Things to see from the air? (Berkshire/Buckinghamshire, UK)

[Savage_UK]

Evening fellow (UK) Pprune people,

Not strictly a flying instructor question but figured this community would probably have some insight...

I'm looking for some places around the Berkshire/Buckinghamshire area that would make up a decent route for an aerial tour of our beautiful English countryside (trying to show off the best of British to a kiwi mate). Anyone have any recommendations for interesting buildings/sites that can be seen from a thousand feet or so up. Preferably something I can point knowledgeably at and spout off some oh-so-very interesting history/trivia.

Already had suggestions of Donnington Castle, Highclere Castle, Greenham Common (avoiding restricted area of course) in Berkshire and Chequers in Buckinghamshire....

Any others within, say 20 mins flying time of White Waltham/Denham/High Wycombe that people know of?

Thanks!

[Genghis the Engineer]

Thames from Marlow to Reading?

The chalk lion at Whipsnade zoo?

Tree cathedral at Dunstable?

Silverstone?

G

[Savage_UK]

Excellent suggestions Genghis - thanks!

[FlyingEagle21]

Slough, Berkshire

[Savage_UK]

How does that opening line from the Betjeman poem go again.... ?

Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough!It isn't fit for humans now.....

[Victor Mike]

If you are doing Chequers then take a look at Waddesdon Manor too - built by Rothchilds and looks like a European chateau, google it or look on the National Trust site. Silverstone race course not far either.

[rarelyathome]

If you are heading up to Silverstone, Stowe school and its park are also pretty from the air - just South of Silverstone close to Turweston.

[Savage_UK]

Great suggestions folks.... Any more down towards Berkshire?

[one11]

The original bronze age White Horse hill carving at Uffington

[Genghis the Engineer]

The original bronze age White Horse hill carving at Uffington

Which is also a really fun bit of precision navigation to find.

G

[A and C]

It rather depends if you are looking for it from the north or the south. From the north it's quite easy to find............ I arrange the flight to make sure my students have to find it from the south !

[Genghis the Engineer]

It rather depends if you are looking for it from the north or the south. From the north it's quite easy to find............ I arrange the flight to make sure my students have to find it from the south !

It was one of the waypoints for the last 2 years RBRs, which I entered in the gold (no GPS) flexwing class. Both times the wind was gusting 35 and invariably in the wrong direction so I was doing it all at 500ft to get the minimum headwind. And of course, we were doing the whole thing to get the maximum number of waypoints against the clock so everything was straight line routes between points. Quite regularly with 30++deg drift :)

Damn that was fun! I was really disappointed that it was cancelled this year.

G

(Disclaimer: I had a "navigator" both years - Aerbabe the first year, India Mike the second. In reality I was flying and navigating, and they did the rest of it: fuel, lookout, terrain spotting. It worked quite well. Just sharing the credit where it's due.)

[chrisbl]

Stratfield Saye House
just South of Reading and the home of the Dukes of Wellington, 12 nm SE of White Waltham ( location used in the film War Horse)


Shinfield Grange just south of the M4 7 nm SE of White Waltham, connected to Mr Palmer of Huntley and Palmers fame


Broadmoor, Sandhurst and Wellington College 8,10,and 9 nm south of WW and home to lunatics with guns, lunatics who would like guns and.... lunatics.

[777fly]

From White Waltham go north to Henley, then turn south west and follow the Thames at low level towards Reading. When you run out of river, turn south and do a few orbits overhead the old Roman town of Calleva (Silchester) which is just south of Reading and the M4. Then, if its a clear day request a special VFR, from Bracknell to the Ascot racecourse and back, from Heathrow radar.

[Savage_UK]

Firstly - thanks for all these suggestions! Having had a bit of time to explore the area myself too now, I thought I'd add in a couple of extras that I've found/being shown.

TURVILLE - just North of Henley. Little village that is purportedly amongst the most photographed and filmed in the UK. Midsomer Murders, Vicar of Dibley, Jonathan Creek - type places. Plus of course COBSTONE MILL (in Ibstone) just on the hill and Caractacus Potts' workshop in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang....if you like that kind of thing....

Nearby there, just to the West, I've actually also been shown a rather interesting tree layout that looks notoriously like a swastika! Somewhere down the Thames Valley between Stokenchurch and Henley. I think around the - unfortunately named - Pishill. Found it once, never found it again. The story I've been told is that it was on the site of an old WWII POW camp (Camp 246 - North Camp, Nettlebed as you ask...) and that the German prisoners surreptitiously planted the trees as part of their work for the Forestry Commission. Only years later were they visible as the Nazi symbol. I'd dismiss that as folklore if I hadn't a) seen it myself and concur....it is very much like a swastika ... minus one of the hooks nowadays and b) there is a nearby Union Jack on the ground quite visible as something of a retort....

Going a bit (ok, a lot) further north-west is a spot just within the Kemble ATZ, south of Coates. Allegedly the source of the Thames. Now THAT would be a navigation exercise for a PPL student.... (51.6986575,-2.0426561 as far as I can ascertain....happy to be corrected on that)

And finally, north of Sydmonton (a few miles West of Kingsclere Mast) is Andrew Lloyd Webber's house, complete with own personal church in his grounds! 51.3180041,-1.3063539 if anyone wants a closer look.

[Hobo]

If you're going up to Silverstone, (which is a training cross country from Wycombe BTW) then follow some the Oxford Canal North of Oxford. A beautiful part of the country, including Cropredy, a sleepy canal side village and associated with Fairport Convention.

[Sleeve Wing]

Savage_UK,

>>> it is very much like a swastika ... minus one of the hooks nowadays <<<

Well done for spotting it, sir. I think you'll find though that it represents an Iron Cross.
As you say, a few of the tree have died off.


>>> And finally, north of Sydmonton (a few miles West of Kingsclere Mast) is Andrew Lloyd Webber's house, <<<

Right again but PLEASE don't encourage folk to overfly the place too closely. His missus will have a seizure ! It's her stud farm……… and the angry phone calls will come to us !!
;)

[B Fraser]

The miserable sod objected to paragliding on a distant hill as he could see it from his drawing room. Barsteward !


I understand that he loves flypasts, the lower and louder the better :E

[Dan Dare]

Iron cross on Google (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Henley-on-Thames/@51.5516685,-0.9132495,270m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x48768542ad0cb2ab:0x50b007c5953c9c7 d)

Immediately to the north of this they have recently planted a union flag in the corner of a bigger flag sized field. I can't remember if it is an ensign, Oz or NZ flag.

A mile to the north of this is a full-guage railway set and fun-fair in the garden of a private house. Not every day you see that.

[fade to grey]

All good suggestions....I'm from the marlow area and learnt at booker.

The full size railway of course, is sir william mcalpines at Fawley hill.

How about the golden ball at west Wycombe ? Hellfire club and all that..
Need Wycombe ATC clearance though as this is start of base leg IIRC