CWW members enjoyed a record-breaking TWELVE church tea walks in 2024.
The cake-fest began on the first weekend in February when two groups led by Alan Cooper and Mark Percy converged on St Mary’s in Radnage. But who would get to the teatime treats first in this friendly contest? Alan’s group on a brisk 10-miler from Chinnor or Mark’s party of bon viveurs on a 6-mile saunter from Saunderton?
In the end, Mark’s group had first dibs. Arriving at an empty church, they were surprised to find that the only competition for the cakes came from a lone Wycombe Ramblers walk leader on a recce to see how busy it was going to get. He got his answer seconds later when Alan’s 22 hungry hikers piled in.
Alan said: “It was a nice opportunity for all to mingle, bringing together members whose paths might not ordinarily cross due to their walk preferences.”
Mark added: “Thanks to churchwarden Rosy Oliphant and her team of star bakers for making us so welcome. Between us, our 50 walkers added around £250 to church funds. Proof that eating cake can help with God’s work and make the world a better place!”
Rosy said: “We were very happy with takings of £416 to be split between St Mary’s and Growing Hope – a local charity which supports children and families with special needs. It was a pleasure to meet you all, and you are welcome to visit St Mary’s any time.”
We were back the following weekend when Nettie Dearmun and Simon Kearey revisited Radnage – this time from Stokenchurch – with a party of 30, their biggest ever turnout. They summed up their walk in verse:
A merry group of thirty did make,
In search of snowdrops, tea and cake.
The white array, rearing up on Candlemas Day
named after pearls, it’s a useful bloom.
What could be nicer, used as de-icer (for tanks in the war).
The churchyard adorned, 500 glimpsed with more to see
but after baker’s delights walkers, replete, roamed on, full of tea.
A week later, Chris Parsons and Ruth Oldfield led the fourth walk of the season, taking a group of 23 on an 8-miler from Watlington with a stop for tea at St Botolph’s Church in Swyncombe.
Chris, who has led the walk virtually every year since 2013, said: “After a long and often grey January, it’s so uplifting to see the carpet of snowdrops outside St Botolph’s – a sign that Spring must be around the corner. One year I got to the car park in Watlington and the rain was so heavy and persistent, I thought no one else would come. But as Jane Llewellyn, who was co-leading, and I got out of the car, another eight people got out of theirs. Even the rain couldn’t keep us from our tea and cake!”
The church has become a mecca for tea lovers, attracting as many as 400 visitors each day. Rev Daniel Thompson, the rector of Watlington said: “Because of its location on the Ridgeway path, St Botolph’s is traditionally a church for pilgrims, and it’s in that spirit that we welcome walkers.”
The Norman church, which dates back to the 11th century, has been offering snowdrop teas for 20 years, initially on a single afternoon. But the teas have now grown into a complex operation spreading across three weekends every February.
Organiser Sheila Stevens said: “I start planning the snowdrop teas soon after Christmas. It’s a lot of work. On every weekend we provide 50-60 cakes, with ten volunteers helping each day. Walking groups make up around 40 per cent of our trade, so we’re very grateful for the contribution they make and to those who spread the word about our church. This year we were amazed when a coach party of 30 Belgians turned up!”
The team pray for good weather. Some years have seen visitor numbers severely reduced by snow and storms. But the past two seasons have broken all records. In 2023 the church raised £13,000 from its snowdrop teas. In 2024 that total was comfortably exceeded half way through the third weekend.
Around 100 CWW walkers played a part in boosting church funds at this year’s snowdrop teas as well as enjoying bracing walks and admiring churchyards bursting with early spring flowers.
Snowdrop fun facts
- Their scientific name is galanthus. It’s Greek for ‘milk flower’.
- The term ‘snowdrops’ was adopted in the 16th century because the flowers resembled women’s pearl drop earrings.
- Snowdrops are among the first flowers to appear in the new year. According to the old proverb: “The snowdrop in purest white array first rears her head on Candlemas Day.” (February 2nd)
- Snowdrops contain natural anti-freeze proteins which help them recover their shape after collapsing in freezing weather. As mentioned in Nettie’s poem, snowdrop plants were harvested to make anti-freeze for tanks during the First World War.
- When temperatures reach 10°, the outer petals open up revealing the nectar inside. To make them even more attractive to bees coming out of hibernation, the flowers give off a honey-like smell.
- A naturally occurring substance within the plant called galantamine is used to help treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, although the bulbs themselves are poisonous, earning them the name ‘Death’s Flower’.
- There are more than 2,500 varieties of snowdrop but some are very difficult to propagate.
- In 2022 a single galanthus plicatus Golden Tears bulb sold on eBay for £1,850 (plus £5 postage).
CWW returned to the teatime trail in March with a 7.5-mile walk from Watlington stopping for tea at Pyrton where the churchyard is famous for its daffodils.
July saw 27 CWW-ers turn out for a 5-mile walk from Penn Street, finishing with tea at Holy Trinity church, but there was teatime trauma when it was discovered that just five slices of cake were left.
Making up for the disappointment, September began with a chance to enjoy TWO church teas on the same walk when Alan Shiell led his ‘Grand Gateau Double’ 7-miler from Great Missenden to Little Missenden and back.
The success of their snowdrop teas in February inspired St Mary’s in Radnage to put on an Autumn tea on the first Sunday in October. As in February, CWW sent two groups of walkers led by Mark and Alan who unexpectedly bumped into each other on their way to the church.
A week later it was the turn of St Bartholomew’s in Fingest to welcome walkers with a mouth-watering array of 33 cakes. Again, two groups of CWW walkers converged on the church, led by Chris and Ruth on an 8-mile circuit from Ibstone and Mark with an 18-strong group from Cadmore End.
Stand-outs in the St Bartholomew’s bakery bonanza included a raspberry and white chocolate cake, double ginger cake, pineapple fruit cake and chocolate Guinness cake.
St Bartholomew’s tea organiser Jan O’Brien said the afternoon raised a record total of £850. “It’s much needed for all the expensive repairs endlessly required for our Grade I listed church. More than that, we greatly appreciate the enthusiasm for our baking that CWW demonstrates. It is always a joy to welcome you back and we look forward to your next visit!”
The last chance to enjoy a walk and church tea came in late October when Angela Hector and Jonathan Stevens led a 10-mile hike finishing at St Mary Magdalene in Flaunden. Angela said: “On the day, our 15 CWW walkers really commanded the space, in volume and in noise. Tea is served from 3pm but they must have taken pity on the keen walkers who turned up 10 minutes early and started serving straight away. Some of us went up to the church turret to hear the bell chime and see the workings of the clock.”
As dusk fell, the Flaunden finale brought the curtain down on our record-breaking year of ‘cake with walks’.
• Photos by Anne, Chris, Jales, Jenny, Mark, Sarah and Simon