New social-distance friendly walks have been launched in the Chilterns in a bid to avoid crowded “honey-pot” locations and narrow paths.

The Chiltern Conservation Board and Chiltern Society have developed 23 walks across the Chilterns which are social-distance friendly.

Between two and six miles long, the walks start in market towns or villages with good public transport links or parking and are being launched to coincide with the reopening of many pubs and cafes.

The walks also highlight food and drink producers, promoting farm shops that are open for business and selling Chilterns specialities like honey, beer, cheeses and charcuterie.

The walks were developed by 18 volunteers - all experienced walk leaders who are passionate about the Chilterns and keen to share some of their favourite walks away from the crowds.

Annette Venters of the Chilterns Conservation Board said: “The well-used honey-pot sites can get very crowded, making social distancing difficult and putting pressure on the landscape. Luckily, the Chilterns has over 2,000km of footpaths, so there are plenty of quiet places to enjoy.”

Here is a taster of some of the walks:

• Pub walks from Great Offley and Pegsdon in the northern Chilterns. The Pegdson walk passes through Knocking Hoe and Hoo Bit nature reserves with outstanding views and witchcraft-sounding plant names like fleawort, eyebright and harebells.

• Many of the walks take in famous TV and film locations. The Hound of the Baskervilles walk from Binfield Heath takes in the historic Crowsley Park.

• There are walks through historic parks, nature reserves, drovers routes, stretches of the Ridgeway National Trail, past churches, iron age hillforts, Hellfire Caves and Berkhamsted Castle.

• Le De Spencer Arms on Downley Common, the Red Lion on Peppard Common and the Cock and Rabbit on Lee Common are just some of the wonderful country pubs along our routes.

The walks can be downloaded free of charge by going online to https://bit.ly/2AyCFBP