Brush Hill & White Leaf Nature Reserve hike

Before you take on the lovely Brush Hill & White Leaf Nature Reserve, please download a GPS. Some users have reported losing the trail on the way down! And another thing: the first part of the trail is a minor detour, but well worth it for the views.

Cross the road near the car park entrance and go through the metal kissing gate immediately in front of you. Turn right, past the information board on your left, and continue until you reach another kissing gate. Pass through this gate and onto Brush Hill. Take some time to enjoy the views for miles around. There is even a small bench if you have time to stop.

Return to the car park via the same trail and start the next part of the journey from the information board. Take the main trail in front of you until you reach a junction of trails after about 262ft. Turn left here and follow the Ridgeway Trail, clearly signed with a white acorn, for the next 3.0mi. Along the way admire the splendid views from Whiteleaf Nature Reserve and explore the Neolithic barrow on your left.

Turn left when you reach the Plough at Cadsdon Pub, a lovely place to stop and have lunch! Walk past the pub and along the path on the left for about 164ft until you see a clearing in the hedge opposite. Take care crossing the road and resume the trail on the other side. When you reach two wooden gates, choose the gate on the left and continue to follow Ridgeway signs.

After the nature reserve you will pass the Chequers Estate – built in 1565 and the official country residence of Prime Ministers since 1921. The Ridgeway runs alongside its boundary and across its driveway. Keep following signs for the Ridgeway.

When you reach another road, cross carefully and look for the Ridgeway sign on the left. There is also a driveway for Buckmoorend Farm. Walk 50m down the driveway and you will find the small farm shop, a fabulous little place that sells hot and cold drinks, ice cream, snacks, and local produce (open Wednesday – Sunday 10-6).

Pick up the Ridgeway Trail to the left and follow it uphill for about 656ft until you come to a junction of trails. This is where, at just over 3.0mi, we leave the Ridgeway. Turn right, following the sign for South Bucks Way.

Keep to the main trail, which leads uphill to the left and through the woods. Stay on this trail for almost half a mile. Take a left when you reach the fork and continue until you come to a junction of 5 trails. Take the wide grassy trail immediately to your right, and after about 66ft look for the smaller trail on your left marked ‘Public Footpath’. Walk past the stile on the right and stay on this narrow path as it meanders downhill until you reach another fork at the bottom. This is a great viewing area for bluebells in the spring! It is common for people to get lost around this section, so please download a GPS before going.

Take the left fork at the bottom of the hill and then another left when you reach a T-junction shortly afterwards. (These two lefts are in quick succession and are the obvious route, and may be easily missed as it feels like you are just staying on the main path). Stay on this trail, keeping the fields on your right, as it meanders through the woodland, climbs uphill, and eventually levels out until you reach another fork in the trail. Take the trail to the right, in the direction of the white arrow, straight across the field in front of you.The trail skirts around Dirtywood Farm, then up the driveway of Dirtywood Farm to the road. Cross this road and enter the driveway directly opposite for Solinger Farm.

Follow the driveway for 0.5mi, ignoring all other side trails, until you reach the house at the very top. Opposite the house entrance is a stile. Climb over it and follow the trail uphill to the left for about 984ft until you reach another group of trails, continue straight (although looks slight right) for 1214ft until you reach another fork. Take the trail on the right, continue downhill until you come to a wooden barrier. Go through this barrier and turn left at the T-junction. Stay left in 66ft at the next T-junction.

Follow this trail uphill for about 820ft until you reach yet another T-junction. Turn right, and follow the path until you re-converge with the main trail. Stay on this main path until you come to a final T-junction. Turn left, following the sign for the Ridgeway until you reach the car park. Look out for the WWI practice trenches on either side, dug in the winter of 1914 by troops based in nearby Halton.