Beeches Way Linear Walk

Features of Interest & directions Wood on into Dorney Wood. Notorious as a haunt of thieves in the 1 Connecting the River Thames near Cookham to the Grand time of Henry VIII, Union Canal at West Drayton, this 16 mile route gives the city Dorney Wood is now dwelling walker the chance to explore rare lowland heaths and recognised more for its mature woodlands, escaping “Far from the madding crowd's natural history and for ignoble strife” (Thomas Gray 1750) being part of the Burnham Beeches Site of 2 The walk can be followed in either direction but is described Special Scientific Interest from west to east starting at the River Thames near Cockham. (SSSI). Further fragments People wishing to start the walk from Bourne End can avoid of heathland are just one the busy Cookham Bridge by following the route indicated on of the many complex habitat types found on the SSSI. the map, joining the waymarked walk at Hedsor Wharf. 8 The walk continues through Burnham Beeches on the metalled The route is fully waymarked with “Beeches Way” fingers on Halse Drive and Lord Mayor's Drive. A celebrated feature of 3 posts and waymarking discs on stiles, gates or waymark posts. international importance is the presence of ancient oak and The discs have a blue arrow beech pollards, numbering about 800 throughout the woods on bridleways and a yellow and with an average age of about 400 years. Pollarding, the art of arrow on footpaths. cutting off a tree above head height, allowed foresters to grow a crop of useful sized timber whilst also grazing animals 4 From Cookham take great underneath. It began at Burnham in the mid 16th century. The care crossing the busy Corporation of the City of London bought the site in 1880 and bridge across the Thames. have continued the pollarding practise. Shortly after the bridge take the footpath to the right 9 Cross into Beeches Road and turn right heading south, on the heading north-east across Beaconsfield Road. After 200 metres turn left into Victoria Road farmland towards Hedsor Wharf. Please keep to the and then Parsonage Lane, follow this around to the right and waymarked path which eventually emerges onto Bourne End take the waymarked footpath heading east into Brockhurst Road. Eventually emerging onto Bourne End Road. Carefully Wood. At the tracks junction take the cross to Church Road and bridleway on the left, heading north follow the footpath uphill along the wood boundary for about 400 to Woolman's Wood. Lord metres before taking the footpath Boston's Folly is clearly heading east through the field to the visible to the north from right. Cross Duffield Lane and follow the Church Road. This 18th waymarked route to Stoke Common. century folly consists of 4 connected towers; one 10 Stoke Common is situated in the parish hexagonal, one square, one of Stoke Poges, the parish church of round and one semi- which is the setting for Thomas Gray's circular. “Elegy in a Country Churchyard”. The common as it was known to Gray in the 5 Emerging onto Branch Lane, continue north-east, past the mid 18th century later underwent junction and cross roads and take the bridleway to the right heading south-east alongside Sheepcote Wood. Turn left and then right onto Wooburn Common Road, taking the path to Follow the Countryside Code: the left, heading south-east once more towards Littleworth ?Be safe, plan ahead and follow any signs Common. ?Leave gates and property as you find them ?Protect plants and animals and take your litter home 6 Littleworth Common is the first remnant we come across of ?Keep dogs under close control the once extensive lowland heath which covered much of this ?Consider other people part of South Bucks. Self sown trees have covered much of the Common but where enough light can still get through the tree Further Information: canopy, small patches of heath still Rights of Way & Access, County Hall, Aylesbury, HP20 1UY persist. Typical spices include Telephone: 01296 382171 heather, purple moor grass, goldenrod and woodsage. Email: [email protected] or visit our website at www.buckscc.gov.uk/rights_of_way 7 Cross Common Lane and take the footpath alongside Twelve Acre radical revision with the passing of the Stoke Poges and varieties give blooms from as early as January right through to Wexham Enclosure Act in 1810. The Common originally July. Passing through the car park the route runs south along a consisted of 480 acres but after 1810 all common rights were line of giant redwoods, turning left at the end onto the public removed, including the right of “turbary” (cutting turf for fuel). footpath alongside Treal's Farm. Cross Billet Lane and head due The local clergy were worried about the effect of this on the east along Bellswood lane to its junction with Wood Lane, poor of the parish an successfully battled for provision in the crossing over to pick up the bridleway continuing eastward to Act for 200 acres to be set aside for a “Poor's fuel allotment Love Green. charity” to be administered by trustees. This clause provides the legal basis for the Common as we know it today. 19 From Love Green the walk uses Love Green 11 Stoke common is a good example of how, over time, an open, Lane, turning right mainly mossy area can be taken over by dense tickets of onto Bangors Road species such as gorse, aspen and birch which in turn give way South and then, after eventually to mature mixed woodland. 400 metres, turning left into Coppins 12 Sporadic fires have been crucial in enabling the open mossy Lane. Coppins, the areas to survive and so maintaining the rich variety of habitats large house on the and plants and animals found on the common, including many left, was the home of species of moths and also the adder and common lizard. the Duke and Duchess of Kent from 1935-1972. Take the road down into 20 300 metres after the end of the metalled lane turn sharp right, 13 Fulmer village, an architectural taking the crossfield footpath following the line of the old route conservation area and follow from Iver to Uxbridge. the footpath alongside the Alderbourne immediately The path has been raised above field level by successive layers after Fulmer Church. 21 of stone laid down by road menders over the years. Passing lower Delaford it continues south down Swan Road into Iver. The path goes through Crossing straight over the cross roads, past the flint and 14 Muschamp Stud. After the first puddingstone church, the walk crosses the boundary into field, head diagonally uphill to Greater London. After 300 metres turn left into Victoria the kissing gate near the Crescent and cross the footbridge over the M25, following the south-eastern corner of the footpath south to the Slough Arm of the Grand Union Canal. second field and follow the waymarked route through to 22 Completed in 1882, the Slough Arm was the last stretch of canal Fulmer Rise Estate and Fulmer to be built in this country and was built to link London with the Common Road. Turn left and brickfields east of Slough. In later years it was used to transport then right, heading south into Black Park Road. Cross on to a gravel to London from sites adjacent to the canal, with the city's permissive path in the Park after approximately 50 metres. refuse being brought back on the return trip.

Black Park is the last of our remnants of lowland heath on the An illustrated guide to the canal called “Discover the Slough walk and as with the commons and Burnham Beeches enjoys 23 Arm” is available from the Colne Valley Way, details of which 15 SSSI status. Much lowland heath has been lost to afforestation. can also be obtained from the Groundwork Trust. The present heathland on Black Park was only re-established after a forest fire in 1976 destroyed trees which had been A large stone planted over it. Owned by the County Council, the area is now 24 obelisk on the being managed by removing the remaining conifers and towpath marks controlling the growth of scrub. the point where Beeches Way 16 Once a popular haunt of Victorian entomologists, the Park has leaves the canal rich insect life including 18 species of butterfly and nationally and turns right, rare cricket. heading south east on Trout 17 The waymarked route takes you past Black Park Lake, once the Lane. The stone source of water power to a saw mill at Rowley Farm and picks is a coal duty up the public footpath across the park to the Uxbridge Road. post, indicating Taking great care cross this busy road to Langley Park. the boundary at which coal brought into the capital was liable for tax. Many such 18 Langley Park is posts remain although the tax was abolished in 1890. also owned and managed by the 25 Trout Lane runs into Trout Road where a humpbacked bridge C o u n t y gives access onto the towpath of the main line of the Grand Council. The Union Canal. Following this south-west for 400 metres gives walk passes access to Yiewsley High Street, just a short walk from West through the Drayton Station. e x t e n s i v e rhododendron garden where t h e m a n y B

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