Extra Walk 81 – Chorleywood to Chesham
Length: 16 km (9.9 miles), with shorter options (†). Toughness: 5/10
10:12 Aylesbury train from Marylebone (Harrow-on-the-Hill 10:24), arriving Chorleywood at 10:39.
There are also (slower) tubes from Baker Street to Chorleywood every 15 minutes: the 09:50 gets there at 10:31. If you arrive on a later train/tube, you could do the "Short Cut to Chenies" to catch up.
Returning from Chesham, there are Metropolitan line tubes to Baker Street at xx:27 & xx:57.
Chorleywood is in TfL Zone 7 and Chesham in Zone 9, so buy a Zones 1-9 Travelcard or use your Freedom Pass/Oyster/contactless (and remember to touch out at Chorleywood).
The illustrative photos for this walk show a sodden landscape but that's hardly surprising as this walk has had a long run of winter postings. Let's hope that someone can upload some more cheerful examples after this outing.
The number of possible lunchtime pubs in Chenies has oscillated between one and two but it's recently been reported that the Red Lion has re-opened again, so you can choose between that and the Bedford Arms; Chenies is less than halfway through the walk so you'll get there just after noon. Chesham offers the usual set of tea places plus one that's anything but commonplace, The Drawingroom.
† If you want a shorter afternoon, the Chess Valley Walk takes a more direct route along the valley from Chenies to Chesham. If anyone decides to try following the route in this leaflet, please let us have some feedback about it.
You'll need to download the directions from the Chorleywood to Chesham walk page. T=swc.81
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6 comments:
The gpx file needs amending ; a random straight line seems to have insinuated itself onto the map.
Nine walkers at the station plus a regular who turned up to wave us off. One walked with the group at the beginning then peeled off to do his own thing (Chess Valley?) - we crossed paths again later. Another caught up with us at lunch time to make n=10 walkers in total. Four ate at the Red Lion, one who had the full roast meal finding that it would have served two. Others went for a picnic in the churchyard where reportedly they were force-fed free tea and cakes. This was an enjoyable walk on a w=warm-and-sunny day with some wooded sections providing welcome shade but possibly an excess of fields to cross in the afternoon. In Chesham the front group of three went to the interesting and pleasant Drawing Room for tea and cake and were later joined by a couple of stragglers (one presumably weighted-down by the roast lunch).
I was the Chess Valley peeler-offer as this would be a shadier option on a hot day and I've only done this easier route once before many moons ago. The path follows a woodland trail and attractive water meadows before connecting with the nmain route for the ridge section near Latimer House. In truth the ending is a bit dull - a path through a narrow linear park with a main road 20m to your right. there are a couple of decent looking pubs on the way though. Possibly aesthetically better to stick with the main walk route. Coffee in Chesham then a 3pm tube home. Easwy route finding and well-signed alternative to the main walk.
@PeteB thanks, gpx fixed
As the walk poster said, this walk is normally completed in the winter, no doubt because it is not too long and its closeness to London makes for a short journey time. Done at this time of year, it has long stretches of scenery every bit of spectacular as better known alternatives, and I will definitely do this one again. I thought it was remarkable to see such countryside while still being inside the underground system.
The Drawing Room had run out of chocolate cake. Since this is the best cake on any of our walks, and the main reason for choosing this option on this day, I considered this a considerable blow. The owner spent some time with us, talking about the events that he puts on on a stage set up in the yard outside the café. He said that historically Simon & Garfunkel performed for the first time as a pair under that name on that stage .
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