19/09/2026
Royal Chiltern’s Way – Worth it?
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Yes. Job done.
For those that like a few more words, here is my review of the new Cycling UK route of the Royal Chiltern’s Way, (RCW), established last year (2025) by Cycling UK.
While looking for a long weekend adventure that didn’t require too much travel, I was delighted to discover Cycling UK have a new off-road route in the neighbourhood, starting a short train ride away in Reading. Cycling UK have published a route guide, complete with historical references and side trails, (such as more technical MTB areas), similar to how they have done for the King Alfred’s Way. However, aside from upping my normal ride length, I went for the (lazy) option of experiencing the route as it came.
The plan was to do the full route over three days, following the GPX as provided by Cycling UK, (now available in the FCCC library). It is split into three loops, South, Central and North. The full route, in three sections, starts in Reading and does half of the South and Central loops in a ‘S’. Secondly around the North loop taking in Dunsfold Downs and Ivinghoe Beacon and finally completing the figure of eight of the Central then South loops - roughly 50-65 miles each with Great Missenden nicely at the split of Central and North loops. This made the plan easy enough to stay the two nights in an inn within Great Missenden. I met four other groups of cyclists doing the RCW and each group had a different plan. Some opted for doing one of the loops, driving out after and doing part of other loops. Some admitted they just got lost, did unplanned pieces of loops and worked out what they were doing the next day by virtue of what part they missed. It makes for a versatile route to suit whatever people wish to do. I’d like to note that I feel I managed keep to a ‘Gold’ standard and never strayed from the line more than 50m, (that’s not being lost to those who may have commented on such tiny detours with me before – you know who you are).
So, what was the ride like? I caught the tail end of summer in early September 2026, so it was dry but no longer baking heat. The route goes through a few big towns - Reading, Henley, Princes Risborough and Marlow were notable – but for the most part it meanders through the Chilterns’ countryside, through small villages. Certainly peaceful but could feel quite lonely at times and more significantly, snack stops didn’t come around conveniently and the lack of fore-planning there on my part meant a few times I was running low on water or oat-based boosts. The tea-room in Ewelme, café at Dunstable Downs were welcome stops on the first and second day but missing a stop in Marlow and Sunday closing meant a long day before I got to the pub in South Stoke.
Each day was about 7-8 hours in the saddle. Quite a bit was on quiet roads with a few main roads, to link the wild parts, as Cycling UK put it. The ‘wild’ parts were bridleways and byways joining in with parts of the Ridgeway, Chiltern’s Way and Icknield Way. The slopes were varied from a short but quite sharp climb out of Marlow to a long slow paved climb in Wendover Woods – another group reported the ascent worth it for the ice cream, but I missed out, sadly. Downhills were equally variable, only one made me wish for my mountain bike rather than the gravel, while on a terrifically long road downhill gave me a taste of schadenfreude past a sportive of 20-odd cyclist going up the other way.
The memorable things for me are often little things rather than grand vistas or swear-inducing climbs. There was the Yorkshire Terrier who bravely yipped his way directly at my front wheel and only realised the potential flaw of his plan, millimetres before I slammed to a stop. Falling off the bike, once while peering at a sign about the HS2 diversion onto a pavement, skinning my knees; another onto soft heather in front of a family camping, skinning my ego. Many groups of pheasants, always convinced that the best strategy is to run away along the path in front. Meeting other groups of cyclists learning their route, where they are from, yet forgetting to exchange names.
Hence if you ever read this, hello to Poole, Manchester and Wokingham – was good to meet and ride for a bit together.
Love Guildford.
