5. Latimer House (1838) is on the site of the 9. Unimproved water meadows such as 12. Opposite the lynchets, Sarratt Bottom water original manor house, dating from at least Frogmore Meadows are now very rare. meadows are still home to a wide variety of 1 the 16th century. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Their distinctive plants, such as ragged birds and other wildlife, including the Brown is thought to have robin, marsh marigold and meadowsweet increasingly rare water vole. Stand on the Lowndes . Park been involved in the cannot survive the agricultural drainage that bridge for 10 minutes and you may be lucky design of the so many meadows have suffered over the enough to see one.The watercourse here is surrounding years. This is a Herts and Middlesex Wildlife really the millrace for Sarratt Bottom parkland. Trust Reserve and access is limited to Mill.The original line permit holders. Call 01727 858901 for of the river, more information. now almost Flaunden Church, dry, follows 2 approx 500 10. Sarratt Bottom Watercress Beds, the last the far side years ago active watercress beds on the Chess, rely on of the Spring water the clean, warm water of the river. The valley. bottling plant 3 ‘beds’ support their own wildlife, notably See inset maps overleaf for routes through towns for See inset maps overleaf herons, grey wagtail and the elusive water rail. Water vole 13. Chorleywood House Estate is an area of 9 open access land owned by the local Chess Valley Walk 5 council.The house itself is now in private 7 Permissive route 6 10 ownership, but the grounds provide an ideal place to stop for a picnic.The Edwardian ✱✱✱✱✱✱ Links to railway stations sunken garden, historic parkland, woodland 4 . Other rights of way 8 11 and meadows offer a range of fascinating Parking features and wildlife habitats. 12 P From here, you can walk to Chorleywood railway station in about half an hour, passing Chorleywood Common on the way. 14. Rickmansworth was once the 1. The River Chess begins its journey deep in 13 paper making centre of the aquifer, the underground store of water Hertfordshire.The mill at held in the chalk rock of the Chilterns.The Scotsbridge was used for river emerges above Chesham and flows to 6. The brick tomb Chorleywood paper making in the 18th the River Colne near Rickmansworth. surrounded by iron railings marks House and 19th centuries. the resting place of William Liberty, who It is now a pub 2. The area now known as ‘The Moor’ is died in 1777. He asked to be buried alone, Water rail and restaurant. actually a large island. It was created in the out of fear that he would not be able to 10th century by Lady Elgiva who diverted identify his bones when the time came to be the Chess and built a mill resurrected! Many of his family are buried at here, as recorded in the the site of Flaunden Church, between here Domesday Book. and the river.The rest of the village was relocated to the north during the early 3. The bottling plant 19th century and by 1840 the site, here is on the site including the church, was abandoned. 11. The of old watercress terraced field 14 beds. 7. Mill Farm, Chenies, has a small rising up the valley side is shop next to the farmyard, thought to date from the 9th 4. From the 1st which sells ice-cream and farm century.The characteristic steps, Century AD, for over produce.The brown cattle you or ‘strip lynchets’, formed by the three hundred years, may see are pedigree Guernseys. action of ploughing along the Latimer Park Farm was slope, may have been the site of the site of a Roman 8. 13th century Chenies Manor has attractive mediaeval vineyards. Farm Villa. Roman Villa, Latimer Park gardens which are open to the public. ‘Strip lynchets’ www.chilternsaonb.org Tel: 01844 271308 Fax: 01844 271301 01844 Fax: 271308 01844 Tel: Chilterns AONB Office, 8 Summerleys Road, Princes Risborough, Bucks, HP27 9DT. HP27 Bucks, Risborough, Princes Road, Summerleys 8 Office, AONB Chilterns Produced by The Chilterns Conservation Board Conservation Chilterns The by Produced Station Railway Paintings by Richard Allen Richard by Paintings P Project Woodlands Chiltern D A P O A R R K Rickmansworth Park Sch. District Council District Rickmansworth CHILTERN Chorleywood E N A L R O O M E N A L Y G M Garden E R A M Water A I N E Meades S N T A L K C U D E R N E A T P L A C W T H U R C E H S T . E Station R Railway T Church S P St Mary’s St H G I Park H Lowndes . D R N O I T A T S Chesham Rickmansworth. The route of the walk through Chesham & Chesham through walk the of route The Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area Routes Through Town Through Routes A 10 mile walk in the Chilterns the in walk mile 10 A Chess Valley Walk Valley Chess & 181 to plan your own walks. own your plan to 181 & T he he Alternatively you can use OS Explorer maps 172 maps Explorer OS use can you Alternatively 771250) have details of other walks in the area. the in walks other of details have 771250) and the Chiltern Society (01494 Society Chiltern the and 383114) Discover the Chess Valley Chess the Discover Bucks County Council (01296 Council County Bucks 5466), 447 Herts Countryside Management Service (0208 Service Management Countryside Herts Other Local Walks Local Other Getting There & Back The Chess Valley A ‘Chalk Stream’ The Chess Valley Walk is approximately 10 miles The Chess Valley has some of the most attractive The Chess is a ‘chalk stream’. Chalk Streams are fed long and can be completed in a day or followed countryside in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding by groundwater, which is stored in the aquifer - layers in short sections.You can return to the start Natural Beauty.This is a landscape rich in wildlife, of chalk rock which work like a sponge, soaking up points by train from the Metropolitan Line with a long and fascinating history.You’ll discover the water until it emerges at ground level. Regular stations at Chalfont & Latimer, Chorleywood or site of a Roman farm-villa at Latimer, 13th century winter rainfall is needed to recharge the aquifer and Rickmansworth. Chenies Manor House & keep the chalk streams of the Chilterns flowing For information on Gardens and historic throughout the year. train times and fares, Latimer House & Typical chalk streams, like the Chess, Misbourne,Ver phone London parkland.The water meadows, and Gade, are shallow, narrow streams, with gravel Travel Information ancient field beds and clear, warm water. on 020 7222 1234. systems and old We take our water from the aquifer too, so we need Bus and train watercress beds at to use water wisely in order to reduce our impact on information can Sarratt offer a glimpse Canon’s Mill, Chesham c.1900 chalk streams and their wildlife. be obtained of the agricultural past from Traveline of the valley. Mills played an important role in the on 0870 608 2608, history of the Chess and some of them can still be seen straddling the river.The site of old Flaunden village and its long derelict church is a potent symbol The Caring for the Chilterns Code Finding Your Way of the dramatic changes that have taken place in the G Enjoy, Understand and Care for the Chilterns valley over the centuries. The route can be followed in either direction G Show respect to other users of the countryside and is clearly waymarked. Most of the route is on The wildlife of the Chess Valley is as diverse and public footpaths but there are short sections on exciting as its history.You might see kingfisher, water G Support the local economy - buy local products roads.Take extra care at these road crossings, as vole, brown trout, grey wagtail and several species of and services some of them can be busy. damsel and dragonflies, amongst many other types of G Don’t disrupt the activities of those who make birds, plants and animals.The leaflet,“The Wildlife of their living from the countryside Chilterns Chalk Streams”, available from the Parking Chilterns AONB Office, G Can you visit the Chilterns without using your car? Parking in the Chess Valley is limited, so if you will help you G Support local conservation organisations need to drive it is best to leave your car at one identify these creatures and of the railway stations or another town centre G Take pride in the Chilterns - Follow the car park. many others. Brown trout Country Code.