Pete's Walks - Old Amersham and Seer Green (page 2 of 5)
The path now continued southwards between hedges and fences, initially with Dibden Hill Farm to my right. Further on I passed some orchards on the right. The path gradually turned more westwards and ended on a minor road, Narcot Lane.
The path continuing south from Chalfont St Giles
Old orchard beside the path south from Chalfont St Giles
The path south from Chalfont St Giles
A path continued on the other side of the road, running through trees. After a short distance I turned right, on one of three short paths roughly parallel to Narcot Lane. This one ran between old hedges. After a hundred yards or so I took a fenced path going left, beside a farm drive to my right. I was now headed west, towards the northern tip of the village of Jordans, but after passing a couple of fields on my left I turned left at a path junction.
Path parallel to Narcot Lane
Path going west towards Jordans
Path going west towards Jordans
Beyond a field on my left (I was grateful for the fence, there was a bull amongst the few cattle in the field) the path entered some paddocks around Grove Farm. I followed the waymarks, one of which indicated where the path went half-left,. The path then crossed the drive to the farm, and continued diagonally across another paddock. Through a gate in the far corner I turned right, following another path beside a wood back to the farm drive, where I now turned left (Note: I've marked a path straight on here as Alternative 1 on my Google map - it would avoid the rather unpleasant walk along Welders lane, but would mean retracing one's steps if a detour is made to see the Quaker Meeting House at Jordans. I've not yet walked this path myself, but looking at it from both ends it seemed straightforward). At the end of the drive I turned right along Welder's Lane. This was surprisingly busy, and I had to keep stopping and pressing myself into the hedge as cars went by - one was a police car (the policeman acknowledged me getting out of his way, which was more than some ignorant drivers did), and a bit further on I saw it had turned round and someone walking the other way was being questioned. At a point where a footpath came in from the left, I joined the route of the Chiltern Heritage Trail, which I would now follow as far as Seer Green. Continuing down the lane, I soon passed the entrance to the Jordans YHA, and then at the end of the lane I reached the Quaker Meeting House at Jordans. One of the oldest in the country, it dates from 1688 and is associated with William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania (he and some of his family are buried here). It has undergone major restoration in recent years after a major fire in 2005, and I think that this was the first time I'd seen it without scaffolding around it.
Path going south to the paddocks around Grove Farm
Path going west to the drive from Grove Farm
The drive from Grove Farm
The Quaker Meeting House, Jordans
I turned right to head into the village of Jordans, soon passing the Mayflower Barn, reputed to be built from timbers from the ship that carried the Pilgrim Fathers to America. Leaving the route of Walk 9 of my Chiltern Chain Walk, which I'd been following all the way so far, I turned left into Seer Green Lane (Note: the path I mentioned earlier as an alternative comes in from the right here). I followed this residential street through part of Jordans and then continued ahead along a footpath. Within half a mile this brought me to the neighbouring village of Seer Green, opposite a church hall.
Mayflower Barn, Jordans (reputedly built from timbers taken from the Mayflower)
Seer Green Lane, Jordans
Heading out of Jordans towards Seer Green
The path to Seer Green
The path to Seer Green
Church hall, Seer Green