Home Long-distance paths Lake District Chiltern Hills Photographs Links Huntington's Disease Association
Click here to see a map of the walk (but only if you have already read my disclaimer and notes regarding maps).
This was a superb 11.5 mile walk, on a glorious autumn day (Monday, 12th November 2007). It was cold – I had to scrape ice off my windscreen before setting off – but I was warmly wrapped up and the clear blue skies made for some great views. I’d been looking forward to this walk, as it went through Chenies, Latimer and the Chess Valley, an area I’d really enjoyed on Day 1 of my Chiltern Heritage Trail walk last year.
I parked at Chenies, and took a bridleway westwards along the hilltop south of the Chess Valley. I soon got a sight of Chenies Manor across its attractive grounds, then had good views across the Chess Valley towards Latimer.
Chenies
Chenies Manor
Looking across the Chess Valley towards Latimer
Looking back across the Chess Valley
The Chess Valley and Latimer House
I took a footpath that descended through a wood, then across a meadow in the valley bottom. I crossed the road through the valley and went diagonally across another meadow, before crossing the river Chess with Latimer House on the hillside above me. Beyond the river was a series of fish ponds, one of which ended at a weir.
The path descending through the wood towards the Chess Valley
The river Chess from the bridge, looking east
The weir between the fish ponds
Latimer House
I turned right on a path through another meadow, initially alongside the river before heading slightly left to reach the village of Latimer.
Looking back along the path from Latimer House
I took a few photos of the small village green with its water pump, Boer War memorial (I saw another on Coombe Hill on Friday) and grave of the heart of a horse on which a General was killed in the Boer war.
Latimer
The green at Latimer
I then followed a short footpath which soon rejoined the road out of the village. I passed the church on my left, and admired the views over the woods and valleys to my right. I then took a path across a large field of winter wheat to reach Codmore Wood.
Latimer church
Approaching Codmore Wood
The path through Codmore Wood
On the other side of this attractive wood I crossed a meadow, a lane and then a sheep pasture to reach a second lane. A short distance to the left, I turned right onto a bridleway called Green Lane. This was a pleasant part of the walk on a clear path between hedgerows, although the latter obviously restricted the views.
The sheep pasture
Green Lane
Home Long-distance paths Lake District Chiltern Hills Photographs Links Huntington's Disease Association