C63 (Buckinghamshire)

This article is about the Class III road numbered C63 maintained by Buckinghamshire Council.
For other roads numbered C63, see C63.

The C63 runs from near Great Missenden across the Chilterns, to Askett before heading across the Vale of Aylesbury to Dinton.

Route

Chalk

The junction with Glade Road

Beginning somewhere between Kings Lane and Hotley Bottom Road, the C63 starts to the north of Great Missenden, as a continuation of the MC1. The road runs through a wide valley, but is barely wide enough for its centreline, with hedges lining it that often hide the view. The road becomes wooded, and rather claustrophobic, as it passes into the small hamlet of Hampden Bottom. Immediately after a couple of houses, there's two minor roads heading north with the separate T-junctions close enough to just touch, and in a hundred yards or so, the C109 Glade Road heads to Great Hampden. The hedges get lower, allowing, once again, the Outstanding Natural Beauty of Chilterns AONB to be seen.

At Hampden Bottom Farm, we meet the C77 Hampden Road, and the Chilterns Cycleway. Both the C77 and the Cycleway join us for a short while, with the road wider as a result. Trees once more line the road, though are more set-back than before and do not overhang the carriageway much. A sweeping curve points the road north, with woods to the west and fields to the east. And then the C63 TOTSOs, with the C77 and Chilterns Cycleway carrying straight on along Missenden Road and us turning onto Longdown Hill. We enter a wood, begin ascending, and again narrow to a road where large vehicles would have trouble passing each other. Twisting around some corners, we enter Cadsden, though it won't be until we get over the hill that we'll see the settlement. Gradually climbing up, with the slope of the hill at right angles to us, we cross the 200m contour. At the highest point, just after a small parking area (for Pulpit Hill, which is owned by the National Trust), and with a layby, there is a viewpoint. After this our descent begins with some bends. The trees arch over the road, which is in a shallow cut, making it feel very enclosed in summer. The down is steeper than the up, with an arrow on OS maps, but no warning sign and quickly we reach the actual settlement of Cadsden. The first building is The Plough - a pub where world leaders have drunk (and, famously, David Cameron left his daughter behind at), including President Xi of China, causing the pub to be replicated in several locations in China. Through the village, the road remains twisty and tree-covered, becoming straighter in Whiteleaf, which we enter after crossing the Upper Icknield Way, just before reaching the A4010 at Askett Roundabout.