Christmas Common and Watlington Hill
This circular walk takes you around the lovely area of Christmas Common in the Chilterns.
The walk starts from the decent sized car park on Hill Road and takes you to Watlington Hill. Here you will find nice woodland paths and an abundance of wildlife. Red Kites are often seen gliding above while the hill is one of the last sanctuaries of the extremely rare silver spotted skipper butterfly. Also look out for rabbits on the attractive chalk grassland and redwings and fieldfares above. The hill commands great views of the Chilterns and the Oxfordshire Plain.
This walk makes use of the Swan's Way and the Oxfordshire Way to take you through some of the countryside and woodland surrounding Watlington Hill and the little village of Christmas Common. There is a nice pub in the village where you can enjoy refreshments at the end of the walk.
To extend your walking in this area of the Chilterns head south along the Oxfordshire Way from the village. You can then link up with our Turville Circular Walk which visits the Warburg Nature Reserve, the 13th century Stonor Park estate and the famous Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Windmill.
Postcode
OX49 5HS - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsChristmas Common and Watlington Hill Ordnance Survey Map 
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Christmas Common and Watlington Hill Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Christmas Common and Watlington Hill OS Map 
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Christmas Common and Watlington Hill Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Explore the Area with Google Street View 
Pubs/Cafes
The Fox and Hounds is an excellent choice for some post walk refreshments. The historic 500-year-old pub is situated on the top of Watlington Hill and is very walker and cyclist friendly. They have a good menu and a very pretty garden area for warmer days. You can find them at postcode OX49 5HL for your sat navs.
Dog Walking
The woodland and country trails surrounding the hamlet are ideal for dog walking. The Fox and Hounds mentioned above is also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
For more walking ideas in the area see the Buckinghamshire Walks and Chilterns Walks pages.
Cycle Routes and Walking Routes Nearby
Photos
The old church, Christmas Common. Church of the Nativity, designed by Walter Cave and built in 1889. In the 20th Century the Diocese of Oxford declared it redundant, and it is now a private home
The Fox and Hounds, Christmas Common
Grassland area. A scrubby meadow amongst the woods that dominate the area. This is the southern flank of a dry valley.
Looking along Watlington Hill
Watlington Hill. View from crest of hill looking northwest with Watlington village in the distance. The land here is owned by the National Trust and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Woodland track on Watlington Hill