Fancy a walk in the Chilterns this bank holiday weekend?

The Chiltern Society has produced a new walking book, 50 Great Walks in the Chilterns, as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.

The book comprises favourite walks from Society volunteers and includes circular walks of varying length split into three geographical areas throughout the entire Chilterns area from south Oxfordshire to north Herts.

Compiler Andrew Clark, who headed a team of volunteers to produce the book, said: ”It is a real celebration of the wonderful walking country to be found in the Chiltern Hills. Every week people and families turn out in huge numbers to visit its glorious countryside to enjoy either a pleasant stroll or a serious walk.

“The Chiltern Society has been organising walks for nearly all of its 50 year existence so it was only appropriate that we should produce another walking book to mark our Golden Jubilee. We asked our members and volunteers to tell us their favourite walks in the Chilterns and this book is the result.

“The walks suit all occasions -there are family walks, pub walks, longer distance walks and riverside walks – and all are on public rights of way or open access land. Each contains fascinating detail of the area you are walking through and they are illustrated with lovely photographs, many taken by the Society’s own photo group members.

“It has taken over one thousand hours of walking and research to finalise the book, but it has been a labour of love.”

The book comes 15 years after the Society established The Chiltern Way, a 130 mile long distance path, which has since had a number of extensions added to it. Society members are also part of the Ridgeway Partnership, helping to maintain and promote the Ridgeway long distance trail which runs through the Chilterns.

50 Great Walks in the Chilterns is available via the Chiltern Society website, www.chilternsociety.org and through local bookshops priced £14.95. The walks can also be downloaded via the viewranger website, www.viewranger.com