Pete's Walks - Old Amersham and Beaconsfield (page 3 of 3)
At Penn Street I chose to take a different way through Penn Wood than the one I've followed on the Chiltern Heritage Trail and my own Chiltern Chain Walk. I crossed the road and turned right, and soon picked up a path that entered the wood next to the village church. As always it was a pleasure to walk through the wood, the scene of a big conservation battle a few years ago (it is now owned by the Woodland Trust).
The church at Penn Street
Path from the church in Penn Wood
Path through Penn Wood
On the far side of Penn Wood I went right at a path junction. I then again had to wait a few minutes before crossing a main road (the A404). I continued down the minor road opposite, soon forking right along Beamond End Lane. I went further down this lane than I'd ever been before, about a third of a mile, but then turned left onto a footpath, rejoining the Chiltern Chain Walk. The path followed a hedge and descended into a valley, before passing through a short woodland section and then running between fences and hedges to reach the village of Holmer Green.
Beamond End Lane
Path from Beamond End Lane to Holmer Green
I quickly turned right along a residential street, crossed Penfold Lane, and continued northwards (or slightly northeast) along Kingstreet Lane. Rather curiously this is one of four bridleways hereabouts that is called a 'lane', all within about a mile and a half of each other and all running north from the vicinity of Holmer Green to the Misbourne valley - I have walked Toby's Lane but have yet to walk Featherbed Lane or Mop End Lane. Kingstreet Lane was a very muddy track for the first couple of hundred yards, but beyond a farm gate it dried out and was quite pleasant to walk, enclosed between hedges that had been fairly recently trimmed. It continued through a wood (following the border fence between Haleacre Wood and Coleman's Wood, then ran between hedgerows as it descended into the Misbourne valley immediately west of Little Missenden.
Kingstreet Lane, approaching Coleman's Wood
Kingstreet Lane, between Haleacre Wood (left) and Coleman's Wood
Little Missenden from the edge of the woods
I could have followed the South Bucks Way, which more or less skirts all of Little Missenden, but I preferred to walk through the centre of what is one of my favourite Chiltern villages. So I took the second of two footpaths on the right, going diagonally across a paddock or pasture, then turned right to follow the road through the village. I passed the impressive church (on my left) that dates back to Saxon times and that has some interesting mediaeval wall paintings inside. As I continued through the village I passed two pubs on the left - just beyond the second one, the road turned left, but I took a footpath going straight on. It was then a very pleasant mile or so, walking along the Misbourne valley, partly through the park land below the grand house of Shardeloes (now apartments). Eventually, beyond a cricket pitch (on my right), I went through the gateway to Shardeloes, and took a path a few yards further on that went under the A413 main road (sharing the bridge with the river Misbourne). The path then followed the road for about a hundred yards, before turning left to follow another road. This road soon became the lovely High Street of Old Amersham, which I followed for about half a mile to return to my car.
Approaching Little Missenden
Little Missenden church
The Misbourne valley, just east of Little Misbourne
The Misbourne valley, east of Little Misbourne
The drive through the park land around Shardeloes
The path through the park land of Shardeloes
Shardeloes
Part of the High Street in Old Amersham
This was yet another enjoyable walk, though the weather was slightly worse than predicted as it remained overcast from about noon onwards. It was nice to explore a new area (there were several alternative routes I could have tried, and may well do so if I return), and there was a nice mixture of woods and field paths. There weren't too many good views (though everything would have seemed better on a brighter day), but the Misbourne valley around Little Missenden is always very scenic. If I did this walk again, I think I'd do it in the opposite direction though - the long lane section south of Winchmore Hill would be downhill and therefore pass quicker, and I'd have the advantage of having the good views as I approached Old Amersham from the east.
To see a variation of this walk done in the opposite direction on 8/1/11, click here - Old Amersham and Beaconsfield.