In the footsteps of Ian McEwan's "Enduring Love"

I had always wanted to follow the walk described in the first chapter of Enduring Love, and to find the location of the balloon accident. There are a few hints in the description of the walk, but I had to spend some time working out what I thought would be the right way.

I parked the car at 10am to the promise of a sunny day. The first part of the walk is fairly straightforward. From Christmas Common I walked through Queen Wood and followed Hollandridge Lane.

Turning right at Hollandridge Farm, the path arrives at beautiful open fields before going into College Wood.

The book describes going west in the wood and this probably meant a detour that I didn't find. Then out into open countryside on the way to Pishill. This part of the route is as good as the author describes: "This was surely the finest landscape within an hour of central London. I loved the pitch and roll of the fields and their scatterings of chalk and flint, and the paths that dipped across them to sink into the darkness of the beech stands".

Following the Oxfordshire Way, the path goes through Doyley Wood before reaching Maidensgrove.

I then had to decide which route to travel the next three miles to reach the Ridgeway, as this is left to the reader. I headed for Park Corner on a path with equally wonderful views.

I arrived at the Ridgeway just before 1pm. It was lucky I was not wearing shorts as for half a mile the path went through a field of a crop that would have torn bare legs to shreds.

The book then leaves the Ridgeway: "we struck out along one of those broad fingers of land that project westwards from the Chilterns into the rich farmland below". It is hard to say where exactly this might be. I plumped for Harcourt Hill, but it could easily have been Ewelme Downs or Littleworth Hill.

They picnic on the north side of the hill, and this was where I had my lunch.

The route back is not described in the book as the balloon accident, which happens below their picnic spot, takes over the story. But I guessed that as the Ridgeway heads back towards Christmas Common, this is the obvious route. This passes the majestic Ewelme Park.

Then on to Swyncombe and it's 11th century church.

The last part of the walk is not very interesting. At least until I reached Watlington Hill which was close to my starting point.

I was back at the car at 4.15pm, a total time for the walk of six and a quarter hours. The total distance is about 13 miles, further than I have walked for a long time, so I was glad for a rest at the end. And the weather had been fine. Enough shade in the woods not to get too hot, and even in the sun it was not too warm until later in the afternoon. A memorable day.