Chiltern Walks: Marlow Bottom and Hollyhill Wood
The vineyard near Pump Lane
Start & Finish: Marlow Bottom Village Hall, 63 Marlow Bottom, Marlow, SL7 3NA
Distance: 8.6 km (5.3 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 160m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Chiltern Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: Rebellion Tap Yard (1.3 km in), The Three Horseshoes at 2.9 km was shut down when we passed it. There’s several shops near the start.
Map: Chiltern Hills East Map | High Wycombe, Maidenshead & Rickmansworth | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 172
Links: Marlow Bottom, Hollyhill Wood Stupas
This is part of a series of short circular walks in the Chilterns. 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.
For this walk we parked at Marlow Bottom Village Hall near the footpath leading up to into Hunts Wood. This circular route offers a wonderful blend of valley views and tranquil woodland. After Hunts Wood the route climbs steadily toward the north near Handy Cross, passing through a vineyard and crossing The Chiltern Way.
The most interesting part of the hike traverses Hollyhill Wood. Within this section, you'll encounter a truly unexpected and serene site: a series of Tibetan Stupas (also known as *Chortens*). These monuments, appearing as white, domed structures with golden spires, add a unique spiritual dimension to the Buckinghamshire countryside. These stupas were hand-built in the late 1990s by Michael and Tina Choules following a visit to Tibet.
As you loop back, you'll pass through quiet woodland then back into Marlow Bottom with a final climb through Hunts Wood. If you’re tired at the end you can avoid the Hunts Wood section and continue along Marlow Bottom Road to the start.
