Yesterday morning I went to a consultation on a proposed LTN in my ward then taking advantage of a better weather forecast for Saturday compared to Sunday travelled with Gill by TFL trains to Rickmansworth. This circular 6.2 mile walk is listed in the book "More Great Chiltern Walks".
It was an amazing walk and I was astonished at the size and number of the lakes (former gravel pits). We had lunch first at the Park cafe then started the walk around Bury Lake but found recent heavy rain had meant that many footpaths were closed or impassable due to flooding. We both had gaters above our boots but this was serious "welly" territory and we had to alter our course. We had to go along the south side of Stockers Lake (a wonderful nature reserve - see main picture) rather than the north.
We passed a sign indicating that a camera had been placed overlooking a Gray Heron nest and you could check out the progress of the nesting and next month hopefully see the chicks. At the moment you can only see the parents taking turns to sitting and incubating the 3 eggs that have been laid. Check out https://www.fosl.org.uk/n for the live feed.
We kept being warned by walkers coming from the opposite direction that the path ahead was impassable without Wellies. We chanced our arm but found it was too deep to keep going. However, some local children living on boats moored at the nearby Grand Union Canal had built a bridge (of sorts) which we were able to cross and continue the walk along the canal.
We walked along the canal for a while then left it near a World War 2 Pill box and tried to walk around Springwell Lake. We got most of the way around but had to retreat when we found the path totally submerged. Time was now pressing so we took the short route back along the canal into park. We will come back another day to finish it (when it is not so wet!) but it was still a lovely walk and well recommended.
Stopped off at the Rickmansworth Spoons for a quick pint of Doombar then train back (about 1 hour 30 mins). More photos on walks around London Facebook page.
Started off with yummy breakfast and coffee at the Rootv cafe onroute in Chorleywood. Lot of ups and downs but nothing too strenuous. A mixture of woods, hill tops and lots of lovely ancient green lanes.
Some great views, especially over the Chess Valley. Cold but dry. We passed Latimer House, which was used during World War 2 to hold high ranking German officers, whose private conversations were "bugged" by British intelligence and the information used by codebreakers at Bletchley Park.
The walk was surprising quiet with very few other walkers. Definitely worth doing again, maybe go the opposite way, perhaps in the spring for the bluebells.
The journey back went smoothly but back home I went out again and did a few more miles around Forest Gate in training for my 26 mile London Winter Walk at the end of the month in aid of Homeless Charity St Mungos.
My knees were a little sore at the end of the day today so not sure what they will be like after 26 miles!
I will post more photos of today on Facebook.
A 6 mile circular "easy" walk with little climbs and no stiles. While not classic "Chilterns" (no hills or remoteness) it has lots of walks along attractive rivers, canels, moorland, greenways and ancient woods.
Rickmansworth is also a lovely, historic and well worth a visit. The railways made this part of South Hertfordshire accessible to London workers who wanted to live in the countryside.
Hat tip "More great walks in the Chilterns" and Ordnance Survey app
"We called you Metro-Land.
A fabulous, peaceful walk with some great views and rolling landscape. Check out route here (paywall) and more photos on Facebook.
Very quiet and peaceful. Lots of gentle ups and downs with nothing that strenuous but a good walking work out with lots of contrast. The iron age hill fort is is pretty obvious and fascinating, while the later iron age feature called the "Grim Ditch" is difficult to make out but I have seen it more clearly elsewhere.
It is incredible to think how our ancestors built these these fortifications and boundary markers with the basic animal tools they had at that time.
What was also fascinating is that Cholesbury was in 1832 the first "Parish" (somewhat similar to a modern day UK council) to declare itself bankrupt. This was due to dreadful rural poverty at the time which meant that the Parish did not have enough money from rates to pay for "Poor relief".
At this time many UK Councils across the Country are also declaring themselves "Bankrupt" (or rather issuing section 144 notices that they do not have enough income to pay for expenditure).
What I was astonished to find out was that this village was also the home of former Welsh Miner and founder of the NHS, Nye Bevan, while he was a South Wales MP at Westminster.
The walk didn't go near his home, Asheridge Farm, where he died in 1960 from stomach cancer aged 62 but I hopefully tracked it down (see collage). I wonder if I should come back to the area on the anniversary of the birth of the NHS in July?
Recommend the Full Moon pub where we had coffee in the garden beforehand and I had a pint of London Pride at the end.
I found the walk on the Ordnance Survey app (subscription) but it was submitted by the Chilterns Society. I and will post further pictures on our "walking around London" Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/walksinandaroundlondon
