# Chiltern Hills

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Range of hills in south-east England

Chiltern Hills Near Nettlebed, Oxfordshire Highest point Peak Haddington Hill Elevation 267 m (876 ft) Dimensions Length 74 km (46 mi) Width 18 km (11 mi) Area 1,700 km2 (660 mi2) Geography Location of the Chiltern Hills AONB in England Location South East of England, East of England Country United Kingdom Counties Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire Range coordinates 51°40′N 0°55′W / 51.667°N 0.917°W / 51.667; -0.917 Geology Rock type chalk downland

The **Chiltern Hills** or **the Chilterns** are a [chalk](/source/Chalk) [escarpment](/source/Escarpment) in [southern England](/source/Southern_England)[1] to the north-west of London, covering 660 mi2 (1,700 km2) across [Oxfordshire](/source/Oxfordshire), [Buckinghamshire](/source/Buckinghamshire), [Hertfordshire](/source/Hertfordshire) and [Bedfordshire](/source/Bedfordshire). The hills stretch 45 miles (72 km) from [Goring-on-Thames](/source/Goring-on-Thames) in the south-west to [Hitchin](/source/Hitchin) in the north-east, and are 12 miles (19 km) at their widest.

In 1964, 322 mi2 (830 km2) - almost half of the Chiltern Hills - were designated by the [Countryside Commission](/source/Countryside_Commission)[2] as an [Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty](/source/Area_of_Outstanding_Natural_Beauty) (AONB) under the powers established by the [National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949](/source/National_Parks_and_Access_to_the_Countryside_Act_1949).[3]

The north-west boundary of the Chilterns is clearly defined by the [escarpment](/source/Escarpment). The [dip slope](/source/Dip_slope) is by definition more gradual and merges with the landscape to the south-east.[4] The south-west endpoint is the [River Thames](/source/River_Thames). The hills decline slowly in prominence in north-east Bedfordshire.[5][6]

## History

[Bottle kiln](/source/Bottle_oven), [Nettlebed](/source/Nettlebed), probably from the late 17th century

Watlington Town Hall

During the [Iron Age](/source/British_Iron_Age), the Chiltern ridge provided a relatively safe and easily navigable route across southern Britain.

The [toponym](/source/Toponym), *Chiltern*, is believed to be [Brittonic](/source/Common_Brittonic) in origin. According to [Eilert Ekwall](/source/Eilert_Ekwall), *Chiltern* is possibly related to the broader ethnic name [*Celt*](/source/Celts) (*Celtæ* in early [Celtic languages](/source/Celtic_languages)); the root *celto-* "high" (and suffix *-erno-*) could provide the origin of *Chiltern*.[7]

Before the 18th century, the population lived dispersed across the largely rural landscape of the Chilterns in remote villages, hamlets, farmsteads, and market towns along the main turnpike routes which coursed through the navigable valleys. The development of canals in the 18th century and railways in the 19th century encouraged settlement and the growth of [High Wycombe](/source/High_Wycombe), [Tring](/source/Tring) and [Luton](/source/Luton). Significant housing and industrial development took place throughout the 20th century.

In 1965, almost half of the Chiltern Hills was designated as an AONB.[8]

## Geology

Chalk visible in ploughed soil at the foot of the Chiltern Hill escarpment near [Shirburn](/source/Shirburn), on the Buckinghamshire/Oxfordshire border

The chalk [escarpment](/source/Escarpment) of the Chiltern Hills overlooks the [Vale of Aylesbury](/source/Aylesbury_Vale) and roughly coincides with the southernmost extent of the [ice sheet](/source/Ice_sheet) during the Anglian [glacial maximum](/source/Glacial_maximum).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The Chilterns are part of a system of chalk [downlands](/source/Downland) throughout eastern and southern England, consisting of rocks of the [Chalk Group](/source/Chalk_Group), formed between 95 and 65 million years ago;[5] it also includes [Salisbury Plain](/source/Salisbury_Plain), [Cranborne Chase](/source/Cranborne_Chase), the [Isle of Wight](/source/Isle_of_Wight) and the [South Downs](/source/South_Downs) in the south. In the north, the chalk formations continue north-eastwards across [Hertfordshire](/source/Hertfordshire), [Norfolk](/source/Norfolk) and the [Lincolnshire Wolds](/source/Lincolnshire_Wolds), finally ending as the [Yorkshire Wolds](/source/Yorkshire_Wolds) in a prominent escarpment, south of the [Vale of Pickering](/source/Vale_of_Pickering).

The beds of the Chalk Group were deposited over the buried north-western margin of the Anglo-Brabant Massif during the [Late Cretaceous](/source/Late_Cretaceous).[9] During this time sources for [siliciclastic](/source/Siliciclastic) sediment had been eliminated owing to the exceptionally high sea level.[10] The formation is thinner through the Chiltern Hills than the chalk strata to the north and south and deposition was [tectonically](/source/Tectonically) controlled, with the [Lilley](/source/Lilley%2C_Hertfordshire) Bottom structure playing a significant role at times.[9] The base of the Chalk Group, like the underlying [Gault Clay](/source/Gault_Clay) and [Upper Greensand](/source/Upper_Greensand), is [diachronous](/source/Diachronous).[10]

During the late stages of the [Alpine Orogeny](/source/Alpine_Orogeny), as the [African Plate](/source/African_Plate) collided with [Eurasian Plate](/source/Eurasian_Plate), [Mesozoic](/source/Mesozoic) extensional structures, such as the [Weald Basin](/source/Weald_Basin) of southern England, underwent [structural inversion](/source/Inversion_(geology)).[9] This phase of deformation tilted the chalk strata to the south-east in the area of the Chiltern Hills. The gently dipping beds of rock were [eroded](/source/Eroded), forming an escarpment.

The chalk [strata](/source/Stratum) are frequently interspersed with layers of [flint](/source/Flint) [nodules](/source/Nodule_(geology)), which apparently replaced chalk and infilled pore spaces early in the [diagenetic](/source/Diagenetic) history. Flint has been mined for millennia from the Chiltern Hills.[11] It was first extracted for fabrication into [flint axes](/source/Flint_axe) in the [Neolithic](/source/Neolithic) period, then for [knapping](/source/Knapping) into [flintlocks](/source/Flintlocks). Nodules are to be seen everywhere in the older houses as a construction material for walls.

## Physical characteristics

### Topography

Viewed from The Ridgeway: eastern [trailhead](/source/Trailhead) on Ivinghoe Beacon

The highest point is 267 metres (876 ft) above sea level at [Haddington Hill](/source/Haddington_Hill), near [Wendover](/source/Wendover) in Buckinghamshire; a stone monument marks the [summit](/source/Summit_(topography)). The nearby [Ivinghoe Beacon](/source/Ivinghoe_Beacon) is a more prominent hill, although its altitude is only 249 metres (817 ft).[12] It is the starting point of the [Icknield Way Path](/source/Icknield_Way_Path) and [the Ridgeway](/source/The_Ridgeway) [long-distance path](/source/Long-distance_path), which follow the line of the Chilterns for many miles to the west, where they merge with the [Wiltshire](/source/Wiltshire) downs and southern [Cotswolds](/source/Cotswolds).

To the east of Ivinghoe Beacon are the [Dunstable Downs](/source/Dunstable_Downs), a steep section of the Chiltern scarp. Near Wendover is [Coombe Hill](/source/Coombe_Hill%2C_Buckinghamshire), 260 metres (850 ft) above sea level. The more gently sloping country – the dip slope – to the south-east of the Chiltern scarp is also generally referred to as part of the Chilterns and contains much [beech](/source/Beech) [woodland](/source/Woodland)[1] and many villages.

Further information: [Ipsden Heath](/source/Ipsden_Heath)

### Landscape and land use

[Enclosed](/source/Enclosure) fields account for almost 66% of the AONB. The next most important, and archetypal, landscape form is [woodland](/source/Woodland), covering 21% of the Chilterns, which is thus one of the most heavily wooded areas in England. Built-up areas (settlements and industry) make up more than 5% of the land area; parks and gardens nearly 4%; open land (commons, heaths and downland) is 2%; and the remaining 2% includes a variety of uses, including communications, military, open land, recreation, utilities and water.[5]

### Rivers

The Chiltern Hills are almost entirely within the [River Thames](/source/River_Thames) [drainage basin](/source/Drainage_basin) and also drain towards several major Thames tributaries, most notably the [Lea](/source/River_Lea), which rises in the eastern Chilterns, the [Colne](/source/River_Colne%2C_Hertfordshire) to the south and the [Thame](/source/River_Thame) to the north and west.

Other rivers arising near the Chilterns include the [Mimram](/source/River_Mimram), the [Ver](/source/River_Ver), the [Gade](/source/River_Gade), the [Bulbourne](/source/River_Bulbourne), the [Chess](/source/River_Chess), the [Misbourne](/source/River_Misbourne) and the [Wye](/source/River_Wye%2C_Buckinghamshire). These are classified as [chalk streams](/source/Chalk_stream), although the Lea is degraded by water from road drains and sewage works.[13] The Thames flows through a gap between the [Berkshire Downs](/source/Berkshire_Downs) and the Chilterns. Portions around [Leighton Buzzard](/source/Leighton_Buzzard) and [Hitchin](/source/Hitchin) are drained by the [Ouzel](/source/River_Ouzel), the [Flit](/source/River_Flit) and the [Hiz](/source/Hiz), all of which ultimately flow into the [River Great Ouse](/source/River_Great_Ouse); the last two via the [Ivel](/source/River_Ivel).

### Transport

Stokenchurch Gap, a [cutting](/source/Cut_(earthmoving)) built to carry the M40 motorway through a section of the Chilterns

Several transport routes pass through the Chilterns in natural or human-made corridors. There are also over 2,000 km (1,200 mi) of public footpaths, including long-distance trackways such as the [Icknield Way](/source/Icknield_Way) and [The Ridgeway](/source/The_Ridgeway).[14]

The [M40 motorway](/source/M40_motorway) passes through the Chilterns in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire sections with a deep cutting through the [Stokenchurch Gap](/source/Stokenchurch_Gap). The [M1 motorway](/source/M1_motorway) crosses the Bedfordshire section near [Luton](/source/Luton). Other major roads include the [A41](/source/A41_road) and the [A413](/source/A413_road).

The [Chiltern Main Line](/source/Chiltern_Main_Line), via [High Wycombe](/source/High_Wycombe_railway_station) and [Princes Risborough](/source/Princes_Risborough_railway_station); the [London to Aylesbury Line](/source/London_to_Aylesbury_Line), via [Amersham](/source/Amersham_railway_station); the [West Coast Main Line](/source/West_Coast_Main_Line), via [Berkhamsted](/source/Berkhamsted_railway_station); and the [Midland Main Line](/source/Midland_Main_Line) all run through the Chiltern Hills. The [Great Western Main Line](/source/Great_Western_Main_Line) and its branches, such as the [Henley](/source/Henley_Branch_Line) and [Marlow](/source/Marlow_Branch_Line) branch lines, link the southern side of the Chilterns with [London Paddington](/source/London_Paddington_railway_station). The [Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway](/source/Chinnor_and_Princes_Risborough_Railway) is a preserved heritage line.

[High Speed 2](/source/High_Speed_2) (HS2) will pass underneath the Chilterns in the [Chiltern Tunnel](/source/Chiltern_Tunnel); the longest under construction on the route will be 16 km (9.9 miles) in length.[15] The Conservation Board was opposed to the routing of HS2 through the Chilterns AONB.[16][17]

Bus services are provided by [Arriva Shires & Essex](/source/Arriva_Shires_%26_Essex) and [Carousel Buses](/source/Carousel_Buses).

Air corridors from [Luton Airport](/source/Luton_Airport) pass over the Chilterns.

Apart from the Thames, there are no navigable rivers. The [Grand Union Canal](/source/Grand_Union_Canal) passes through the Chilterns between [Berkhamsted](/source/Berkhamsted) and [Marsworth](/source/Marsworth), following the course of the [Gade](/source/River_Gade) and [Bulbourne](/source/River_Bulbourne). Also, after crossing a watershed, the [Ouzel](/source/River_Ouzel) is partly in the Chilterns.

## List of towns and villages

- [Aldbury](/source/Aldbury), [Amersham](/source/Amersham), [Apsley](/source/Apsley%2C_Hertfordshire), [Ashridge](/source/Ashridge), [Aston Clinton](/source/Aston_Clinton)

- [Barton-le-Clay](/source/Barton-le-Clay), [Beaconsfield](/source/Beaconsfield), [Bellingdon](/source/Bellingdon), [Berkhamsted](/source/Berkhamsted), [Bledlow Ridge](/source/Bledlow_Ridge), [Bovingdon](/source/Bovingdon), [Bradenham](/source/Bradenham%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Breachwood Green](/source/Breachwood_Green), [Buckland Common](/source/Buckland_Common)

- [Caddington](/source/Caddington), [Chalfont St Giles](/source/Chalfont_St_Giles), [Chalfont St Peter](/source/Chalfont_St_Peter), [Chartridge](/source/Chartridge), [Checkendon](/source/Checkendon), [Cheddington](/source/Cheddington), [Chesham](/source/Chesham), [Chiltern Green](/source/Chiltern_Green), [Chinnor](/source/Chinnor), [Cholesbury](/source/Cholesbury), [Christmas Common](/source/Christmas_Common), [Coleshill](/source/Coleshill%2C_Buckinghamshire)

- [Dagnall](/source/Dagnall), [Downley](/source/Downley), [Dunsmore](/source/Dunsmore%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Dunstable](/source/Dunstable)

- [Edlesborough](/source/Edlesborough), [Ellesborough](/source/Ellesborough)

- [Fawley](/source/Fawley%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Fingest](/source/Fingest), [Flackwell Heath](/source/Flackwell_Heath), [Frieth](/source/Frieth)

- [Gerrards Cross](/source/Gerrards_Cross), [Goring-On-Thames](/source/Goring-On-Thames), [Great Hampden](/source/Great_Hampden), [Great Kingshill](/source/Great_Kingshill), [Great Missenden](/source/Great_Missenden), [Great Offley](/source/Great_Offley)

- [Halton](/source/Halton%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Hambleden](/source/Hambleden), [Harlington](/source/Harlington%2C_Bedfordshire), [Hawridge](/source/Hawridge), [Hazlemere](/source/Hazlemere), [Hemel Hempstead](/source/Hemel_Hempstead), [Henley-on-Thames](/source/Henley-on-Thames), [Hexton](/source/Hexton), [High Wycombe](/source/High_Wycombe), [Hitchin](/source/Hitchin), [Holmer Green](/source/Holmer_Green), [Hughenden](/source/Hughenden_Valley), [Hyde Heath](/source/Hyde_Heath)

- [Ibstone](/source/Ibstone), [Ivinghoe](/source/Ivinghoe), [Jordans](/source/Jordans%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Kensworth](/source/Kensworth)

- [Lacey Green](/source/Lacey_Green%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Lane End](/source/Lane_End%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Latimer](/source/Latimer%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Ley Hill](/source/Ley_Hill), [Lilley](/source/Lilley%2C_Hertfordshire), [Little Chalfont](/source/Little_Chalfont), [Little Gaddesden](/source/Little_Gaddesden), [Little Kingshill](/source/Little_Kingshill), [Little Missenden](/source/Little_Missenden), [Luton](/source/Luton)

- [Markyate](/source/Markyate), [Marlow](/source/Marlow%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Marlow Bottom](/source/Marlow_Bottom), [Medmenham](/source/Medmenham)

- [Naphill](/source/Naphill), [Nettlebed](/source/Nettlebed), [Nuffield](/source/Nuffield%2C_Oxfordshire)

- [Penn](/source/Penn%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Pishill](/source/Pishill), [Pitstone](/source/Pitstone), [Prestwood](/source/Prestwood), [Princes Risborough](/source/Princes_Risborough), [Radnage](/source/Radnage), [Redbourn](/source/Redbourn)

- [Seer Green](/source/Seer_Green), [Sharpenhoe](/source/Sharpenhoe), [Shiplake](/source/Shiplake), [Skirmett](/source/Skirmett), [Southend](/source/Southend%2C_Buckinghamshire), [South Heath](/source/South_Heath), [Speen](/source/Speen%2C_Buckinghamshire), [St Leonards](/source/St_Leonards%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Stokenchurch](/source/Stokenchurch), [Stoke Poges](/source/Stoke_Poges), [Stonor](/source/Stonor), [Streatley (Beds)](/source/Streatley%2C_Bedfordshire), [Studham](/source/Studham)

- [Thame](/source/Thame), [The Lee](/source/The_Lee), [Tring](/source/Tring), [Turville](/source/Turville), [Tylers Green](/source/Tylers_Green)

- [Walter's Ash](/source/Walter's_Ash), [Watlington](/source/Watlington%2C_Oxfordshire), [Wendover](/source/Wendover), [West Wycombe](/source/West_Wycombe), [Whipsnade](/source/Whipsnade), [Whitwell](/source/Whitwell%2C_Hertfordshire), [Wigginton](/source/Wigginton%2C_Hertfordshire), [Winchmore Hill](/source/Winchmore_Hill%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Woodcote](/source/Woodcote).

### Strip parishes

The western edge of the Chilterns is notable for ancient [strip parishes](/source/Strip_parish); these are elongated parishes with villages in the flatter land below the escarpment, with woodland and summer pastures in the higher land:[4]

- Bedfordshire: [Eaton Bray](/source/Eaton_Bray), [Toddington](/source/Toddington%2C_Bedfordshire), [Totternhoe](/source/Totternhoe)

- Berkshire: [Caversham](/source/Caversham%2C_Reading), [Cookham](/source/Cookham), [Hurley](/source/Hurley%2C_Berkshire), [Maidenhead](/source/Maidenhead), [Reading](/source/Reading%2C_Berkshire), [Ruscombe](/source/Ruscombe), [Sonning](/source/Sonning), [Twyford](/source/Twyford%2C_Berkshire), [Wargrave](/source/Wargrave), [Wokingham](/source/Wokingham)

- Buckinghamshire: [Aston Clinton](/source/Aston_Clinton), [Aylesbury](/source/Aylesbury), [Bledlow](/source/Bledlow), [Bourne End](/source/Bourne_End%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Buckland](/source/Buckland%2C_Buckinghamshire), [Drayton Beauchamp](/source/Drayton_Beauchamp), [Great Kimble](/source/Great_Kimble), [Horsenden](/source/Horsenden), [The Lee](/source/The_Lee), [Marsworth](/source/Marsworth), [Monks Risborough](/source/Monks_Risborough), [Pitstone](/source/Pitstone), [Princes Risborough](/source/Princes_Risborough), [Saunderton](/source/Saunderton), [Stoke Mandeville](/source/Stoke_Mandeville), [Weston Turville](/source/Weston_Turville)

- Hertfordshire: [Tring](/source/Tring), [Wigginton](/source/Wigginton%2C_Hertfordshire)

- Oxfordshire: [Aston Rowant](/source/Aston_Rowant), [Checkendon](/source/Checkendon), [Chinnor](/source/Chinnor), [Didcot](/source/Didcot), [Ipsden](/source/Ipsden), [Lewknor](/source/Lewknor), [Mongewell](/source/Mongewell), [Newnham Murren](/source/Newnham_Murren), [Nuffield](/source/Nuffield%2C_Oxfordshire), [Peppard Common](/source/Peppard_Common), [Pyrton](/source/Pyrton), [Shirburn](/source/Shirburn), [Sonning Common](/source/Sonning_Common) [South Stoke](/source/South_Stoke%2C_Oxfordshire), [Wallingford](/source/Wallingford%2C_Oxfordshire), [Watlington](/source/Watlington%2C_Oxfordshire).

## Economic use

Sunley Wood, near Radnage, Buckinghamshire

The hills have been used for their [natural resources](/source/Natural_resources) for [millennia](/source/Millennia). The chalk has been [quarried](/source/Quarried) for the manufacture of cement, and [flint](/source/Flint) for local building material. [Beechwoods](/source/Beech) supplied furniture makers with quality [hardwood](/source/Hardwood). The area was once (and still is to a lesser degree) renowned for its chair-making industry,[1] centred on the towns of [Chesham](/source/Chesham) and High Wycombe; the nickname of [Wycombe Wanderers](/source/Wycombe_Wanderers) football club is the "Chairboys".

Water was and remains a scarce resource in the Chilterns. Historically it was drawn from the [aquifer](/source/Aquifer) via [ponds](/source/Ponds), deep [wells](/source/Water_well), occasional springs or [bournes](/source/Bourne_(stream)) and chalk streams and rivers. The river Chess directly supplies [watercress](/source/Watercress) beds. Today the chalk aquifer is exploited via a network of [pumping stations](/source/Pumping_station) to provide a public supply for domestic consumption, agriculture and business uses, both within and well-beyond the Chilterns area. [Over-exploitation](/source/Over-exploitation) has possibly led to the disappearance of some streams over long periods.[18]

In a region without building stone, local [clay](/source/Clay) provided the raw materials for brick manufacture; timber and [flint](/source/Flint) were also used for construction.

[Mediaeval](/source/Mediaeval) [strip parishes](/source/Strip_parish) reflected the diversity of land from clay [farmland](/source/Arable_land), through wooded slopes to downland. Their boundaries were often drawn to include a section of each type of land, resulting in an irregular county boundary. These have tended to be smoothed out by successive reorganisations.

As people have come to appreciate the open country, the area has become a visitor destination. The [National Trust](/source/National_Trust) has acquired land to preserve its character, for example at [Ashridge](/source/Ashridge), near Tring. In places, with the reduction of sheep [grazing](/source/Grazing), action has been taken to maintain open downland by suppressing the natural growth of [scrub](/source/Scrubland) and [birch](/source/Birch) woodland. In the 1920s and 1930s, the [Youth Hostels Association](/source/Youth_Hostels_Association_(England_%26_Wales)) established several [youth hostels](/source/Youth_hostel) for people visiting the hills.

The hills have been used as a location for telecommunication relay stations such as [Stokenchurch BT Tower](/source/Stokenchurch_BT_Tower) and that at [Zouches Farm](/source/Zouches_Farm).

## Protection

[Vernacular architecture](/source/Vernacular_architecture) of the Chilterns is preserved at the [Chiltern Open Air Museum](/source/Chiltern_Open_Air_Museum)

The Chilterns is an AONB and so enjoys special protection from major developments, which should not take place in such areas except in exceptional circumstances. This protection applies to major development proposals that raise issues of national significance.[19] In 2000, the government confirmed that the landscape qualities of AONBs are equivalent to those of National Parks and that the protection given to both types of area by the [land use planning](/source/Land_use_planning) system should also be equivalent.

### Chilterns Conservation Board

The Chilterns Conservation Board was established by Parliamentary Order in July 2004. It is an independent body comprising 27 members, drawn from the relevant local authorities and from those living in local communities within the AONB.

The Board's purposes are set out in the [Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000](/source/Countryside_and_Rights_of_Way_Act_2000); in summary, these are:[20]

- First, to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the AONB, and increase the understanding and enjoyment by the public of the special qualities of the AONB.

- Second, while taking account of the first purpose, to foster the economic and social wellbeing of local communities within the AONB.

- Third, to publish and promote the implementation of a management plan for the AONB.

In contrast to [National Parks](/source/National_parks_of_England_and_Wales), the Chilterns – as with other AONBs – do not possess their own [planning authority](/source/Planning_permission). The Board has an advisory role on planning and development matters and seeks to influence the actions of local government by commenting upon [planning applications](/source/Planning_permission).[21]

The local authorities (two County Councils, three Unitary Authorities and four District and Borough Councils) are expected to respect the area's status as a designated AONB.

### Heritage

Examples of historical architecture in the Chiltern region are preserved at the [Chiltern Open Air Museum](/source/Chiltern_Open_Air_Museum), near [Chalfont St Giles](/source/Chalfont_St_Giles). This [open-air](/source/Open-air_museum) [folk museum](/source/Folk_museum) contains reconstructed buildings which might otherwise have been destroyed or demolished as a result of redevelopment or road construction.[22][23]

## Chiltern Hundreds

Main article: [Resignation from the British House of Commons](/source/Resignation_from_the_British_House_of_Commons)

The Chilterns include the [Chiltern Hundreds](/source/Chiltern_Hundreds). By established custom, [Members of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament_(United_Kingdom)) (MPs) in the [House of Commons of the United Kingdom](/source/House_of_Commons_of_the_United_Kingdom), who are prohibited from resigning their seats directly, may apply for the [Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds](/source/Stewardship_of_the_Chiltern_Hundreds) as a device to enable their departure from the House.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Principal summits

Hills in The Chilterns National Landscape with more than 30 metres (98 ft) of [topographic prominence](/source/Topographic_prominence) are listed below.[24]

Rank Hill Elevation Prominence Grid reference Parish (county) 1 Wendover Woods 267.5 m (878 ft) 180 m SP890090 Halton (Buckinghamshire) 2 Coombe Hill 260 m (853 ft) 108 m SP849066 Ellesborough (Buckinghamshire) 3 Bald Hill 257.2 m (844 ft) 125 m SU728957 Lewknor (Oxfordshire) 4 Clipper Down 249 m (817 ft) 123 m SP965151 Ivinghoe (Buckinghamshire) 5 Pulpit Hill 248 m (814 ft) 55 m SP831050 Great & Little Kimble cum Marsh (Bucks) 6 Whiteleaf Hill 247.3 m (811 ft) 63 m SP823034 Great & Little Hampden (Bucks) 7 Dunstable Downs 243 m (797 ft) 105 m TL008194 Whipsnade/Kensworth (Bedfordshire) 8 Beacon Hill 230 m (755 ft) 33 m SP835060 Ellesborough (Buckinghamshire) 9 Aldbury Nowers 222 m (728 ft) 42 m SP952136 Aldbury (Hertfordshire) 10 Blow's Down 212 m (696 ft) 48 m TL034214 Caddington (Bedfordshire) 11 Lodge Hill 209 m (686 ft) 45 m SP794000 Bledlow-cum-Saunderton (Bucks) 12 Widdenton Park Hill 200.2 m (657 ft) 30.5 m SU817917 Lane End (Buckinghamshire) 13 Warden Hill 195 m (640 ft) 68 m TL091260 Streatley (Bedfordshire) 14 Telegraph Hill 184 m (604 ft) 45 m TL118288 Lilley (Hertfordshire) 15 Bradenham Hill 182.3 m (598 ft) 48.7 m SU815971 Bledlow-cum-Saunderton (Bucks) 16 Frieth Hill 179 m (587 ft) 36 m SU792906 Hambleden (Buckinghamshire) 17 Slough Hill 171 m (561 ft) 30 m SU808979 Bledlow-cum-Saunderton (Bucks)

The following summits, south of the Thames, are outside the NL but within the Chilterns [NCA](/source/National_Character_Area):

Hill Elevation Prominence OS grid reference Ashley Hill 145 m (476 ft) 107 m SU823810 Bowsey Hill 142 m (466 ft) 55 m SU806802 Fultness Wood Hill 113 m (371 ft) 46 m SU856846

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-EB1911_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-EB1911_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-EB1911_1-2) [Chisholm, Hugh](/source/Hugh_Chisholm), ed. (1911). ["Chiltern Hills"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Chiltern_Hills). *[Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_Eleventh_Edition)*. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 163.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Poore, Duncan; Poore, Judy (1992) [1987]. [*Protected Landscapes in the United Kingdom*](https://books.google.com/books?id=skLwAAAAMAAJ). Countryside Commission Publication, volume 362. Cheltenham: Countryside Commission. p. 39. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780861703241](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780861703241). Retrieved 10 April 2025. Chilterns: Designated 1964 833sq km: Confirmed 1965: Variation confirmed 1990

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Ratcliffe, John; Stubbs, Michael (1996). "Specialist town planning controls". [*Urban Planning And Real Estate Development*](https://books.google.com/books?id=gPqNAgAAQBAJ/). London: The UCL Press. pp. 144, 146. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781135363185](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781135363185). Retrieved 10 April 2025. National Parks are designated by the Countryside Commission in England [...] under powers contained in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. [...] AONBS are also designated by the Countryside Commission [...]. Thirty-nine such AONBS have been designated in England and Wales [...] Examples include the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire and Bodmin Moor in Devon.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-HeppleDoggett_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-HeppleDoggett_4-1) Hepple, Leslie; Doggett, Alison (1971). [*The Chilterns*](https://archive.org/details/chilterns0000hepp). England: Phillimore & Co Ltd. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85033-833-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85033-833-6).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-changelandscape_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-changelandscape_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-changelandscape_5-2) [The Changing Landscape of the Chilterns](http://www.chilternsaonb.org/uploads/files/AboutTheChilterns/HistoricEnvironment/The_Changing_Landscape_of_the_Chilterns.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235434/http://www.chilternsaonb.org/uploads/files/AboutTheChilterns/HistoricEnvironment/The_Changing_Landscape_of_the_Chilterns.pdf) 3 March 2016 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) Chilterns AoNB, Accessed 19 February 2012

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Chiltern Society, [The Chilterns](http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/about-Chilterns.php) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110907035252/http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/about-Chilterns.php) 7 September 2011 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Ekwall](/source/Eilert_Ekwall) (1940). *The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names* (second ed.). Oxford: [Clarendon Press](/source/Clarendon_Press). p. 99. Ekwall cites the forms *Cilternsætna* ([Birch](/source/Walter_de_Gray_Birch)'s *Cartularium Saxonicum*; 297); *Cilternes efes* ([Kemble](/source/John_Mitchell_Kemble)'s *Codex diplomaticus aevi Saxonici*; 715) and *Ciltern* (*[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle](/source/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle)*; text E)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["The Chilterns - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty"](https://www.visitthames.co.uk/listing/the-chilterns-area-of-outstanding-natural-beauty/80852101/). *Visit River Thames*. Retrieved 25 March 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Rawson_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Rawson_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Rawson_9-2) Rawson, P.F. 2006. Cretaceous: sea levels peak as the North Atlantic opens. In: P.J. Brenchley and P.F. Rawson (Eds) The Geology of England and Wales, p.365-393. The Geological Society [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-86239-200-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-86239-200-7)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Anderson_10-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Anderson_10-1) Anderson, R., P.H. Bridges, M.R. Leeder and B.W. Sellwood (Eds) 1979. A Dynamic Stratigraphy of the British Isles: A Study in Crustal Evolution. p. 241. George Allen and Unwin, London. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-412-44510-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-412-44510-7)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Hepple, Leslie (1992). *The Chilterns*. Chichester, Sussex: Phillimore & Co. Ltd. p. 16. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [085033-833-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/085033-833-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Natural England"](https://web.archive.org/web/20111008080536/http://www.naturalareas.naturalengland.org.uk/Science/natural/NA_Details.asp?NA_ID=65&S=&R=6%20Natural%20England). Archived from [the original](http://www.naturalareas.naturalengland.org.uk/Science/natural/NA_Details.asp?NA_ID=65&S=&R=6%20Natural%20England) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Nau B.S., Boon C.R., and Knowles J.P., *Bedfordshire Wildlife*, Castlemead, 1987, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-948555-05-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-948555-05-X), page 71.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-didyouknow_14-0)** [DidYouKnow.pdf](http://www.chilternsaonb.org/uploads/files/AboutTheChilterns)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] Chilterns AoNB, Accessed 19 February 2012

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Chiltern Tunnel"](https://www.hs2.org.uk/building-hs2/tunnels/tunnel-drives/chiltern-tunnel/). *High Speed 2*. Retrieved 4 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [Chilterns Conservation Board – statement objecting to HS2](http://www.chilternsaonb.org/hs2.html), Accessed 12 December 2012

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [Chilerns AoNB website – HS2](http://www.chilternsaonb.org/hs2.html), Accessed 20 February 2012

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** [Chess Valley Association](http://www.riverchessassociation.co.uk/chess-valley-walk.html), Accessed 4 September 2014

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091123063240/http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/147402.pdf) (PDF). Archived from [the original](http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/147402.pdf) (PDF) on 23 November 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** [Chiltern Conservation Board – Our Role](http://www.chilternsaonb.org/conservation-board/our-role.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230404051537/https://www.chilternsaonb.org/conservation-board/our-role.html) 4 April 2023 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), Accessed 10 December 2012

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["The Chilterns AONB – Planning & Development"](https://web.archive.org/web/20230404002541/https://www.chilternsaonb.org/conservation-board/planning-development.html). *Chilternsaonb.org*. Archived from [the original](https://www.chilternsaonb.org/conservation-board/planning-development.html) on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-coam-historic-buildings_22-0)** ["Historic Buildings"](https://coam.org.uk/museum-buckinghamshire/historic-buildings/). *coam.org.uk*. Chiltern Open Air Museum. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210128075733/https://coam.org.uk/museum-buckinghamshire/historic-buildings/) from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Matthews_23-0)** Matthews, Helen; Matthews, Neil (15 February 2019). [*Slow Travel: The Chilterns & the Thames Valley*](https://books.google.com/books?id=u_OJDwAAQBAJ&dq=Chiltern%20Open%20Air%20Museum&pg=PA103). Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 103–104. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-78477-613-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-78477-613-8). Retrieved 27 April 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** ["Marilyn Regions"](http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/MarilynRegions.php?ty=Tu&gp=M39&ct=E). *Hill-bagging.co.uk*. Retrieved 22 June 2020.

## External links

- [Chilterns AONB](https://www.chilternsaonb.org/)

- [Chilterns Conservation Board](http://www.chilternsaonb.org)

- [Chilterns Tourism Network](http://www.visitchilterns.co.uk)

- [A Year in The Chilterns](https://thechilterns.blog)

- [Chiltern Society](http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/)

- [Amersham Guide](https://thebucksguide.co.uk/things-to-do/amersham/)

v t e National Landscapes in England East of England Chilterns Dedham Vale Norfolk Coast Suffolk & Essex Coast & Heaths East Midlands Lincolnshire Wolds North East Northumberland Coast North Pennines North West Arnside and Silverdale Forest of Bowland North Pennines Solway Coast South East Chichester Harbour Chilterns Cotswolds Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs High Weald Isle of Wight Kent Downs North Wessex Downs Surrey Hills Former: East Hampshire1 South Hampshire Coast2 Sussex Downs1 South West Blackdown Hills Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Cornwall Cotswolds Dorset East Devon Isles of Scilly Mendip Hills North Devon Coast North Wessex Downs Quantock Hills South Devon Tamar Valley Wye Valley3 West Midlands Cannock Chase Cotswolds Malvern Hills Shropshire Hills Wye Valley3 Yorkshire and the Humber Forest of Bowland Howardian Hills Lincolnshire Wolds Nidderdale North Pennines 1 Now part of South Downs National Park 2 Now part of New Forest National Park 3 Partly in Wales

v t e High Speed 2 Infrastructure Aston Church Road Overbridge Automated people mover Balsall Common Viaduct Bromford Tunnel Chiltern Tunnel Colne Valley Viaduct Euston Tunnel Marston Box Rail Bridge Northolt Tunnel Rolling stock Small Dean Viaduct Thame Valley Viaduct Turweston Green Bridge Washwood Heath depot Willesden Logistics Hub Wendover Dean Viaduct Places affected Bodymoor Heath Training Ground Calvert Jubilee Chiltern Hills Colne Valley Regional Park Cubbington Woods Curzon Gate Euston Downside Carriage Maintenance Depot Fox and Grapes, Birmingham Jones' Hill Wood Square One Wendover Reception Support Opposition Stop HS2 Stations New/New high speed rail section Birmingham Curzon Street Birmingham Interchange Old Oak Common Manchester Airport High Speed Manchester Piccadilly High Speed London Euston Existing Carlisle Chesterfield Crewe Darlington Edinburgh Waverley Glasgow Central Haymarket Lancaster Leeds Lockerbie Macclesfield Motherwell Oxenholme Lake District Penrith Preston Runcorn Sheffield Stafford Stoke-on-Trent Warrington Bank Quay Wigan North Western York Cancelled East Midlands Hub Heathrow Hub Related high speed projects High Speed 1 High-speed rail in the United Kingdom HS4Air Northern Powerhouse Rail UK Ultraspeed

Authority control databases International VIAF GND Other Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Chiltern Hills](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiltern_Hills) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiltern_Hills?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.