Chinnor Quarry Circular Walk
This village in South Oxfordshire is in a fine location for walkers with hill climbs and large areas of woodland right next to the settlement. The local Chinnor Quarries are also a popular place for walkers with significant geological interest to be found here. The site is private but there is a public footpath running past the quarries.
Several long distance trails also pass through the area including the Ridgeway National Trail. You can use these trails to explore the surrounding countryside of the Chilterns.
This circular walk from the town uses a section of The Ridgeway and other public footpaths to visit some of the countryside, woods and hills to the south east of the town. On the way you'll climb to Hempton Wainhill for some fine views over the area. You'll then head to the Chinnor Hill Nature Reserve where there's interesting flora and fauna and views back down to the town. Near here the paths pass through the Oakley Hill nature reserve where you can look out for a range of butterflies around the reserve's chalk downland and beech woodland.
The route then returns along the Chinnor Quarries which are a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The site has yielded many fossils of ammonites from the Lower and Middle Chalk present.
You can start the walk from just north of the train station where a footpath meets with the Ridgeway.
Chinnor Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Chinnor Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Chinnor OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Chinnor Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Pubs/Cafes
The Cambrian Tea Room is located at Chinnor railway station in an old railway carriage. It's a nice place to go for some refreshments after your walk.
For a pub lunch head to The Wheatsheaf. This Southern African themed pub does great food and has a lovely garden area for finer days. You can find it on Oakley Road with a postcode of OX39 4HX for your sat navs.
Dog Walking
The woodland trails on the route are ideal for dog walking so you'll probably see other owners on your walk. The Chinnor Railway and The Wheatsheaf pub mentioned above are also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
The heritage Chinnor Railway runs from the village to nearby Princes Risborough. There's some lovely country views to enjoy as you travel along on the old steam train.
The Icknield Way Path runs past the village. You could pick up this popular long distance trail and follow it north east to visit the neighbouring town of
Princes Risborough.
The market town of Thame is located just a few miles north west. In this area you can also visit the worthy village of Long Crendon. Here you'll find a number of medieval timber framed properties including Long Crendon Courthouse which dates to the 15th century and is run by the National Trust. From the village there is also a pleasant footpath to the remains of Notley Abbey, an Augustinian abbey founded in the 12th century and located in a scenic spot by the River Thame.
The circular Bledlow Ridge Walk visits the hill from the neighbouring village. It's an attractive settlement which includes a fine old pub and the Yoesden Wood Nature Reserve where there's some interesting flora and fauna to observe.
The circular walk from the neighbouring village of Stokenchurch visits the quarry and the Aston Rowant Nature Reserve. The reserve lies just to the south of the village and has some lovely woodland trails with wildlife such as the rare red kite to see.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Chilterns Walks and Oxfordshire Walks pages.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
Chinnor from Chinnor Hill
Wain Hill and Chinnor beyond from Kopp Hill on the Ridgeway. The quarry site is predominantly made up of calcareous grassland, which supports a variety of wildflowers, particularly in the warmer months. You’ll find common species like cowslips, buttercups, and knapweed, as well as rarer plants such as orchids. The quarry's edges, with their rocky surfaces, provide an ideal environment for mosses and lichens to thrive.
Chinnor: Wain Hill. This large arable field extends up to the Chilterns with Wain Hill the distant high area. Birdlife in the area is abundant, with species such as kestrels, buzzards, and barn owls frequently spotted hunting in the area. Smaller birds, including robins, finches, and sparrows, are common in the hedgerows and wooded areas surrounding the site. The surrounding woodland and grassy areas also support a variety of insects, including butterflies like the common blue and marbled white, which flit among the wildflowers. Mammals such as rabbits, foxes, and hedgehogs are also present, though they tend to be more elusive. The surrounding habitat provides a rich feeding ground for bats, and during the evening, you might spot them hunting for insects around the quarry's edge.
Footpath to Lower Wainhill
Chinnor Hill
Oakley Hill nature reserve. Oakley Hill is a remnant of chalk downland and beech woodland above one of the quarries of the former Chinnor Cement Works. Scrub clearance and controlled grazing by livestock have maintained and improved the grassland, and many chalkland flowers and butterflies abound here in the summer. The reserve is managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.
Railway carriage serving as a café at Chinnor railway station.
Pastures, Chinnor Cattle, graze in a small dry valley between Hedgerley Wood to the left and an unnamed copse to the right.