Princes Risborough: Discover Trails, Railways and History

Princes Risborough combines the Chilterns landscape with historic trails, a heritage railway and special places connected with the town’s history. Anyone looking for a mix of activity, culture and a railway experience for their holiday will find various opportunities here for eventful days. You can also base your arrival plans and choice of suitable holiday accommodation or a holiday cottage on the activities you have planned.

Experience the landscape: circular walk and Phoenix Trail

A notable experience is the Princes Risborough Circular Ridgeway Walk. The circular walk is 7 miles long and leads through the Chilterns landscape. It follows the Ridgeway and the Chiltern Way, through nature reserves and to historic sites. You should take the distance into account when planning your day. This allows you to decide in advance whether the focus of your trip should be on a longer walk or on several shorter discoveries.

Another way to get to know the landscape is offered by the Phoenix Trail. The traffic-free cycle route runs between Princes Risborough and Thame and combines artworks with views of the Chiltern Hills. This means that different ways of getting around are available side by side: the Circular Ridgeway Walk is a circular walk through landscapes and historic sites, while the Phoenix Trail, as a cycle route, offers its own perspectives on the surrounding area.

Heritage railway and historic vehicles

The Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway is a preserved standard-gauge heritage railway. The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway operates between Chinnor and Risborough and offers train rides with steam and diesel locomotives throughout the year. For your holiday, this can be a good complement to a walk or cycle ride if you would like to plan a day with a technical and historical focus.

Motoring history comes to life at the Kop Hill Climb Festival. More than 400 historic vehicles drive up the hill during the festival; a further 200 vehicles are put on display. The festival site can be reached from Princes Risborough station in 15 minutes on foot, through the town and up to the festival on the hill.

Whiteleaf Hill and local history

In the area around Princes Risborough, Whiteleaf Hill has firm, level paths from the car park to the hilltop. These paths are suitable for most pushchairs, all-terrain buggies and wheelchairs. For families with small children or travellers who need to pay attention to an as-level-as-possible route, this specific feature of the paths is particularly relevant when planning the day. In the same area, the Cross Dyke on Whiteleaf Hill is publicly accessible.

The town’s history can also be discovered at several points. St Mary's Church in Princes Risborough is a medieval and post-medieval parish church. It is open for services on Sunday mornings between 8 am and 1 pm. The Mount is considered the probable site of the Black Prince’s palace in Princes Risborough. Both references give the town’s history different points of emphasis, without implying any particular visiting opportunity outside the stated service times.

Arrival, market and choosing holiday accommodation

For arrival by train, Chiltern Railways offers services from London Marylebone to Aylesbury or Banbury via Princes Risborough. This can be an important consideration when looking for holiday accommodation or a holiday cottage if you would like to base your travel plans around arriving by train. If, on the other hand, you are primarily considering the circular walk, the Phoenix Trail or the festival, you should first decide on your desired activities for each day and then choose the right setting for your stay.

The local character also includes the space beneath the Market House. It is used every Thursday and Saturday by a local Country Market group and a fruit and vegetable vendor. The regular market schedule complements the historic and landscape experiences with an insight into local offerings. This allows you to vary your trip between active days, cultural discoveries and a visit to the Market House.

Compare other places

If you would like to compare other town pages alongside Princes Risborough, you can find Stoke Poges, Wooburn Green, Mursley, Drayton Parslow, Adstock, Marlow, St Leonards and Easington here: Stoke Poges, Wooburn Green, Mursley, Drayton Parslow, Adstock, Marlow, St Leonards, Easington.

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