Pete's Walks- Old Amersham and Little Kingshill (page 1 of 4)
If you are considering walking this route yourself, please see my disclaimer. You may also like to see these notes about the maps and GPX files.
Google map of the walkDownload GPX file of the walk
I did this roughly 11.8 mile circular walk on Sunday, 18th November 2012. It was Walk 10 of my Chiltern Chain Walk, but done in the opposite direction (anti-clockwise).
I started walking about 9:50am, having parked in the large car park in Amersham Old Town (it's free on Sundays, one reason I did the walk today!). I turned right along the High Street, passing the church on my right and then the Market Hall. The High Street was full of Georgian style houses and old coaching inns, and its always a pleasure to wander along it. I continued along the road as it led out of the town, the ground here still being very frosty in the shade (the temperature had only been 2-3C as I'd left Kensworth). After a while the pavement went slightly left and followed the new main road for a hundred yards or so. It then went down and turned left under the road, sharing the bridge with the river Misbourne. A few yards further on I reached the entrance gates to Shardeloes, a large mansion on the hill ahead of me.
The Market Hall in the High Street, Amersham Old Town
High Street, Amersham Old Town
The path beside the old road out of Old Amersham
Looking back at the bridge over the Misbourne
The entrance to the grounds of Shardeloes
Through the gates, I turned right and followed a drive past Amersham cricket ground. From the clubhouse I crossed the grass to a gate - the path was then enclosed between fences and trees for about a hundred yards, then went through another gate and continued through the parkland below the grand house of Shardeloes (now divided into apartments, I believe). Over the hedge on my right was a large ornamental lake, obviously formed by damming the river. The walk through the parkland here, heading east along the Misbourne valley, was as delightful as ever, despite the cold (I was warmly snug in my Paramo gear). There were a few joggers and walkers about, and further on I came across a party of four mountain bikers. Beyond the parkland of Shardeloes the path continued eastward along a farm track, with the river a short distance away to my right.
The path along the Misbourne Valley through the grounds of Shardeloes
Shardeloes
The path along the Misbourne Valley through the grounds of Shardeloes
The ornamental lake at Shardeloes
The footpath continuing westwards through the Misbourne Valley towards Little Missenden
The footpath continuing through the Misbourne Valley towards Little Missenden - still some frost about!
The footpath continuing through the Misbourne Valley towards Little Missenden
Eventually the farm track ended at a road on the edge of Little Missenden, where I turned left and followed the road for over half a mile through the village. It's one of my favourite villages in the Chilterns, and it was no hardship to walk through it again. I passed two pubs, the village hall and the school. There was a wooden fingerpost sign, carved in the figure of a green man (I think), but the highlight was the ancient church.
The road through Little Missenden
Little Missenden lies in the Misbourne valley, about three miles west of Amersham. The name ‘Missenden’ comes from the Saxon for ‘valley where marsh plants grow’, and the village church dates back to the time of the Saxons. It contains some mediaeval wall paintings, and is well worth a visit. The village is quaint and attractive, and has been used as a setting for films and TV.
Little Missenden
Little Missenden church