15.8km (9.8 miles) or with shortcut a, 14.2 km (8.9 miles)
Difficulty 5 out of 10
A meander along the the Chess Valley in the Chilterns –with a number of fine panoramic views.
For lunch the walk visits the village of Chenies, followed by a pleasant walk high along the valley rim on a permissive path. Just when you think it’s all over, there is a bravura finish over the hills that takes you skipping down into the heart of Chesham for tea.
Lunch: Two possibles in Chenies .
We usually stop at the Red Lion (01923 282 722) a smart, friendly pub with a somewhat gastro menu and a good choice of drinks. I don’t think they're licensed to sell drinks before 12, so no hurrying. OK?
The Bedford Arms (01923 283 301) larger than the Red Lion serves food in a table service restaurant 12-4 pm Sunday, with a more limited menu available in its bar area and its very pleasant garden. Picnickers often stop in the church near the Red Lion (services permitting).
Tea: The Drawing Room, Frances Yard, Chesham (01494 791 691) is an SWC favourite, There’s also a Caffe Nero and a Costa’s and at least one pub The Queen’s Head
Follow your feet to Chesham’s market square and you'll find a Mad Squirrel micro pub.
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Directions here
Early in the walk there are sections of lane that can be flooded after heavy rain. Option a) Short Cut to Chenies avoids these sections.
Trains: take the 10:27 Chiltern Railways Aylesbury Vale PW train from London Marylebone arriving Chorleywood 10.55.
(It is also possible to take the (slower) Metropolitan line out from Baker St. The 10:04 would get you there for 10:46
Returning from Chesham, Metropolitan Line trains run every half hour (xx.26 and xx.56) direct to Baker Street taking 1 hour.
Tickets : Chesham is in Tfl zone nine, and Chorleywood in zone seven, so you can use Oyster or contactless to pay for your journey. Freedom Passes are also valid all the way to Chesham.
1 comment:
n=7 on a w=cloudy day.
2 were soon trailing but, strangely, by the time Chenies was reached, they were already in the pub. How can that be?
The Red Lion was quite friendly 1 had soup another had mussels . Others just drank. Quite a range of drink to choose from.
Then on.
2 were soon lagging again and they lost sight of the others, who were ahead of a large group of Argentinians.
If only the end bit was shorter. After you’ve gone back up the hill, it seems to go on longer than expected. Forever, actually.
(The advance party were shown an alternative by a local that cut out a bit of the up and down).
On reaching Chesham the slower 2 went to check out the Drawing Room. All closed up today. They returned to the station. If only they walked a little further down the High St., they would have found 2 of the faster group in the Mad Squirrel. Sigh.
A total of 5 got the 16:27 home.
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