CHILTERN HILLS

range of chalk hills in England, extending some 70 mi (115 km) southwest to northeast through parts of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire, forming a well-marked escarpment to the northwest and a gentle southeast slope to the River Thames. Considerable areas are now cared for by the National Trust and are popular tourist attractions. The greatest elevation is Coombe Hill (852 ft ) near Wendover. The dense beechwoods, which still cover the western portions, once formed the raw materials of the traditional furniture industry of High Wycombe. Several passes through the Chiltern Hills are used by roads and railways converging on London.