Long Weekend in the Chilterns National Park
The Chilterns is an area of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB) covering 324 square miles stretching from Goring-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, through Buckinghamshire to near Hitchin in Hertfordshire. Easily accessible from London, it is the perfect place for a weekend of activity, exploration, piece and quiet. The Chilterns offers fresh air, stunning scenery, interesting attractions, plus traditional market towns and beautiful tucked away little villages. There is lots to do for a weekend in the Chilterns at any time of year with other specific events being dependent on where you stay and the time of year. For those travelling from London, it's possible to access the eastern side of the Chilterns from Amersham or Chesham, which are the north-western most points of the Tube network, on the Metropolitan line. Travel time from East London is a very reasonable one and a half hours. If you want to use your own bike it's normally possible to take it on the Tube (depending on exactly where your journey will start from) but you will be a bit more restricted in terms of which lines you can use - check the Tube Bike Map for more details.
Walking in the Chess Valley
The Chess Valley Walk is a 10 mile walk which follows the River Chess from Rickmansworth to Chesham. It is the best way to take in some of the beautiful scenery of the Chess Valley, attractive Chesham villages and clear sparkling waters of the River Chess, one of the Chiltern's famed chalk streams. The route can be followed in either direction and is clearly waymarked. Most of the route is on public footpaths but there are short sections on roads. Along the way you'll discover a landscape rich in wildlife with a long interesting history. Explore the site of a Roman farm-villa at Latimer, pass the 1200s Chenies Manor visited by Queen Elizabeth I and see the watercress beds at Sarrat, the only commercial watercress farm in the Chilterns. On the River Chess itself, look out for dragonflies, orchids, kingfishers, water voles and brown trout. Our top tip is to break up your walk with lunch in one of the many excellent country pubs, offering fine food and local speciality craft beers. You can reach the Chess Valley either from Rickmansworth or Chesham stations and its not to difficult to extend the walk slightly and start from Amersham. For a map and more details please click here.
Cycling part of the Chilterns Cycleway
The Chilterns Cycleway, a project led by the Chilterns Conservation Board, is a 170 mile circular route around the Chilterns AONB, linking attractions, market towns and places of interest. Over 95% of the route is on-road, mostly following quiet lanes, with just a few sections following towpaths, cycle lanes and bridleways. It is clearly signposted and easy to follow, although road cyclists with slick tires should be aware that there are a few rutty unsurfaced sections which can be muddy, so either take the mountain bike instead or be prepared to get the road bike a bit dirty and come equipped with spare inner tubes. As you'd expect the Chiltern Hills are, well, hilly. Routes are generally undulating but with steeper climbs and descents in places. Beginners should be prepared to go very steady and stay on the brakes on the steeper declines. A degree of confidence cycling through traffic is required to cycle through some of the busier sections, so consider planning your route accordingly. In particular, whilst the Cycleway follows country lanes as far as possible, traffic can be heavier at rush hour, so go out during the middle of the day to avoid 7-9:30am and 4-6:30pm. There is a Chilterns Cycleway guide book available which provides detailed route information, plus alerts of busier junctions, steep gradients and those roads prone to experiencing rush hour traffic.
Other Activities close to Amersham and Chesham
You're likely to stumble across a couple of local farm shops whilst walking or cycling, but if you prefer to plan a trip, the Hatchery Farm Shop on Beaconsfield Road in Amersham is a good choice. Hatchery Farm offers an interesting range of fresh food and groceries including baked bread, duck sausages and scotch eggs. For chocolate lovers, try the Auberge Du Chocolat shop just outside of Chesham, a unique artisan family business with a passion for chocolate, ice cream and fudge. Amersham Craft and Toy Museum is another little gem spanning 2,000 years of local history with a programme of hands-on activities. It is located in a Tudor hall house, dating back to the 15th century, making it the oldest domestic building in Amersham. In Great Missenden, around 6 miles from Amersham, you'll find the Roald Dahl museum which is great for children with special displays about the author's life running at the moment. The Amersham Red Squirrel Brewery is a more recent addition offering an amazing range of craft bottles, cans, cider and wine. There is a tap tasting bar for those who don't have time to stop with take-away craft beer being offered in 1 or 2 litre 'Growlers' to enjoy at home. For equestrian types, Shardeloes Equestrian Centre Amersham offers cross country riding across 500 acres of some of the best off-road hacking in the Chilterns with awe-inspiring wildlife, flora and fauna including rare species.
Other Activities across the wider Chilterns National Park
The Henley on Thames Royal Regatta is perhaps the best known event, usually taking place towards the end of June. Henley is towards the south eastern edge of the Chilterns AONB with the straight stretch of the Thames at this point being the perfect place for the rowing races. If you visit for the Regatta, whilst you're there take the 15 minute car journey up to the Chiltern Valley Winery and Brewery which offers high quality, uniquely crafted wines and beers with friendly service. The vineyard, winery, brewery and liqueur making facilities are all nearby in a stunning area surrounded by beech woodland, overlooking the Hambleden Valley. Buckmoorend Farm Shop in Aylesbury towards the north west of the Chilterns is another good farm shop offering quality pork, beef and lamb, available for sale from a small but perfectly formed outlet. Bekonscot Model Village and Railway is actually just outside of the Chilterns about 6 miles south of Amersham but worth a mention. It's the world’s oldest and original model village, opening for the first time in 1929. With over 80 years of history, huge model railway, 1.5 acres of well kept gardens and finely detailed model buildings Bekonscot is a great day out for all of the family.
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