(A) Buckland is a small village with the Church having its origins in the 13th century; the existing font dates back to that time. The OAR only skirts the edge of the parish as it passes by Buckland Wharf but the Aylesbury Ring runs right through most of the village from end to end so can be viewed as part of the circular walk.
[1] Cross the London Road to pick up the canal path on the opposite bank and follow it under the A41, then past the steps which go up to Drayton Beauchamp church.
(B) Drayton Beauchamp – its name is derived from the Old English for "farm where sledges are used", and the suffix 'Beauchamp' refers to the ancient manorial family of the parish. The village is intersected by the Icknield Way, a significant prehistoric, long-distance trackway providing a trading route be-tween East Anglia and the Thames Val-ley certainly during the Iron Age and maybe earlier. Its Norman Church was largely rebuilt in the 15th century although the font is 12th century.
Soon after the next bridge good views open up on the left towards Wilstone and its reservoir.
(C) Wilstone Reservoir is one of the four Tring Reservoirs, owned by British Waterways. It was built in 1802 to supply water to the Wendover arm of the Grand Union Canal. It is fed by natural springs and surrounded by ancient marshes, reedswamp and willow carr. In birding circles it is famous as the first nesting site in this country of black-necked grebes in 1918 and of little ringed plovers in 1938.
About 400 metres after you have passed the reservoir the path turns left away from the route of the canal to Little Tring Road. (NB - This canal arm is being restored and when it is fully completed the tow path will continue on so look out for the turn.)
[2] Turn right and after a few yards go through the gap in the hedge on the opposite side of the road to follow the path diagonally across a field between fences towards Tringford Pumping Station. At the end turn left to follow the path around Tringford Reservoir until you reach Tringford Road.
[3] Cross the road on to a path that bears left to go round two sides of Startops End Reservoir. Just after passing the Anglers Retreat public house, which is visible from the reservoir embankment, you will approach a car park. Go down the steps ahead into the car park and turn left to the B489. Turn right towards the bridge over the Grand Union Canal. Note: The White Lion public house beside this bridge was found to be closed and boarded up in September 2013.
(D) Marsworth – its name is of Saxon origin and the church has records dating back to the 9th century. Its position on the Grand Union Canal, close to the Aylesbury & Wendover Arms’ junctions and next to the Tring Reservoirs, which supply the canals’ water, makes it a centre for canal boats, walkers and birdwatchers. It is also known for its wartime aerodrome which flew Wellingtons and later US Flying Fortresses and Liberators. It had an underground bunker frequently visited by Winston Churchill. (Circular Walk 4) crosses the site of the aerodrome. The village is served by buses and has several pubs.
To turn this into a circular walk, at the end of the walk, do not cross the canal. You have two options here.
Alternative Route 1
Turn left along the towpath to where the canal splits, turn left on the Aylesbury Arm of the Grand Union Canal and follow it for about 3 km until it meets the Aylesbury Ring coming in from the right over the Puttenham to Drayton Beauchamp road bridge.
Continue along the canal and at the next canal bridge turn left with the Aylesbury Ring and continue to follow it through Buckland village, turning right down the Marsworth Road to London Road. Turn left then right into Stablebridge Road opposite, past the gates of Green Park the former site of Aston Clinton House another Rothschild house with a secret wartime past and back to the Wendover Arm of the canal making a circular walk of 12.6 km / 7.9miles. (NB - the Aylesbury Ring was diverted along the canal when the Aston Clinton bypass section of the A41 was built so may appear differently on older OS maps.)
Alternative Route 2
Turn right along the towpath passing Marsworth Reservoir then where the canal splits, turn right on the Wendover Arm and follow it to and over Tringford Road bridge then on to Little Tring Road bridge. Cross the bridge and rejoin the path on the other bank and continue to follow the path to a junction of paths to take the right hand path along a field edge back to the canal.
Cross to go down the path opposite to Wilstone Reservoir to join a track turning right then left after the trees end, and go round three sides of the reservoir. On reaching a sign to a hide, take the path to the right and head straight on going diagonally across three fields and kissing gates to the Drayton Beauchamp Road.
Cross the road to the path diagonally opposite marked to the Church and follow it to a lane. Turn right along the lane to a footpath that crosses a field diagonally with the church to the left into a small wood and across the old canal bed. Carry on next to the A41 then down some steps to rejoin the canal and turn right to return to Buckland Wharf making a circular walk of 12.3 km/7.7miles.