OWEN SIRRMAN’s – GREAT ‘CHILTERN HUNDREDS’ CLIMBS

OUR CHOICES FROM THE WEST LONDON HINTERLAND – THE WONDERFUL CHILTERN HILLS AND JUST BEYOND

Below you will find a map locating hundreds of cycling climbs across the Chilterns area, ‘Fifty Shades of Grade’ for your cycling pleasure. Please note that Maximum Gradients stated are approximations and may be momentary (on bends for example) and you may record variations when riding. Average Gradients and distances are based on Strava segments (linked). Video may not start and finish precisely where the Strava segment starts and finishes.

The ‘Chiltern Hundreds’ were the 3 Hundreds of Desborough, Stoke and Burnham in the days when English Counties were divided into ‘Hundreds’ which were what we might now call ‘districts’. Although the historic Chilterns don’t precisely correlate to today’s ‘Chiltern Hills’, the hills would have mainly fallen within the wider definition of the Chilterns. We have included a few climbs beyond the Chilterns that fall within the area we cover on our rides, such as the excellent Crimp Hill in Old Windsor. These climbs vary in length and gradient and some are more challenging than others, they are there to be enjoyed and if you know where they are (see Strava links) you can incorporate them in your rides. Enjoy!

One interesting non-cycling historical quirk is that the office of Crown Steward and Bailliff of the Chiltern Hundreds (an effectively defunct role) still exists. British MPs are not allowed to resign their seat by virtue of a law passed in 1624, instead they apply to be appointed to one of two posts (of which Crown Steward and Bailliff of the Chiltern Hundreds is one) which, once granted, means they have to vacate their seat in Parliament by law. For example, Tony Blair was appointed Crown Steward and Bailliff of the Chiltern Hundreds in June 2007 in order to vacate his seat in Parliament. Government factsheet here.

CHECK OUT THE CLIMBS FROM OUR INTERACTIVE MAP BELOW: