to Princes Risborough. We planned a trip on the steam powered train but it was a hot day after a few dry weeks and they decided not to use the steam engine due to a fire risk.
I loved the trip more than I expected. The old carriages reminded me of when I used to take the train from Maidenhead to London with my Dad when I was growing up in the ‘80s. It was a short distance but took around 30 minutes due to having to stop for the gates to be opened at the various road crossings and a section of track shared with mainline trains. It was great to go at a slower pace to enjoy the experience and see the Chiltern Hills roll by on the right hand side of the train.
The entry ticket includes a return trip to Chinnor but we decided to walk back instead, having a picnic on the way.
The route back
When exiting Princes Risborough Station look out for the footpath opposite the station building before the entrance to the car park. Follow this path south to Picts Lane then take a right to cross the bridge over the railway. Continue along Bledlow Road for 400 metres then take a footpath on the left, following the Risborough Blue Route trail. Take the first path on the right to pick up the Chiltern Way and follow this all the way to the village of Bledlow.
Keep following Church End Road through Bledlow to the Lions of Bledlow Pub, now leaving the Chiltern Way. The Lions is a great old pub to stop for a rest at this half-way point. After the pub take a footpath diagonally across a field in a south-westerly direction. Keep heading in the direction on the track that follows the Midshires Way up the hill to Bledlow Ridge. Here you’ll join the Ridgeway which you’ll follow until it meets Hill Road. Take a right onto Hill Road to follow it in a north-westerly direction back to Chinnor station. There’s no pavement on the first half of this section of Hill Road and a safer route is to follow the edge of The Rec (playing field) to exit onto Hill Road where the pavement starts.
See my post on Cycling The Phoenix Trail and Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway for more on the disused line and the stations along the way.
